237 
‘‘(1) holding any position (including any unpaid 
or honorary position) with an authorized committee 
of a candidate, or participating in any decision-mak-
ing of an authorized committee of a candidate; 
‘‘(2) the use of official authority or influence 
for the purpose of interfering with or affecting the 
result of an election for Federal office; 
‘‘(3) the solicitation, acceptance, or receipt of a 
contribution from any person on behalf of a can-
didate for Federal office; and 
‘‘(4) any other act which would be prohibited 
under paragraph (2) or (3) of section 7323(b) of 
title 5, United States Code, if taken by an individual 
to whom such paragraph applies (other than any 
prohibition on running for public office). 
‘‘(d) EXCEPTION IN CASE OF RECUSAL FROM AD-
MINISTRATION OF ELECTIONS INVOLVING OFFICIAL OR 
IMMEDIATE FAMILY MEMBER.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—This section does not apply 
to a chief State election administration official with 
respect to an election for Federal office in which the 
official or an immediate family member of the offi-
cial is a candidate, but only if—
238 
‘‘(A) such official recuses himself or herself 
from all of the official’s responsibilities for the 
administration of such election; and 
‘‘(B) the official who assumes responsi-
bility for supervising the administration of the 
election does not report directly to such official. 
‘‘(2) IMMEDIATE FAMILY MEMBER DEFINED.— 
In paragraph (1), the term ‘immediate family mem-
ber’ means, with respect to a candidate, a father, 
mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, husband, 
wife, father-in-law, or mother-in-law.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
subsection (a) shall apply with respect to elections for 
Federal office held after December 2021. 
Subtitle N—Promoting Voter Ac-
cess Through Election Adminis-
tration Improvements 
PART 1—PROMOTING VOTER ACCESS 
SEC. 1901. TREATMENT OF INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDU-
CATION. 
(a) TREATMENT
OF CERTAIN INSTITUTIONS
AS 
VOTER
REGISTRATION
AGENCIES
UNDER
NATIONAL 
VOTER REGISTRATION ACT OF 1993.—Section 7(a) of the 
National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 
20506(a)) is amended—
239 
(1) in paragraph (2)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of sub-
paragraph (A); 
(B) by striking the period at the end of 
subparagraph (B) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following new 
subparagraph: 
‘‘(C) each institution of higher education 
which has a program participation agreement in 
effect with the Secretary of Education under 
section 487 of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1094), other than an institu-
tion which is treated as a contributing agency 
under the Automatic Voter Registration Act of 
2021.’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (6)(A), by inserting ‘‘or, in 
the case of an institution of higher education, with 
each registration of a student for enrollment in a 
course of study, including enrollment in a program 
of distance education, as defined in section 103(7) 
of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1003(7)),’’ after ‘‘assistance,’’. 
(b) RESPONSIBILITIES
OF INSTITUTIONS UNDER 
HIGHER EDUCATION ACT OF 1965.—
240 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 487(a)(23) of the 
Higher 
Education 
Act 
of 
1965 
(20 
U.S.C. 
1094(a)(23)) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(23)(A)(i) The institution will ensure that an 
appropriate staff person or office is designated pub-
licly as a ‘Campus Vote Coordinator’ and will ensure 
that such person’s or office’s contact information is 
included on the institution’s website. 
‘‘(ii) Not fewer than twice during each calendar 
year (beginning with 2021), the Campus Vote Coor-
dinator shall transmit electronically to each student 
enrolled in the institution (including students en-
rolled in distance education programs) a message 
containing the following information: 
‘‘(I) Information on the location of polling 
places in the jurisdiction in which the institu-
tion is located, together with information on 
available methods of transportation to and from 
such polling places. 
‘‘(II) A referral to a government-affiliated 
website or online platform which provides cen-
tralized voter registration information for all 
States, including access to applicable voter reg-
istration forms and information to assist indi-
241 
viduals who are not registered to vote in reg-
istering to vote. 
‘‘(III) Any additional voter registration 
and voting information the Coordinator con-
siders appropriate, in consultation with the ap-
propriate State election official. 
‘‘(iii) In addition to transmitting the message 
described in clause (ii) not fewer than twice during 
each calendar year, the Campus Vote Coordinator 
shall transmit the message under such clause, and 
shall include on the institution’s website and boost 
awareness on the institution’s social media plat-
forms, not fewer than 30 days prior to the deadline 
for registering to vote for any election for Federal, 
State, or local office in the State. 
‘‘(B) If the institution in its normal course of 
operations requests each student registering for en-
rollment in a course of study, including students 
registering for enrollment in a program of distance 
education, to affirm whether or not the student is a 
United States citizen, the institution will comply 
with the applicable requirements for a contributing 
agency under the Automatic Voter Registration Act 
of 2021.
242 
‘‘(C) If the institution is not described in sub-
paragraph (B), the institution will comply with the 
requirements for a voter registration agency in the 
State in which it is located in accordance with sec-
tion 7 of the National Voter Registration Act of 
1993 (52 U.S.C. 20506). 
‘‘(D) This paragraph applies only with respect 
to an institution which is located in a State to which 
section 4(b) of the National Voter Registration Act 
of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20503(b)) does not apply.’’. 
(2) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made 
by this subsection shall apply with respect to elec-
tions held on or after January 1, 2022. 
(c) GRANTS TO INSTITUTIONS DEMONSTRATING EX-
CELLENCE IN STUDENT VOTER REGISTRATION.— 
(1) GRANTS
AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary of 
Education may award competitive grants to public 
and private nonprofit institutions of higher edu-
cation that are subject to the requirements of sec-
tion 487(a)(23) of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1094(a)(23)), as amended by sub-
section (a), and that the Secretary determines have 
demonstrated excellence in registering students to 
vote in elections for public office beyond meeting the 
minimum requirements of such section.
243 
(2) ELIGIBILITY.—An institution of higher edu-
cation is eligible to receive a grant under this sub-
section if the institution submits to the Secretary of 
Education, at such time and in such form as the 
Secretary may require, an application containing 
such information and assurances as the Secretary 
may require to make the determination described in 
paragraph (1), including information and assurances 
that the institution carried out activities to promote 
voter registration by students, such as the following: 
(A) Sponsoring large on-campus voter mo-
bilization efforts. 
(B) Engaging the surrounding community 
in nonpartisan voter registration and get out 
the vote efforts, including initiatives to facilitate 
the enfranchisement of groups of individuals 
that have historically faced barriers to voting. 
(C) Creating a website for students with 
centralized information about voter registration 
and election dates. 
(D) Inviting candidates to speak on cam-
pus. 
(E) Offering rides to students to the polls 
to increase voter education, registration, and 
mobilization.
244 
(3) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.— 
There are authorized to be appropriated for fiscal 
year 2022 and each succeeding fiscal year such sums 
as may be necessary to award grants under this sub-
section. Of the funds appropriated, the Secretary 
shall ensure that 25 percent is reserved for Minority 
Institutions described in section 371(a) of the High-
er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1067q(a)). 
(d) SENSE OF CONGRESS RELATING TO OPTION OF 
STUDENTS TO REGISTER IN JURISDICTION OF INSTITU-
TION OF HIGHER EDUCATION OR JURISDICTION OF DOMI-
CILE.—It is the sense of Congress that, as provided under 
existing law, students who attend an institution of higher 
education and reside in the jurisdiction of the institution 
while attending the institution should have the option of 
registering to vote, without being subjected to intimidation 
or deceptive practices, in elections for Federal office in 
that jurisdiction or in the jurisdiction of their own domi-
cile. 
SEC. 1902. MINIMUM NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS FOR 
VOTERS 
AFFECTED 
BY 
POLLING 
PLACE 
CHANGES. 
(a) REQUIREMENTS.—Section 302 of the Help Amer-
ica Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21082), as amended by 
section 1601(a), is amended—
245 
(1) by redesignating subsection (f) as sub-
section (g); and 
(2) by inserting after subsection (e) the fol-
lowing new subsection: 
‘‘(f) MINIMUM NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS FOR 
VOTERS AFFECTED BY POLLING PLACE CHANGES.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—If a State assigns an indi-
vidual who is a registered voter in a State to a poll-
ing place with respect to an election for Federal of-
fice which is not the same polling place to which the 
individual was previously assigned with respect to 
the most recent election for Federal office in the 
State in which the individual was eligible to vote— 
‘‘(A) the State shall notify the individual of 
the location of the polling place not later than 
7 days before the date of the election or the 
first day of an early voting period (whichever 
occurs first); or 
‘‘(B) if the State makes such an assign-
ment fewer than 7 days before the date of the 
election and the individual appears on the date 
of the election at the polling place to which the 
individual was previously assigned, the State 
shall make every reasonable effort to enable the 
individual to vote on the date of the election.
246 
‘‘(2) METHODS OF NOTIFICATION.—The State 
shall notify an individual under subparagraph (A) of 
paragraph (1) by mail, telephone, and (if available) 
text message and electronic mail, taking into consid-
eration factors which include the linguistic pref-
erences of voters in the jurisdiction. 
