(d), or altered or abandoned pursuant to sub-
section (e) shall count as an independent viola-
tion. Within a redistricting plan, each violation 
found to discriminate against any group of vot-
ers based on race, color, or language minority 
group shall count as an independent violation.
‘‘(4) TIMING OF DETERMINATIONS.— 
‘‘(A) DETERMINATIONS OF VOTING RIGHTS 
VIOLATIONS.—As early as practicable during 
each calendar year, the Attorney General shall 
make the determinations required by this sub-
section, including updating the list of voting 
rights violations occurring in each State and po-
litical subdivision for the previous calendar 
year. 
‘‘(B) EFFECTIVE
UPON
PUBLICATION
IN 
FEDERAL REGISTER.—A determination or cer-
tification of the Attorney General under this 
section or under section 8 or 13 shall be effec-
tive upon publication in the Federal Register.’’. 
(2) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 4(a) 
of such Act (52 U.S.C. 10303(a)) is amended— 
(A) in paragraph (1), in the first sentence 
of the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by 
striking ‘‘any State with respect to which’’ and
all that follows through ‘‘unless’’ and inserting 
‘‘any State to which this subsection applies dur-
ing a calendar year pursuant to determinations 
made under subsection (b), or in any political 
subdivision of such State (as such subdivision 
existed on the date such determinations were 
made with respect to such State), though such 
determinations were not made with respect to 
such subdivision as a separate unit, or in any 
political subdivision with respect to which this 
subsection applies during a calendar year pur-
suant to determinations made with respect to 
such subdivision as a separate unit under sub-
section (b), unless’’; 
(B) in paragraph (1) in the matter pre-
ceding subparagraph (A), by striking the second 
sentence; 
(C) in paragraph (1)(A), by striking ‘‘(in 
the case of a State or subdivision seeking a de-
claratory judgment under the second sentence 
of this subsection)’’; 
(D) in paragraph (1)(B), by striking ‘‘(in 
the case of a State or subdivision seeking a de-
claratory judgment under the second sentence 
of this subsection)’’;
(E) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘(in the 
case of a State or subdivision seeking a declara-
tory judgment under the second sentence of this 
subsection)’’; 
(F) in paragraph (5), by striking ‘‘(in the 
case of a State or subdivision which sought a 
declaratory judgment under the second sentence 
of this subsection)’’; 
(G) by striking paragraphs (7) and (8); 
and 
(H) by redesignating paragraph (9) as 
paragraph (7). 
(b) CLARIFICATION OF TREATMENT OF MEMBERS OF 
LANGUAGE MINORITY GROUPS.—Section 4(a)(1) of such 
Act (52 U.S.C. 10303(a)(1)) is amended by striking ‘‘race 
or color,’’ and inserting ‘‘race, color, or in contravention 
of the guarantees of subsection (f)(2),’’. 
(c) ADMINISTRATIVE BAILOUT.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Section 4 of the Voting 
Rights Act of 1965 (52 U.S.C. 10303) is amended 
by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(g) ADMINISTRATIVE BAILOUT.— 
‘‘(1) DETERMINATION OF ELIGIBILITY.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—After making a deter-
mination under subsection (b)(1)(A) that the
provisions of subsection (a) apply with respect 
to a State and all political subdivisions within 
the State, the Attorney General shall determine 
if any political subdivision of the State is eligi-
ble for an exemption under this subsection, and 
shall publish, in the Federal Register, a list of 
all such political subdivisions. Any political sub-
division included on such list is not subject to 
any requirement under section 5 until the date 
on which any application under this section has 
been finally disposed of or no such application 
may be made. 
‘‘(B) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing 
in this subsection may be construed to pro-
vide— 
‘‘(i) that the determinations made 
pursuant to the creation of the list shall 
have any binding or preclusive effect; or 
‘‘(ii) that inclusion on the list— 
‘‘(I) constitutes a final deter-
mination by the Attorney General that 
the listee is eligible for an exemption 
pursuant to this subsection or that, in 
the case of the listee, the provisions of
subparagraphs (A) through (F) of 
subsection (a)(1) are satisfied; or 
‘‘(II) entitles the listee to any ex-
emption pursuant to this subsection. 