‘‘(3) PLACEMENT OF SIGNS AT CLOSED POLL-
ING PLACES.—If a location which served as a polling 
place in an election for Federal office does not serve 
as a polling place in the next election for Federal of-
fice held in the jurisdiction involved, the State shall 
ensure that signs are posted at such location on the 
date of the election and during any early voting pe-
riod for the election containing the following infor-
mation, taking into consideration factors which in-
clude the linguistic preferences of voters in the juris-
diction: 
‘‘(A) A statement that the location is not 
serving as a polling place in the election. 
‘‘(B) The locations serving as polling 
places in the election in the jurisdiction in-
volved. 
‘‘(C) Contact information, including a tele-
phone number and website, for the appropriate 
State or local election official through which an
247 
individual may find the polling place to which 
the individual is assigned for the election. 
‘‘(4) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This subsection shall 
apply with respect to elections held on or after Janu-
ary 1, 2021.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 302(g) of 
such Act (52 U.S.C. 21082(g)), as redesignated by sub-
section (a) and as amended by section 1601(b), is amend-
ed by striking ‘‘(d)(2) and (e)(2)’’ and inserting ‘‘(d)(2), 
(e)(2), and (f)(4)’’. 
SEC. 1903. PERMITTING USE OF SWORN WRITTEN STATE-
MENT TO MEET IDENTIFICATION REQUIRE-
MENTS FOR VOTING. 
(a) PERMITTING USE OF STATEMENT.—Title III of 
the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21081 et 
seq.) is amended by inserting after section 303 the fol-
lowing new section: 
‘‘SEC. 303A. PERMITTING USE OF SWORN WRITTEN STATE-
MENT TO MEET IDENTIFICATION REQUIRE-
MENTS. 
‘‘(a) USE OF STATEMENT.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in sub-
section (c), if a State has in effect a requirement 
that an individual present identification as a condi-
tion of receiving and casting a ballot in an election
248 
for Federal office, the State shall permit the indi-
vidual to meet the requirement— 
‘‘(A) in the case of an individual who de-
sires to vote in person, by presenting the appro-
priate State or local election official with a 
sworn written statement, signed by the indi-
vidual under penalty of perjury, attesting to the 
individual’s identity and attesting that the indi-
vidual is eligible to vote in the election; or 
‘‘(B) in the case of an individual who de-
sires to vote by mail, by submitting with the 
ballot the statement described in subparagraph 
(A). 
‘‘(2) DEVELOPMENT OF PRE-PRINTED VERSION 
OF STATEMENT BY COMMISSION.—The Commission 
shall develop a pre-printed version of the statement 
described in paragraph (1)(A) which includes a 
blank space for an individual to provide a name and 
signature for use by election officials in States which 
are subject to paragraph (1). 
‘‘(3) PROVIDING PRE-PRINTED COPY OF STATE-
MENT.—A State which is subject to paragraph (1) 
shall— 
‘‘(A) make copies of the pre-printed 
version of the statement described in paragraph
249 
(1)(A) which is prepared by the Commission 
available at polling places for election officials 
to distribute to individuals who desire to vote in 
person; and 
‘‘(B) include a copy of such pre-printed 
version of the statement with each blank absen-
tee or other ballot transmitted to an individual 
who desires to vote by mail. 
‘‘(b) REQUIRING USE OF BALLOT IN SAME MANNER 
AS INDIVIDUALS PRESENTING IDENTIFICATION.—An in-
dividual who presents or submits a sworn written state-
ment in accordance with subsection (a)(1) shall be per-
mitted to cast a ballot in the election in the same manner 
as an individual who presents identification. 
‘‘(c) EXCEPTION
FOR FIRST-TIME VOTERS REG-
ISTERING BY MAIL.—Subsections (a) and (b) do not apply 
with respect to any individual described in paragraph (1) 
of section 303(b) who is required to meet the requirements 
of paragraph (2) of such section.’’. 
(b) REQUIRING STATES TO INCLUDE INFORMATION 
ON USE OF SWORN WRITTEN STATEMENT IN VOTING IN-
FORMATION MATERIAL POSTED AT POLLING PLACES.— 
Section 302(b)(2) of such Act (52 U.S.C. 21082(b)(2)), 
as amended by section 1072(b) and section 1202(b), is 
amended—
250 
(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of subpara-
graph (G); 
(2) by striking the period at the end of sub-
paragraph (H) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following new sub-
paragraph: 
‘‘(I) in the case of a State that has in ef-
fect a requirement that an individual present 
identification as a condition of receiving and 
casting a ballot in an election for Federal office, 
information on how an individual may meet 
such requirement by presenting a sworn written 
statement in accordance with section 303A.’’. 
(c) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 
of such Act is amended by inserting after the item relating 
to section 303 the following new item: 
‘‘Sec. 303A. Permitting use of sworn written statement to meet identification 
requirements.’’. 
(e) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall apply with respect to elections occurring 
on or after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 1904. ACCOMMODATIONS FOR VOTERS RESIDING IN 
INDIAN LANDS. 
(a) ACCOMMODATIONS DESCRIBED.— 
(1) DESIGNATION OF BALLOT PICKUP AND COL-
LECTION LOCATIONS.—Given the widespread lack of
251 
residential mail delivery in Indian Country, an In-
dian Tribe may designate buildings as ballot pickup 
and collection locations with respect to an election 
for Federal office at no cost to the Indian Tribe. An 
Indian Tribe may designate one building per pre-
cinct located within Indian lands. The applicable 
State or political subdivision shall collect ballots 
from those locations. The applicable State or polit-
ical subdivision shall provide the Indian Tribe with 
accurate precinct maps for all precincts located with-
in Indian lands 60 days before the election. 
(2) PROVISION
OF
MAIL-IN
AND
ABSENTEE 
BALLOTS.—The State or political subdivision shall 
provide mail-in and absentee ballots with respect to 
an election for Federal office to each individual who 
is registered to vote in the election who resides on 
Indian lands in the State or political subdivision in-
volved without requiring a residential address or a 
mail-in or absentee ballot request. 
(3) USE OF DESIGNATED BUILDING AS RESI-
DENTIAL AND MAILING ADDRESS.—The address of a 
designated building that is a ballot pickup and col-
lection location with respect to an election for Fed-
eral office may serve as the residential address and 
mailing address for voters living on Indian lands if
252 
the tribally designated building is in the same pre-
cinct as that voter. If there is no tribally designated 
building within a voter’s precinct, the voter may use 
another tribally designated building within the In-
dian lands where the voter is located. Voters using 
a tribally designated building outside of the voter’s 
precinct may use the tribally designated building as 
a mailing address and may separately designate the 
voter’s appropriate precinct through a description of 
the 
voter’s 
address, 
as 
specified 
in 
section 
9428.4(a)(2) of title 11, Code of Federal Regula-
tions. 
(4) LANGUAGE ACCESSIBILITY.—In the case of 
a State or political subdivision that is a covered 
State or political subdivision under section 203 of 
the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (52 U.S.C. 10503), 
that State or political subdivision shall provide ab-
sentee or mail-in voting materials with respect to an 
election for Federal office in the language of the ap-
plicable minority group as well as in the English lan-
guage, bilingual election voting assistance, and writ-
ten translations of all voting materials in the lan-
guage of the applicable minority group, as required 
by section 203 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (52 
U.S.C. 10503), as amended by subsection (b).
253 
(5) CLARIFICATION.—Nothing in this section 
alters the ability of an individual voter residing on 
Indian lands to request a ballot in a manner avail-
able to all other voters in the State. 
(6) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(A) ELECTION
FOR
FEDERAL
OFFICE.— 
The term ‘‘election for Federal office’’ means a 
general, special, primary or runoff election for 
the office of President or Vice President, or of 
Senator or Representative in, or Delegate or 
Resident Commissioner to, the Congress. 
(B) INDIAN.—The term ‘‘Indian’’ has the 
meaning given the term in section 4 of the In-
dian Self-Determination and Education Assist-
ance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304). 
(C) INDIAN
LANDS.—The term ‘‘Indian 
lands’’ includes— 
(i) any Indian country of an Indian 
Tribe, as defined under section 1151 of 
title 18, United States Code; 
(ii) any land in Alaska owned, pursu-
ant to the Alaska Native Claims Settle-
ment Act (43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), by an 
Indian Tribe that is a Native village (as 
defined in section 3 of that Act (43 U.S.C.
254 
1602)) or by a Village Corporation that is 
associated with an Indian Tribe (as de-
fined in section 3 of that Act (43 U.S.C. 
1602)); 
(iii) any land on which the seat of the 
Tribal Government is located; and 
(iv) any land that is part or all of a 
Tribal designated statistical area associ-
ated with an Indian Tribe, or is part or all 
of an Alaska Native village statistical area 
associated with an Indian Tribe, as defined 
by the Census Bureau for the purposes of 
the most recent decennial census. 
(D) INDIAN
TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Indian 
Tribe’’ has the meaning given the term ‘‘Indian 
tribe’’ in section 4 of the Indian Self-Deter-
mination and Education Assistance Act (25 
U.S.C. 5304). 
(E) TRIBAL
GOVERNMENT.—The term 
‘‘Tribal Government’’ means the recognized 
governing body of an Indian Tribe. 
(7) ENFORCEMENT.— 
(A) ATTORNEY GENERAL.—The Attorney 
General may bring a civil action in an appro-
priate district court for such declaratory or in-
255 
junctive relief as is necessary to carry out this 
subsection. 
(B) PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION.— 
(i) A person or Tribal Government 
who is aggrieved by a violation of this sub-
section may provide written notice of the 
violation to the chief election official of the 
State involved. 
(ii) An aggrieved person or Tribal 
Government may bring a civil action in an 
appropriate district court for declaratory 
or injunctive relief with respect to a viola-
tion of this subsection, if— 
(I) that person or Tribal Govern-
ment provides the notice described in 
clause (i); and 
(II)(aa) in the case of a violation 
that occurs more than 120 days be-
fore the date of an election for Fed-
eral office, the violation remains and 
90 days or more have passed since the 
date on which the chief election offi-
cial of the State receives the notice 
under clause (i); or
256 
(bb) in the case of a violation 
that occurs 120 days or less before 
the date of an election for Federal of-
fice, the violation remains and 20 
days or more have passed since the 
date on which the chief election offi-
cial of the State receives the notice 
under clause (i). 
(iii) In the case of a violation of this 
section that occurs 30 days or less before 
the date of an election for Federal office, 
an aggrieved person or Tribal Government 
may bring a civil action in an appropriate 
district court for declaratory or injunctive 
relief with respect to the violation without 
providing notice to the chief election offi-
cial of the State under clause (i). 
(b) BILINGUAL ELECTION REQUIREMENTS.—Section 
203 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (52 U.S.C. 10503) 
is amended— 
(1) in subsection (b)(3)(C)), by striking ‘‘1990’’ 
and inserting ‘‘2010’’; and 
(2) by striking subsection (c) and inserting the 
following:
257 
‘‘(c) PROVISION OF VOTING MATERIALS IN THE LAN-
GUAGE OF A MINORITY GROUP.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Whenever any State or po-
litical subdivision subject to the prohibition of sub-
section (b) of this section provides any registration 
or voting notices, forms, instructions, assistance, or 
other materials or information relating to the elec-
toral process, including ballots, it shall provide them 
in the language of the applicable minority group as 
well as in the English language. 
‘‘(2) EXCEPTIONS.— 
‘‘(A) In the case of a minority group that 
is not American Indian or Alaska Native and 
the language of that minority group is oral or 
unwritten, the State or political subdivision 
shall only be required to furnish, in the covered 
language, oral instructions, assistance, trans-
lation of voting materials, or other information 
relating to registration and voting. 
‘‘(B) In the case of a minority group that 
is American Indian or Alaska Native, the State 
or political subdivision shall only be required to 
furnish in the covered language oral instruc-
tions, assistance, or other information relating 
to registration and voting, including all voting
258 
materials, if the Tribal Government of that mi-
nority group has certified that the language of 
the applicable American Indian or Alaska Na-
tive language is presently unwritten or the 
Tribal Government does not want written trans-
lations in the minority language. 
‘‘(3) WRITTEN TRANSLATIONS FOR ELECTION 
WORKERS.—Notwithstanding paragraph (2), the 
State or political division may be required to provide 
written translations of voting materials, with the 
consent of any applicable Indian Tribe, to election 
workers to ensure that the translations from English 
to the language of a minority group are complete, 
accurate, and uniform.’’. 
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section and the amend-
ments made by this section shall apply with respect to the 
regularly scheduled general election for Federal office held 
in November 2022 and each succeeding election for Fed-
eral office. 
SEC. 1905. VOTER INFORMATION RESPONSE SYSTEMS AND 
HOTLINE. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT AND OPERATION OF SYSTEMS 
AND SERVICES.— 
(1) STATE-BASED
RESPONSE
SYSTEMS.—The 
Attorney General shall coordinate the establishment
259 
of a State-based response system for responding to 
questions and complaints from individuals voting or 
seeking to vote, or registering to vote or seeking to 
register to vote, in elections for Federal office. Such 
system shall provide— 
(A) State-specific, same-day, and imme-
diate assistance to such individuals, including 
information on how to register to vote, the loca-
tion and hours of operation of polling places, 
and how to obtain absentee ballots; and 
(B) State-specific, same-day, and imme-
diate assistance to individuals encountering 
problems with registering to vote or voting, in-
cluding individuals encountering intimidation or 
deceptive practices. 
(2) HOTLINE.—The Attorney General, in con-
sultation with State election officials, shall establish 
and operate a toll-free telephone service, using a 
telephone number that is accessible throughout the 
United States and that uses easily identifiable nu-
merals, through which individuals throughout the 
United States— 
(A) may connect directly to the State- 
based response system described in paragraph 
(1) with respect to the State involved;
260 
(B) may obtain information on voting in 
elections for Federal office, including informa-
tion on how to register to vote in such elections, 
the locations and hours of operation of polling 
places, and how to obtain absentee ballots; and 
(C) may report information to the Attor-
ney General on problems encountered in reg-
istering to vote or voting, including incidences 
of voter intimidation or suppression. 
(3) COLLABORATION WITH STATE AND LOCAL 
ELECTION OFFICIALS.— 
(A) COLLECTION OF INFORMATION FROM 
STATES.—The Attorney General shall coordi-
nate the collection of information on State and 
local election laws and policies, including infor-
mation on the statewide computerized voter reg-
istration lists maintained under title III of the 
Help America Vote Act of 2002, so that indi-
viduals who contact the free telephone service 
established under paragraph (2) on the date of 
an election for Federal office may receive an 
immediate response on that day. 
(B) FORWARDING
QUESTIONS
AND
COM-
PLAINTS TO STATES.—If an individual contacts 
the free telephone service established under
261 
paragraph (2) on the date of an election for 
Federal office with a question or complaint with 
respect to a particular State or jurisdiction 
within a State, the Attorney General shall for-
ward the question or complaint immediately to 
the appropriate election official of the State or 
jurisdiction so that the official may answer the 
question or remedy the complaint on that date. 
(4) CONSULTATION
REQUIREMENTS
FOR
DE-
VELOPMENT OF SYSTEMS AND SERVICES.—The At-
torney General shall ensure that the State-based re-
sponse system under paragraph (1) and the free 
telephone service under paragraph (2) are each de-
veloped in consultation with civil rights organiza-
tions, voting rights groups, State and local election 
officials, voter protection groups, and other inter-
ested community organizations, especially those that 
have experience in the operation of similar systems 
and services. 
(b) USE OF SERVICE BY INDIVIDUALS WITH DIS-
ABILITIES AND INDIVIDUALS WITH LIMITED ENGLISH 
LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY.—The Attorney General shall 
design and operate the telephone service established under 
this section in a manner that ensures that individuals with 
disabilities are fully able to use the service, and that as-
262 
sistance is provided in any language in which the State 
(or any jurisdiction in the State) is required to provide 
election materials under section 203 of the Voting Rights 
Act of 1965. 
(c) VOTER HOTLINE TASK FORCE.— 
(1) APPOINTMENT BY ATTORNEY GENERAL.— 
The Attorney General shall appoint individuals (in 
such number as the Attorney General considers ap-
propriate but in no event fewer than 3) to serve on 
a Voter Hotline Task Force to provide ongoing anal-
ysis and assessment of the operation of the tele-
phone service established under this section, and 
shall give special consideration in making appoint-
ments to the Task Force to individuals who rep-
resent civil rights organizations. At least one mem-
ber of the Task Force shall be a representative of 
an organization promoting voting rights or civil 
rights which has experience in the operation of simi-
lar telephone services or in protecting the rights of 
individuals to vote, especially individuals who are 
members of racial, ethnic, or linguistic minorities or 
of communities who have been adversely affected by 
efforts to suppress voting rights. 
(2) ELIGIBILITY.—An individual shall be eligi-
ble to serve on the Task Force under this subsection
263 
if the individual meets such criteria as the Attorney 
General may establish, except that an individual may 
not serve on the task force if the individual has been 
convicted of any criminal offense relating to voter in-
timidation or voter suppression. 
(3) TERM
OF
SERVICE.—An individual ap-
pointed to the Task Force shall serve a single term 
of 2 years, except that the initial terms of the mem-
bers first appointed to the Task Force shall be stag-
gered so that there are at least 3 individuals serving 
on the Task Force during each year. A vacancy in 
the membership of the Task Force shall be filled in 
the same manner as the original appointment. 
(4) NO COMPENSATION FOR SERVICE.—Mem-
bers of the Task Force shall serve without pay, but 
shall receive travel expenses, including per diem in 
lieu of subsistence, in accordance with applicable 
provisions under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 
5, United States Code. 
(d) BI-ANNUAL REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later 
than March 1 of each odd-numbered year, the Attorney 
General shall submit a report to Congress on the operation 
of the telephone service established under this section dur-
ing the previous 2 years, and shall include in the report—
264 
(1) an enumeration of the number and type of 
calls that were received by the service; 
(2) a compilation and description of the reports 
made to the service by individuals citing instances of 
voter intimidation or suppression, together with a 
description of any actions taken in response to such 
instances of voter intimidation or suppression; 
(3) an assessment of the effectiveness of the 
service in making information available to all house-
holds in the United States with telephone service; 
(4) any recommendations developed by the 
Task Force established under subsection (c) with re-
spect to how voting systems may be maintained or 
upgraded to better accommodate voters and better 
ensure the integrity of elections, including but not 
limited to identifying how to eliminate coordinated 
voter suppression efforts and how to establish effec-
tive mechanisms for distributing updates on changes 
to voting requirements; and 
(5) any recommendations on best practices for 
the State-based response systems established under 
subsection (a)(1). 