‘‘(2) ELIGIBILITY.—A political subdivision that 
submits an application under paragraph (3) shall be 
eligible for an exemption under this subsection only 
if, during the ten years preceding the filing of the 
application, and during the pendency of such appli-
cation— 
‘‘(A) no test or device referred to in sub-
section (a)(1) has been used within such polit-
ical subdivision for the purpose or with the ef-
fect of denying or abridging the right to vote on 
account of race or color or in contravention of 
the guarantees of subsection (f)(2); 
‘‘(B) no final judgment of any court of the 
United States, other than the denial of declara-
tory judgment under this section, has deter-
mined that denials or abridgements of the right 
to vote on account of race or color have oc-
curred anywhere in the territory of such polit-
ical subdivision or that denials or abridgements 
of the right to vote in contravention of the 
guarantees of subsection (f)(2) have occurred
anywhere in the territory of such subdivision 
and no consent decree, settlement, or agreement 
has been entered into resulting in any abandon-
ment of a voting practice challenged on such 
grounds; and no declaratory judgment under 
this section shall be entered during the pend-
ency of an action commenced before the filing 
of an action under this section and alleging 
such denials or abridgements of the right to 
vote; 
‘‘(C) no Federal examiners or observers 
under this Act have been assigned to such polit-
ical subdivision; 
‘‘(D) such political subdivision and all gov-
ernmental units within its territory have com-
plied with section 5 of this Act, including com-
pliance with the requirement that no change 
covered by section 5 has been enforced without 
preclearance under section 5, and have repealed 
all changes covered by section 5 to which the 
Attorney General has successfully objected or as 
to which the United States District Court for 
the District of Columbia has denied a declara-
tory judgment;
‘‘(E) the Attorney General has not inter-
posed any objection (that has not been over-
turned by a final judgment of a court) and no 
declaratory judgment has been denied under 
section 5, with respect to any submission by or 
on behalf of the plaintiff or any governmental 
unit within its territory under section 5, and no 
such submissions or declaratory judgment ac-
tions are pending; and 
‘‘(F) such political subdivision and all gov-
ernmental units within its territory— 
‘‘(i) have eliminated voting procedures 
and methods of election which inhibit or 
dilute equal access to the electoral process; 
‘‘(ii) have engaged in constructive ef-
forts to eliminate intimidation and harass-
ment of persons exercising rights protected 
under this Act; and 
‘‘(iii) have engaged in other construc-
tive efforts, such as expanded opportunity 
for convenient registration and voting for 
every person of voting age and the appoint-
ment of minority persons as election offi-
cials throughout the jurisdiction and at all
stages of the election and registration 
process. 
‘‘(3) APPLICATION PERIOD.—Not later than 90 
days after the publication of the list under para-
graph (1), a political subdivision included on such 
list may submit an application, containing such in-
formation as the Attorney General may require, for 
an exemption under this subsection. The Attorney 
General shall provide notice in the Federal Register 
of such application. 
‘‘(4) COMMENT
PERIOD.—During the 90-day 
period beginning on the date that notice is published 
under paragraph (3), the Attorney General shall give 
interested persons an opportunity to submit objec-
tions to the issuance of an exemption under this 
subsection to a political subdivision on the basis that 
the political subdivision is not eligible under para-
graph (2) to the Attorney General. During the 1 
year period beginning on the effective date of this 
subsection, such 90-day period shall be extended by 
an additional 30 days. The Attorney General shall 
notify the political subdivision of each objection sub-
mitted and afford the political subdivision an oppor-
tunity to respond.
‘‘(5) DETERMINATION AS TO OBJECTIONS.—In 
the case of a political subdivision with respect to 
which an objection has been submitted under para-
graph (4), the following shall apply: 
‘‘(A) CONSIDERATION
OF
OBJECTIONS.— 
The Attorney General shall consider and re-
spond to each such objection (and any response 
of the political subdivision thereto) during the 
60 day period beginning on the day after the 
comment period under paragraph (4) concludes. 
‘‘(B) JUSTIFIED OBJECTIONS.—If the At-
torney General determines that any such objec-
tion is justified, the Attorney General shall pub-
lish notice in the Federal Register denying the 
application for an exemption under this sub-
section. 
‘‘(C) UNJUSTIFIED
OBJECTIONS.—If the 
Attorney General determines that no objection 
submitted is justified, each person that sub-
mitted such an objection may, not later than 90 
days after the end of the period established 
under subparagraph (A), file, in the District 
Court of the District of Columbia, an action for 
judicial review of such determination in accord-
ance with chapter 7 of title 5, United States 
Code. 
‘‘(6) EXEMPTION.—The Attorney General may 
issue an exemption, by publication in the Federal 
Register, from the application of the provisions of 
subsection (a) with respect to a political subdivision 
that— 
‘‘(A) is eligible under paragraph (2); and 
‘‘(B) with respect to which no objection 
under was submitted under paragraph (4) or 
determined to be justified under paragraph (5). 
‘‘(7) JUDICIAL REVIEW.—Except as otherwise 
explicitly provided in this subsection, no determina-
tion under this subsection shall be subject to review 
by any court, and all determinations under this sub-
section are committed to the discretion of the Attor-
ney General. 
‘‘(8) SAVINGS CLAUSE.—If a political subdivi-
sion was not subject to the application of the provi-
sions of subsection (a) by reason of a declaratory 
judgment entered prior to the effective date of this 
subsection, and such political subdivision has not 
violated any eligibility requirement set forth in para-
graph (2) at any time thereafter, then that political
subdivision shall not be subject to the requirements 
of subsection (a).’’. 
(2) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Section 4(a)(1) of the 
Voting Rights Act of 1965 (52 U.S.C. 
10303(a)(1)), as amended by this Act, is fur-
ther amended by inserting after ‘‘the United 
States District Court for the District of Colum-
bia issues a declaratory judgment under this 
section’’ the following: ‘‘, or, in the case of a 
political subdivision, the Attorney General 
issues an exemption under subsection (g)’’. 
(B) EXPIRATION OF TIME LIMIT.—On the 
date that is 1 year after the effective date of 
this subsection, section 4(g)(3) of the Voting 
Rights Act of 1965 (52 U.S.C. 10303(g)(3)) is 
amended by striking ‘‘During the 1 year period 
beginning on the effective date of this sub-
section, such 90-day period shall be extended by 
an additional 30 days.’’. For purposes of any 
periods under such section commenced as of 
such date, the 90-day period shall remain ex-
tended by an additional 30 days.