(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 
(1) AUTHORIZATION.—There are authorized to 
be appropriated to the Attorney General for fiscal
265 
year 2021 and each succeeding fiscal year such sums 
as may be necessary to carry out this section. 
(2) 
SET-ASIDE
FOR
OUTREACH.—Of 
the 
amounts appropriated to carry out this section for a 
fiscal year pursuant to the authorization under para-
graph (1), not less than 15 percent shall be used for 
outreach activities to make the public aware of the 
availability of the telephone service established under 
this section, with an emphasis on outreach to indi-
viduals with disabilities and individuals with limited 
proficiency in the English language. 
SEC. 1906. ENSURING EQUITABLE AND EFFICIENT OPER-
ATION OF POLLING PLACES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle A of title III of the Help 
America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21081 et seq.), as 
amended by section 1031(a), section 1101(a), section 
1611(a), section 1621(a), section 1622(a), and section 
1623(a), is amended— 
(1) by redesignating sections 310 and 311 as 
sections 311 and 312; and 
(2) by inserting after section 309 the following 
new section:
266 
‘‘SEC. 310. ENSURING EQUITABLE AND EFFICIENT OPER-
ATION OF POLLING PLACES. 
‘‘(a) PREVENTING UNREASONABLE WAITING TIMES 
FOR VOTERS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Each State shall provide a 
sufficient number of voting systems, poll workers, 
and other election resources (including physical re-
sources) at a polling place used in any election for 
Federal office, including a polling place at which in-
dividuals may cast ballots prior to the date of the 
election, to ensure— 
‘‘(A) a fair and equitable waiting time for 
all voters in the State; and 
‘‘(B) that no individual will be required to 
wait longer than 30 minutes to cast a ballot at 
the polling place. 
‘‘(2) CRITERIA.—In determining the number of 
voting systems, poll workers, and other election re-
sources provided at a polling place for purposes of 
paragraph (1), the State shall take into account the 
following factors: 
‘‘(A) The voting age population. 
‘‘(B) Voter turnout in past elections. 
‘‘(C) The number of voters registered. 
‘‘(D) The number of voters who have reg-
istered since the most recent Federal election.
267 
‘‘(E) Census data for the population served 
by the polling place, such as the proportion of 
the voting-age population who are under 25 
years of age or who are naturalized citizens. 
‘‘(F) The needs and numbers of voters 
with disabilities and voters with limited English 
proficiency. 
‘‘(G) The type of voting systems used. 
‘‘(H) The length and complexity of initia-
tives, referenda, and other questions on the bal-
lot. 
‘‘(I) Such other factors, including relevant 
demographic factors relating to the population 
served by the polling place, as the State con-
siders appropriate. 
‘‘(3) RULE
OF
CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in 
this subsection may be construed to authorize a 
State to meet the requirements of this subsection by 
closing any polling place, prohibiting an individual 
from entering a line at a polling place, or refusing 
to permit an individual who has arrived at a polling 
place prior to closing time from voting at the polling 
place. 
‘‘(4) GUIDELINES.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this section, the
268 
Commission shall establish and publish guidelines to 
assist States in meeting the requirements of this 
subsection. 
‘‘(5) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This subsection shall 
take effect upon the expiration of the 180-day period 
which begins on the date of the enactment of this 
subsection, without regard to whether or not the 
Commission has established and published guidelines 
under paragraph (4). 
‘‘(b) LIMITING VARIATIONS ON NUMBER OF HOURS 
OF OPERATION OF POLLING PLACES WITHIN A STATE.— 
‘‘(1) LIMITATION.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 
subparagraph (B) and paragraph (2), each 
State shall establish hours of operation for all 
polling places in the State on the date of any 
election for Federal office held in the State 
such that the polling place with the greatest 
number of hours of operation on such date is 
not in operation for more than 2 hours longer 
than the polling place with the fewest number 
of hours of operation on such date. 
‘‘(B) PERMITTING VARIANCE ON BASIS OF 
POPULATION.—Subparagraph 
(A) 
does 
not 
apply to the extent that the State establishes
269 
variations in the hours of operation of polling 
places on the basis of the overall population or 
the voting age population (as the State may se-
lect) of the unit of local government in which 
such polling places are located. 
‘‘(2) EXCEPTIONS FOR POLLING PLACES WITH 
HOURS ESTABLISHED BY UNITS OF LOCAL GOVERN-
MENT.—Paragraph (1) does not apply in the case of 
a polling place— 
‘‘(A) whose hours of operation are estab-
lished, in accordance with State law, by the unit 
of local government in which the polling place 
is located; or 
‘‘(B) which is required pursuant to an 
order by a court to extend its hours of oper-
ation beyond the hours otherwise established. 
‘‘(c) MINIMUM HOURS OF OPERATION OUTSIDE OF 
TYPICAL WORKING HOURS.—Each State shall establish 
hours of operation for all polling places in the State on 
the date of any election for Federal office held in the State 
such that no polling place is open for less than a total 
of 4 hours outside of the hours between 9:00 a.m. and 
5:00 p.m. in time zone in which the polling place is lo-
cated.’’.
270 
(b) STUDY OF METHODS TO ENFORCE FAIR AND 
EQUITABLE WAITING TIMES.— 
(1) STUDY.—The Election Assistance Commis-
sion and the Comptroller General of the United 
States shall conduct a joint study of the effective-
ness of various methods of enforcing the require-
ments of section 310(a) of the Help America Vote 
Act of 2002, as added by subsection (a), including 
methods of best allocating resources to jurisdictions 
which have had the most difficulty in providing a 
fair and equitable waiting time at polling places to 
all voters, and to communities of color in particular. 
(2) REPORT.—Not later than 18 months after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Election 
Assistance Commission and the Comptroller General 
of the United States shall publish and submit to 
Congress a report on the study conducted under 
paragraph (1). 
(c) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 
of such Act, as amended by section 1031(c), section 
1101(c), section 1611(c), section 1621(b), section 
1622(c), and section 1623(a), is amended— 
(1) by redesignating the items relating to sec-
tions 310 and 311 as relating to sections 311 and 
312; and
271 
(2) by inserting after the item relating to sec-
tion 309 the following new item: 
‘‘Sec. 310. Ensuring equitable and efficient operation of polling places.’’. 
SEC. 1907. REQUIRING STATES TO PROVIDE SECURED 
DROP BOXES FOR VOTED ABSENTEE BAL-
LOTS IN ELECTIONS FOR FEDERAL OFFICE. 
(a) REQUIREMENT.—Subtitle A of title III of the 
Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21081 et seq.), 
as amended by section 1031(a), section 1101(a), section 
1611(a), section 1621(a), section 1622(a), section 
1623(a), and section 1906(a), is amended— 
(1) by redesignating sections 311 and 312 as 
sections 312 and 313; and 
(2) by inserting after section 310 the following 
new section: 
‘‘SEC. 311. USE OF SECURED DROP BOXES FOR VOTED AB-
SENTEE BALLOTS. 
‘‘(a) REQUIRING USE OF DROP BOXES.—In each 
county in the State, each State shall provide in-person, 
secured, and clearly labeled drop boxes at which individ-
uals may, at any time during the period described in sub-
section (b), drop off voted absentee ballots in an election 
for Federal office. 
‘‘(b) MINIMUM PERIOD FOR AVAILABILITY OF DROP 
BOXES.—The period described in this subsection is, with 
respect to an election, the period which begins 45 days
272 
before the date of the election and which ends at the time 
the polls close for the election in the county involved. 
‘‘(c) ACCESSIBILITY.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—Each State shall ensure 
that the drop boxes provided under this section are 
accessible for use— 
‘‘(A) by individuals with disabilities, as de-
termined in consultation with the protection 
and advocacy systems (as defined in section 102 
of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance 
and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 
15002)) of the State; 
‘‘(B) by individuals with limited proficiency 
in the English language; and 
‘‘(C) by homeless individuals (as defined in 
section 103 of the McKinney–Vento Homeless 
Assistance Act of 1987 (42 U.S.C. 11302)) of 
the State. 
‘‘(2) DETERMINATION OF ACCESSIBILITY FOR 
INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES.—For purposes of 
this subsection, drop boxes shall be considered to be 
accessible for use by individuals with disabilities if 
the drop boxes meet such criteria as the Attorney 
General may establish for such purposes.
273 
‘‘(3) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—If a State pro-
vides a drop box under this section on the grounds 
of or inside a building or facility which serves as a 
polling place for an election during the period de-
scribed in subsection (b), nothing in this subsection 
may be construed to waive any requirements regard-
ing the accessibility of such polling place for the use 
of individuals with disabilities or individuals with 
limited proficiency in the English language. 
‘‘(d) NUMBER OF DROP BOXES.— 
‘‘(1) FORMULA FOR DETERMINATION OF NUM-
BER.—The number of drop boxes provided under 
this section in a county with respect to an election 
shall be determined as follows: 
‘‘(A) In the case of a county in which the 
number of individuals who are residents of the 
county and who are registered to vote in the 
election is equal to or greater than 20,000, the 
number of drop boxes shall be a number equal 
to or greater than the number of such individ-
uals divided by 20,000 (rounded to the nearest 
whole number). 
‘‘(B) In the case of any other county, the 
number of drop boxes shall be equal to or 
greater than one.
274 
‘‘(C) The State shall ensure that the num-
ber of drop boxes provided is sufficient to pro-
vide a reasonable opportunity for voters to sub-
mit their voted ballots in a timely manner. 
‘‘(2) TIMING.—For purposes of this subsection, 
the number of individuals who reside in a county 
and who are registered to vote in the election shall 
be determined as of the 90th day before the date of 
the election. 
‘‘(e) LOCATION OF DROP BOXES.—The State shall 
determine the location of drop boxes provided under this 
section in a county on the basis of criteria which ensure 
that the drop boxes are— 
‘‘(1) available to all voters on a non-discrimina-
tory basis; 
‘‘(2) accessible to voters with disabilities (in ac-
cordance with subsection (c)); 
‘‘(3) accessible by public transportation to the 
greatest extent possible; 
‘‘(4) available during all hours of the day; 
‘‘(5) sufficiently available in all communities in 
the county, including rural communities and on 
Tribal lands within the county (subject to subsection 
(f)); and
275 
‘‘(6) geographically distributed to provide a rea-
sonable opportunity for voters to submit their voted 
ballot in a timely manner. 
‘‘(f) RULES FOR DROP BOXES ON TRIBAL LANDS.— 
In making a determination of the number and location of 
drop boxes provided under this section on Tribal lands in 
a county, the appropriate State and local election officials 
shall— 
‘‘(1) consult with Tribal leaders prior to making 
the determination; and 
‘‘(2) take into account criteria such as the 
availability of direct-to-door residential mail delivery, 
the distance and time necessary to travel to the drop 
box locations (including in inclement weather), 
modes of transportation available, conditions of 
roads, and the availability (if any) of public trans-
portation. 
‘‘(g) TIMING
OF SCANNING
AND PROCESSING
OF 
BALLOTS.—For purposes of section 306(e) (relating to 
the timing of the processing and scanning of ballots for 
tabulation), a vote cast using a drop box provided under 
this section shall be treated in the same manner as any 
other vote cast during early voting. 
‘‘(h) POSTING OF INFORMATION.—On or adjacent to 
each drop box provided under this section, the State shall
276 
post information on the requirements that voted absentee 
ballots must meet in order to be counted and tabulated 
in the election. 
‘‘(i) REMOTE
SURVEILLANCE
PERMITTED.—The 
State may provide for the security of drop boxes through 
remote or electronic surveillance. 
‘‘(j) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall apply 
with respect to the regularly scheduled general election for 
Federal office held in November 2022 and each succeeding 
election for Federal office.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 
of such Act, as amended by section 1031(c), section 
1101(c), section 1611(c), section 1621(b), section 
1622(c), section 1623(a), and section 1906(c), is amend-
ed— 
(1) by redesignating the items relating to sec-
tions 311 and 312 as relating to sections 312 and 
313; and 
(2) by inserting after the item relating to sec-
tion 310 the following new item: 
‘‘Sec. 311. Use of secured drop boxes for voted absentee ballots.’’. 
SEC. 1908. PROHIBITING STATES FROM RESTRICTING 
CURBSIDE VOTING. 
(a) REQUIREMENT.—Subtitle A of title III of the 
Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21081 et seq.), 
as amended by section 1031(a), section 1101(a), section
277 
1611(a), section 1621(a), section 1622(a), section 
1623(a), section 1906(a), and section 1907(a), is amend-
ed— 
(1) by redesignating sections 312 and 313 as 
sections 313 and 314; and 
(2) by inserting after section 311 the following 
new section: 
‘‘SEC. 312. PROHIBITING STATES FROM RESTRICTING 
CURBSIDE VOTING. 
‘‘(a) PROHIBITION.—A State may not— 
‘‘(1) prohibit any jurisdiction administering an 
election for Federal office in the State from utilizing 
curbside voting as a method by which individuals 
may cast ballots in the election; or 
‘‘(2) impose any restrictions which would ex-
clude any individual who is eligible to vote in such 
an election in a jurisdiction which utilizes curbside 
voting from casting a ballot in the election by the 
method of curbside voting. 
‘‘(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall apply 
with respect to the regularly scheduled general election for 
Federal office held in November 2022 and each succeeding 
election for Federal office.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 
of such Act, as amended by section 1031(c), section
278 
1101(c), section 1611(c), section 1621(b), section 
1622(c), section 1623(a), section 1906(c), and section 
1907(b), is amended— 
(1) by redesignating the items relating to sec-
tions 312 and 313 as relating to sections 313 and 
314; and 
(2) by inserting after the item relating to sec-
tion 311 the following new item: 
‘‘Sec. 312. Prohibiting States from restricting curbside voting.’’. 
SEC. 1909. ELECTION DAY AS LEGAL PUBLIC HOLIDAY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 6103(a) of title 5, United 
States Code, is amended by inserting after the item relat-
ing to Columbus Day the following: 
‘‘Election Day, the Tuesday next after the first 
Monday in November of every even-numbered year.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 
subsection (a) shall apply with respect to the regularly 
scheduled general elections for Federal office held in No-
vember 2022 or any succeeding year. 
SEC. 1910. GAO STUDY ON VOTER TURNOUT RATES. 
The Comptroller General of the United States shall 
conduct a study on voter turnout rates delineated by age 
in States and localities that permit voters to participate 
in elections before reaching the age of 18, with a focus 
on localities that permit voting upon reaching the age of 
16.
279 
SEC. 1910A. STUDY ON RANKED-CHOICE VOTING. 
(a) STUDY.—The Comptroller General shall conduct 
a study on the implementation and impact of ranked- 
choice voting in States and localities with a focus on how 
to best implement a model for Federal elections nation-
wide. The study shall include the impact on voter turnout, 
negative campaigning, and who decides to run for office. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of enactment of this section, the Comptroller General shall 
transmit to Congress a report on the study conducted 
under subsection (a), including any recommendations on 
how to best implement a ranked-choice voting for Federal 
elections nationwide. 
PART 2—DISASTER AND EMERGENCY 
CONTINGENCY PLANS 
SEC. 1911. REQUIREMENTS FOR FEDERAL ELECTION CON-
TINGENCY PLANS IN RESPONSE TO NATURAL 
DISASTERS AND EMERGENCIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.— 
(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 90 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, each 
State and each jurisdiction in a State which is re-
sponsible for administering elections for Federal of-
fice shall establish and make publicly available a 
contingency plan to enable individuals to vote in 
elections for Federal office during a state of emer-
280 
gency, public health emergency, or national emer-
gency which has been declared for reasons includ-
ing— 
(A) a natural disaster; or 
(B) an infectious disease. 
(2) UPDATING.—Each State and jurisdiction 
shall update the contingency plan established under 
this subsection not less frequently than every 5 
years. 
(b) REQUIREMENTS RELATING
TO SAFETY.—The 
contingency plan established under subsection (a) shall in-
clude initiatives to provide equipment and resources need-
ed to protect the health and safety of poll workers and 
voters when voting in person. 
(c) REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO RECRUITMENT OF 
POLL
WORKERS.—The contingency plan established 
under subsection (a) shall include initiatives by the chief 
State election official and local election officials to recruit 
poll workers from resilient or unaffected populations, 
which may include— 
(1) employees of other State and local govern-
ment offices; and 
(2) in the case in which an infectious disease 
poses significant increased health risks to elderly in-
281 
dividuals, students of secondary schools and institu-
tions of higher education in the State. 
(d) ENFORCEMENT.— 
(1) ATTORNEY GENERAL.—The Attorney Gen-
eral may bring a civil action against any State or ju-
risdiction in an appropriate United States District 
Court for such declaratory and injunctive relief (in-
cluding a temporary restraining order, a permanent 
or temporary injunction, or other order) as may be 
necessary to carry out the requirements of this sec-
tion. 
(2) PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—In the case of a viola-
tion of this section, any person who is aggrieved 
by such violation may provide written notice of 
the violation to the chief election official of the 
State involved. 
(B) RELIEF.—If the violation is not cor-
rected within 20 days after receipt of a notice 
under subparagraph (A), or within 5 days after 
receipt of the notice if the violation occurred 
within 120 days before the date of an election 
for Federal office, the aggrieved person may, in 
a civil action, obtain declaratory or injunctive 
relief with respect to the violation.
282 
(C) SPECIAL RULE.—If the violation oc-
curred within 5 days before the date of an elec-
tion for Federal office, the aggrieved person 
need not provide notice to the chief election of-
ficial of the State involved under subparagraph 
(A) before bringing a civil action under sub-
paragraph (B). 
(e) DEFINITIONS.— 
(1) ELECTION
FOR
FEDERAL
OFFICE.—For 
purposes of this section, the term ‘‘election for Fed-
eral office’’ means a general, special, primary, or 
runoff election for the office of President or Vice 
President, or of Senator or Representative in, or 
Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, the Con-
gress. 
(2) STATE.—For purposes of this section, the 
term ‘‘State’’ includes the District of Columbia, the 
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American 
Samoa, the United States Virgin Islands, and the 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. 
(f) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall apply with 
respect to the regularly scheduled general election for Fed-
eral office held in November 2022 and each succeeding 
election for Federal office.
283 
PART 3—IMPROVEMENTS IN OPERATION OF 
ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION 
SEC. 1921. REAUTHORIZATION OF ELECTION ASSISTANCE 
COMMISSION. 
Section 210 of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 
(52 U.S.C. 20930) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘for each of the fiscal years 
2003 through 2005’’ and inserting ‘‘for fiscal year 
2021 and each succeeding fiscal year’’; and 
(2) by striking ‘‘(but not to exceed $10,000,000 
for each such year)’’. 
SEC. 1922. REQUIRING STATES TO PARTICIPATE IN POST- 
GENERAL ELECTION SURVEYS. 
(a) REQUIREMENT.—Title III of the Help America 
Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21081 et seq.), as amended 
by section 1903(a), is further amended by inserting after 
section 303A the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 303B. REQUIRING PARTICIPATION IN POST-GENERAL 
ELECTION SURVEYS. 
‘‘(a) REQUIREMENT.—Each State shall furnish to the 
Commission such information as the Commission may re-
quest for purposes of conducting any post-election survey 
of the States with respect to the administration of a regu-
larly scheduled general election for Federal office. 
‘‘(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall apply 
with respect to the regularly scheduled general election for
284 
Federal office held in November 2022 and any succeeding 
election.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 
of such Act, as amended by section 1903(c), is further 
amended by inserting after the item relating to section 
303A the following new item: 
‘‘Sec. 303B. Requiring participation in post-general election surveys.’’. 
SEC. 1923. REPORTS BY NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STAND-
ARDS AND TECHNOLOGY ON USE OF FUNDS 
TRANSFERRED FROM ELECTION ASSISTANCE 
COMMISSION. 
(a) REQUIRING REPORTS ON USE FUNDS AS CONDI-
TION OF RECEIPT.—Section 231 of the Help America 
Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 20971) is amended by adding 
at the end the following new subsection: 
‘‘(e) REPORT
ON USE
OF FUNDS TRANSFERRED 
FROM COMMISSION.—To the extent that funds are trans-
ferred from the Commission to the Director of the Na-
tional Institute of Standards and Technology for purposes 
of carrying out this section during any fiscal year, the Di-
rector may not use such funds unless the Director certifies 
at the time of transfer that the Director will submit a re-
port to the Commission not later than 90 days after the 
end of the fiscal year detailing how the Director used such 
funds during the year.’’.
285 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 
subsection (a) shall apply with respect to fiscal year 2022 
and each succeeding fiscal year. 
SEC. 1924. RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE OPERATIONS 
OF ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION. 
(a) ASSESSMENT
OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 
AND CYBERSECURITY.—Not later than December 31, 
2021, the Election Assistance Commission shall carry out 
an assessment of the security and effectiveness of the 
Commission’s information technology systems, including 
the cybersecurity of such systems. 
(b) IMPROVEMENTS TO ADMINISTRATIVE COMPLAINT 
PROCEDURES.— 
(1) REVIEW
OF
PROCEDURES.—The Election 
Assistance Commission shall carry out a review of 
the effectiveness and efficiency of the State-based 
administrative complaint procedures established and 
maintained under section 402 of the Help America 
Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21112) for the inves-
tigation and resolution of allegations of violations of 
title III of such Act. 
(2) RECOMMENDATIONS TO STREAMLINE PRO-
CEDURES.—Not later than December 31, 2021, the 
Commission shall submit to Congress a report on 
the review carried out under paragraph (1), and
286 
shall include in the report such recommendations as 
the Commission considers appropriate to streamline 
and improve the procedures which are the subject of 
the review. 
SEC. 1925. REPEAL OF EXEMPTION OF ELECTION ASSIST-
ANCE COMMISSION FROM CERTAIN GOVERN-
MENT CONTRACTING REQUIREMENTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 205 of the Help America 
Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 20925) is amended by strik-
ing subsection (e). 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 
subsection (a) shall apply with respect to contracts entered 
into by the Election Assistance Commission on or after 
the date of the enactment of this Act. 
PART 4—MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS 
SEC. 1931. APPLICATION OF FEDERAL ELECTION ADMINIS-
TRATION LAWS TO TERRITORIES OF THE 
UNITED STATES. 
(a) NATIONAL
VOTER
REGISTRATION
ACT
OF 
1993.—Section 3(4) of the National Voter Registration 
Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20502(4)) is amended by striking 
‘‘States and the District of Columbia’’ and inserting 
‘‘States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of 
Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the United States
287 
Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands’’. 
(b) HELP AMERICA VOTE ACT OF 2002.— 
(1) COVERAGE
OF
COMMONWEALTH
OF
THE 
NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS.—Section 901 of the 
Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21141) 
is amended by striking ‘‘and the United States Vir-
gin Islands’’ and inserting ‘‘the United States Virgin 
Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands’’. 
(2) CONFORMING
AMENDMENTS
TO
HELP 
AMERICA VOTE ACT OF 2002.—Such Act is further 
amended as follows: 
(A) The second sentence of section 
213(a)(2) (52 U.S.C. 20943(a)(2)) is amended 
by striking ‘‘and American Samoa’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘American Samoa, and the Commonwealth 
of the Northern Mariana Islands’’. 
(B) 
Section 
252(c)(2) 
(52 
U.S.C. 
21002(c)(2)) is amended by striking ‘‘or the 
United States Virgin Islands’’ and inserting 
‘‘the United States Virgin Islands, or the Com-
monwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands’’. 
(3) CONFORMING
AMENDMENT
RELATING
TO 
CONSULTATION OF HELP AMERICA VOTE FOUNDA-
288 
TION
WITH
LOCAL
ELECTION
OFFICIALS.—Section 
90102(c) of title 36, United States Code, is amend-
ed by striking ‘‘and the United States Virgin Is-
lands’’ and inserting ‘‘the United States Virgin Is-
lands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mar-
iana Islands’’. 
SEC. 1932. DEFINITION OF ELECTION FOR FEDERAL OF-
FICE. 
(a) DEFINITION.—Title IX of the Help America Vote 
Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21141 et seq.) is amended by add-
ing at the end the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 907. ELECTION FOR FEDERAL OFFICE DEFINED. 
‘‘For purposes of titles I through III, the term ‘elec-
tion for Federal office’ means a general, special, primary, 
or runoff election for the office of President or Vice Presi-
dent, or of Senator or Representative in, or Delegate or 
Resident Commissioner to, the Congress.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 
of such Act is amended by adding at the end of the items 
relating to title IX the following new item: 
‘‘Sec. 907. Election for Federal office defined.’’.
289 
SEC. 1933. AUTHORIZING PAYMENTS TO VOTING ACCESSI-
BILITY PROTECTION AND ADVOCACY SYS-
TEMS SERVING THE AMERICAN INDIAN CON-
SORTIUM. 
(a) RECIPIENTS DEFINED.—Section 291 of the Help 
America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21061) is amend-
ed— 
(1) by redesignating subsection (c) as sub-
section (d); and 
(2) by inserting after subsection (b) the fol-
lowing new subsection: 
‘‘(c) AMERICAN INDIAN CONSORTIUM ELIGIBILITY.— 
A system serving the American Indian Consortium for 
which 
funds 
have 
been 
reserved 
under 
section 
509(c)(1)(B) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 
794e(c)(1)(B)) shall be eligible for payments under sub-
section (a) in the same manner as a protection and advo-
cacy system of a State.’’. 
(b) GRANT MINIMUMS FOR AMERICAN INDIAN CON-
SORTIUM.—Section 291(b) of such Act (52 U.S.C. 
21061(b)) is amended— 
(1) by inserting ‘‘(c)(1)(B),’’ after ‘‘as set forth 
in subsections’’; and 
(2) by striking ‘‘subsections (c)(3)(B) and 
(c)(4)(B) of that section shall be not less than 
$70,000 and $35,000, respectively’’ and inserting
290 
‘‘subsection (c)(3)(B) shall not be less than $70,000, 
and the amount of the grants to systems referred to 
in subsections (c)(1)(B) and (c)(4)(B) shall not be 
less than $35,000’’. 
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall take effect at the start of the first fiscal 
year following the date of enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 1934. APPLICATION OF FEDERAL VOTER PROTECTION 
LAWS TO TERRITORIES OF THE UNITED 
STATES. 
(a) INTIMIDATION OF VOTERS.—Section 594 of title 
18, United States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘Delegate 
from the District of Columbia, or Resident Commis-
sioner,’’ and inserting ‘‘or Delegate or Resident Commis-
sioner to the Congress’’. 
(b) INTERFERENCE
BY
GOVERNMENT
EMPLOY-
EES.—Section 595 of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended by striking ‘‘Delegate from the District of Co-
lumbia, or Resident Commissioner,’’ and inserting ‘‘or 
Delegate or Resident Commissioner to the Congress’’. 
(c) VOTING
BY NONCITIZENS.—Section 611(a) of 
title 18, United States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘Del-
egate from the District of Columbia, or Resident Commis-
sioner,’’ and inserting ‘‘or Delegate or Resident Commis-
sioner to the Congress’’.
291 
SEC. 1935. PLACEMENT OF STATUES OF CITIZENS OF TER-
RITORIES OF THE UNITED STATES IN STAT-
UARY HALL. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1814 of the Revised Stat-
utes of the United States (2 U.S.C. 2131) is amended by 
adding at the end the following new sentence: ‘‘For pur-
poses of this section, the term ‘State’ includes American 
Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mar-
iana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the 
United States Virgin Islands, and the term ‘citizen’ in-
cludes a national of the United States, as defined in sec-
tion 101(a)(22) of the Immigration and Nationality Act 
(8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(22)).’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT RELATING TO PRO-
CEDURES FOR REPLACEMENT OF STATUES.—Section 311 
of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2001 (2 
U.S.C. 2132) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new subsection: 
‘‘(f) For purposes of this section, the term ‘State’ in-
cludes American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the 
Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto 
Rico, and the United States Virgin Islands.’’. 
SEC. 1936. NO EFFECT ON OTHER LAWS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Except as specifically provided, 
nothing in this title may be construed to authorize or re-
quire conduct prohibited under any of the following laws,
293 
be construed to prohibit any State from enacting any law 
which provides greater opportunities for individuals to reg-
ister to vote and to vote in elections for Federal office than 
are provided by this title and the amendments made by 
this title. 
SEC. 1937. CLARIFICATION OF EXEMPTION FOR STATES 
WITHOUT VOTER REGISTRATION. 
To the extent that any provision of this title or any 
amendment made by this title imposes a requirement on 
a State relating to registering individuals to vote in elec-
tions for Federal office, such provision shall not apply in 
the case of any State in which, under law that is in effect 
continuously on and after the date of the enactment of 
this Act, there is no voter registration requirement for any 
voter in the State with respect to an election for Federal 
office. 
PART 5—VOTER NOTICE 
SEC. 1941. SHORT TITLE. 
This part may be cited as the ‘‘Voter Notification of 
Timely Information about Changes in Elections Act’’ or 
the ‘‘Voter Notice Act’’.
294 
SEC. 1942. PUBLIC EDUCATION CAMPAIGNS IN EVENT OF 
CHANGES IN ELECTIONS IN RESPONSE TO 
EMERGENCIES. 
(a) REQUIREMENT
FOR ELECTION OFFICIALS
TO 
CONDUCT CAMPAIGNS.—Section 302 of the Help America 
Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21082), as amended by sec-
tion 1601(a) and section 1901(a), is amended— 
(1) by redesignating subsection (g) as sub-
section (h); and 
(2) by inserting after subsection (f) the fol-
lowing new subsection: 
‘‘(g) PUBLIC EDUCATION CAMPAIGNS IN EVENT OF 
CHANGES
IN
ELECTIONS
IN
RESPONSE
TO
EMER-
GENCIES.— 
‘‘(1) REQUIREMENT.—If the administration of 
an election for Federal office, including the methods 
of voting or registering to vote in the election, is 
changed in response to an emergency affecting pub-
lic health and safety, the appropriate State or local 
election official shall conduct a public education 
campaign through at least one direct mailing to each 
individual who is registered to vote in the election, 
and through additional direct mailings, newspaper 
advertisements, broadcasting (including through tel-
evision, radio, satellite, and the Internet), and social
295 
media, to notify individuals who are eligible to vote 
or to register to vote in the election of the changes. 
‘‘(2) FREQUENCY AND METHODS OF PROVIDING 
INFORMATION.—The election official shall carry out 
the public education campaign under this subsection 
at such frequency, and using such methods, as will 
have the greatest likelihood of providing timely 
knowledge of the change in the administration of the 
election to those individuals who will be most ad-
versely affected by the change. 
‘‘(3) LANGUAGE ACCESSIBILITY.—In the case 
of a State or political subdivision that is a covered 
State or political subdivision under section 203 of 
the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (52 U.S.C. 10503), 
the appropriate election official shall ensure that the 
information disseminated under a public education 
campaign conducted under this subsection is pro-
vided in the language of the applicable minority 
group as well as in the English language, as re-
quired by section 203 of such Act. 
‘‘(4) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This subsection shall 
apply with respect to the regularly scheduled general 
election for Federal office held in November 2020 
and each succeeding election for Federal office.’’.
296 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT RELATING TO EF-
FECTIVE DATE.—Section 302(h) of such Act (52 U.S.C. 
21082(h)), as redesignated by subsection (a) and as 
amended by section 1601(b) and section 1901(b), is 
amended by striking ‘‘and (f)(4)’’ and inserting ‘‘(f)(4), 
and (g)(4)’’. 
SEC. 1943. REQUIREMENTS FOR WEBSITES OF ELECTION 
OFFICIALS. 
(a) REQUIREMENTS.—Subtitle A of title III of the 
Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21081 et seq.), 
as amended by section 1031(a), section 1101(a), section 
1611(a), section 1621(a), section 1622(a), section 
1623(a), section 1906(a), section 1907(a), and 1908(a), 
is amended— 
(1) by redesignating sections 313 and 314 as 
sections 314 and 315; and 
(2) by inserting after section 312 the following 
new section: 
‘‘SEC. 313. REQUIREMENTS FOR WEBSITES OF ELECTION 
OFFICIALS. 
‘‘(a) ACCESSIBILITY.—Each State and local election 
official shall ensure that the official public website of the 
official is fully accessible for individuals with disabilities, 
including the blind and visually impaired, in a manner
297 
that provides the same opportunity for access and partici-
pation as the website provides for other individuals. 
‘‘(b) CONTINUING OPERATION IN CASE OF EMER-
GENCIES.— 
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT OF BEST PRACTICES.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the 
National Institute of Standards and Technology 
shall establish and regularly update best prac-
tices for ensuring the continuing operation of 
the official public websites of State and local 
election officials during emergencies affecting 
public health and safety. 
‘‘(B) DEADLINE.—The Director shall first 
establish the best practices required under this 
paragraph as soon as practicable after the date 
of the enactment of this section, but in no case 
later than August 15, 2021. 
‘‘(2) REQUIRING
WEBSITES
TO
MEET
BEST 
PRACTICES.—Each State and local election official 
shall ensure that the official public website of the of-
ficial is in compliance with the best practices estab-
lished by the Director of the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology under paragraph (2). 
‘‘(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall apply 
with respect to the regularly scheduled general election for
298 
Federal office held in November 2020 and each succeeding 
election for Federal office.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT RELATING TO ADOP-
TION OF VOLUNTARY GUIDANCE BY ELECTION ASSIST-
ANCE COMMISSION.—Section 321(b) of such Act (52 
U.S.C. 21101(b)), as redesignated and amended by sec-
tion 1101(b) and section 1611(b), is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph 
(4); 
(2) by striking the period at the end of para-
graph (5) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(6) in the case of the recommendations with 
respect to section 304, as soon as practicable after 
the date of the enactment of this paragraph, but in 
no case later than August 15, 2021.’’. 
(c) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 
of such Act, as amended by section 1031(c), section 
1101(c), section 1611(c), section 1621(b), section 
1622(c), section 1623(a), section 1906(c), section 
1907(b), and section 1908(b), is amended— 
(1) by redesignating the items relating to sec-
tions 313 and 314 as relating to sections 314 and 
315; and
299 
(2) by inserting after the item relating to sec-
tion 312 the following new item: 
‘‘Sec. 313. Requirements for websites of election officials.’’. 
SEC. 1944. PAYMENTS BY ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMIS-
SION TO STATES FOR COSTS OF COMPLI-
ANCE. 
(b) AVAILABILITY OF PAYMENTS.—Title IX of the 
Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21141 et seq.) 
is amended by adding at the end the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 907. PAYMENTS FOR COSTS OF COMPLIANCE WITH 
CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO PUB-
LIC NOTIFICATION. 
‘‘(a) PAYMENTS.— 
‘‘(1) AVAILABILITY AND USE OF PAYMENTS.— 
The Commission shall make a payment to each eligi-
ble State to cover the costs the State incurs or ex-
pects to incur in meeting the requirements of section 
302(g) (relating to public education campaigns in 
event of changes in elections in response to emer-
gencies) and section 313 (relating to requirements 
for the websites of election officials). 
‘‘(2) SCHEDULE
OF
PAYMENTS.—As soon as 
practicable after the date of the enactment of this 
section, and not less frequently than once each cal-
endar year thereafter, the Commission shall make 
payments under this section.
300 
‘‘(3) ADMINISTRATION
OF
PAYMENTS.—The 
chief State election official of the State shall receive 
the payment made to a State under this section, and 
may use the payment for the purposes set forth in 
this section without intervening action by the legisla-
ture of the State. 
‘‘(b) AMOUNT OF PAYMENT.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The amount of a payment 
made to an eligible State for a year under this sec-
tion shall be determined by the Commission on the 
basis of the information provided by the State in its 
application under subsection (c). 
‘‘(2) CONTINUING
AVAILABILITY
OF
FUNDS 
AFTER APPROPRIATION.—A payment made to an eli-
gible State under this section shall be available with-
out fiscal year limitation. 
‘‘(c) REQUIREMENTS FOR ELIGIBILITY.— 
‘‘(1) APPLICATION.—Each State that desires to 
receive a payment under this section for a fiscal year 
shall submit an application for the payment to the 
Commission at such time and in such manner and 
containing such information as the Commission shall 
require. 
‘‘(2) CONTENTS OF APPLICATION.—Each appli-
cation submitted under paragraph (1) shall—
301 
‘‘(A) describe the activities for which as-
sistance under this section is sought; and 
‘‘(B) provide an estimate of the costs the 
State has incurred or expects to incur in car-
rying out the provisions described in subsection 
(a), together with such additional information 
and certifications as the Commission deter-
mines to be essential to ensure compliance with 
the requirements of this section. 
‘‘(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated for payments under this 
section such sums as may be necessary for each of the 
fiscal years 2022 through 2025. 
‘‘(e) REPORTS.— 
‘‘(1) REPORTS BY RECIPIENTS.—Not later than 
the 6 months after the end of each fiscal year for 
which an eligible State received a payment under 
this section, the State shall submit a report to the 
Commission on the activities conducted with the 
funds provided during the year. 
‘‘(2) REPORTS
BY
COMMISSION
TO
COMMIT-
TEES.—With respect to each fiscal year for which 
the Commission makes payments under this section, 
the Commission shall submit a report on the activi-
ties carried out under this part to the Committee on
302 
House Administration of the House of Representa-
tives and the Committee on Rules and Administra-
tion of the Senate.’’. 
(c) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 
of such Act is amended by adding at the end of the items 
relating to title IX the following: 
‘‘Sec. 907. Payments for costs of compliance with certain requirements relating 
to public notification.’’. 
Subtitle O—Severability 
SEC. 1951. SEVERABILITY. 
If any provision of this title or amendment made by 
this title, or the application of a provision or amendment 
to any person or circumstance, is held to be unconstitu-
tional, the remainder of this title and amendments made 
by this title, and the application of the provisions and 
amendment to any person or circumstance, shall not be 
affected by the holding. 
TITLE II—ELECTION INTEGRITY 
Subtitle A—Findings Reaffirming Commitment of Congress to Restore the 
Voting Rights Act 
Sec. 2001. Findings reaffirming commitment of Congress to restore the Voting 
Rights Act. 
Subtitle B—Findings Relating to Native American Voting Rights 
Sec. 2101. Findings relating to Native American voting rights. 
Subtitle C—Findings Relating to District of Columbia Statehood 
Sec. 2201. Findings relating to District of Columbia statehood. 
Subtitle D—Territorial Voting Rights 
Sec. 2301. Findings relating to territorial voting rights. 
Sec. 2302. Congressional Task Force on Voting Rights of United States Citizen 
Residents of Territories of the United States.
303 
Subtitle E—Redistricting Reform 
Sec. 2400. Short title; finding of constitutional authority. 
PART 1—REQUIREMENTS FOR CONGRESSIONAL REDISTRICTING 
Sec. 2401. Requiring congressional redistricting to be conducted through plan 
of independent State commission. 
Sec. 2402. Ban on mid-decade redistricting. 
Sec. 2403. Criteria for redistricting. 
PART 2—INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING COMMISSIONS 
Sec. 2411. Independent redistricting commission. 
Sec. 2412. Establishment of selection pool of individuals eligible to serve as 
members of commission. 
Sec. 2413. Public notice and input. 
Sec. 2414. Establishment of related entities. 
Sec. 2415. Report on diversity of memberships of independent redistricting 
commissions. 
PART 3—ROLE OF COURTS IN DEVELOPMENT OF REDISTRICTING PLANS 
Sec. 2421. Enactment of plan developed by 3-judge court. 
Sec. 2422. Special rule for redistricting conducted under order of Federal 
court. 
PART 4—ADMINISTRATIVE AND MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS 
Sec. 2431. Payments to States for carrying out redistricting. 
Sec. 2432. Civil enforcement. 
Sec. 2433. State apportionment notice defined. 
Sec. 2434. No effect on elections for State and local office. 
Sec. 2435. Effective date. 
PART 5—REQUIREMENTS FOR REDISTRICTING CARRIED OUT PURSUANT TO 
2020 CENSUS 
SUBPART A—APPLICATION OF CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS FOR REDISTRICTING 
CARRIED OUT PURSUANT TO 2020 CENSUS 
Sec. 2441. Application of certain requirements for redistricting carried out pur-
suant to 2020 Census. 
Sec. 2442. Triggering events. 
SUBPART B—INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING COMMISSIONS FOR REDISTRICTING 
CARRIED OUT PURSUANT TO 2020 CENSUS 
Sec. 2451. Use of independent redistricting commissions for redistricting car-
ried out pursuant to 2020 Census. 
Sec. 2452. Establishment of selection pool of individuals eligible to serve as 
members of commission. 
Sec. 2453. Criteria for redistricting plan; public notice and input. 
Sec. 2454. Establishment of related entities. 
Sec. 2455. Report on diversity of memberships of independent redistricting 
commissions. 
Subtitle F—Saving Eligible Voters From Voter Purging
304 
Sec. 2501. Short title. 
Sec. 2502. Conditions for removal of voters from list of registered voters. 
Subtitle G—No Effect on Authority of States To Provide Greater 
Opportunities for Voting 
Sec. 2601. No effect on authority of States to provide greater opportunities for 
voting. 
Subtitle H—Residence of Incarcerated Individuals 
Sec. 2701. Residence of incarcerated individuals. 
Subtitle I—Findings Relating to Youth Voting 
Sec. 2801. Findings relating to youth voting. 
Subtitle J—Severability 
Sec. 2901. Severability. 
Subtitle A—Findings Reaffirming 
Commitment of Congress to Re-
store the Voting Rights Act 
SEC. 2001. FINDINGS REAFFIRMING COMMITMENT OF CON-
GRESS TO RESTORE THE VOTING RIGHTS 
ACT. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) The right to vote for all Americans is a fun-
damental right guaranteed by the United States 
Constitution. 
(2) Federal, State, and local governments 
should protect the right to vote and promote voter 
participation across all demographics. 
(3) The Voting Rights Act has empowered the 
Department of Justice and Federal courts for nearly 
a half a century to block discriminatory voting prac-
tices before their implementation in States and local-
305 
ities with the most troubling histories, ongoing 
records of racial discrimination, and demonstrations 
of lower participation rates for protected classes. 
(4) There continues to be an alarming move-
ment to erect barriers to make it more difficult for 
Americans to participate in our Nation’s democratic 
process. The Nation has witnessed unprecedented ef-
forts to turn back the clock and enact suppressive 
laws that block access to the franchise for commu-
nities of color which have faced historic and con-
tinuing discrimination, as well as disabled, young, el-
derly, and low-income Americans. 
(5) The Supreme Court’s decision in Shelby 
County v. Holder (570 U.S. 529 (2013)), gutted 
decades-long Federal protections for communities of 
color and language-minority populations facing ongo-
ing discrimination, emboldening States and local ju-
risdictions to pass voter suppression laws and imple-
ment procedures, like those requiring photo identi-
fication, limiting early voting hours, eliminating 
same-day registration, purging voters from the rolls, 
and reducing the number of polling places. 
(6) Racial discrimination in voting is a clear 
and persistent problem. The actions of States and 
localities around the country post-Shelby County, in-
306 
cluding at least 10 findings by Federal courts of in-
tentional discrimination, underscored the need for 
Congress to conduct investigatory and evidentiary 
hearings to determine the legislation necessary to re-
store the Voting Rights Act and combat continuing 
efforts in America that suppress the free exercise of 
the franchise in Black and other communities of 
color. 
(7) Evidence of discriminatory voting practice 
spans from decades ago through to the past several 
election cycles. The 2018 midterm elections, for ex-
ample, demonstrated ongoing discrimination in vot-
ing. 
(8) During the 116th Congress, congressional 
committees in the House of Representatives held nu-
merous hearings, collecting substantial testimony 
and other evidence which underscored the need to 
pass a restoration of the Voting Rights Act. 
(9) On December 6, 2019, the House of Rep-
resentatives passed the John R. Lewis Voting Rights 
Advancement Act, which would restore and mod-
ernize the Voting Rights Act, in accordance with 
language from the Shelby County decision. Congress 
reaffirms that the barriers faced by too many voters 
across this Nation when trying to cast their ballot
307 
necessitate reintroduction of many of the protections 
once afforded by the Voting Rights Act. 
(10) The 2020 primary and general elections 
provide further evidence that systemic voter dis-
crimination and intimidation continues to occur in 
communities of color across the country, making it 
clear that full access to the franchise will not be 
achieved until Congress restores key provisions of 
the Voting Rights Act. 
(11) As of late-February 2021, 43 States had 
introduced, prefiled, or carried over 253 bills to re-
strict voting access that, primarily, limit mail voting 
access, impose stricter voter ID requirements, slash 
voter registration opportunities, and/or enable more 
aggressive voter roll purges. 
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are as fol-
lows: 
(1) To improve access to the ballot for all citi-
zens. 
(2) To establish procedures by which States 
and localities, in accordance with past actions, sub-
mit voting practice changes for preclearance by the 
Federal Government. 
(3) To enhance the integrity and security of our 
voting systems.
308 
(4) To ensure greater accountability for the ad-
ministration of elections by States and localities. 
(5) To restore protections for voters against 
practices in States and localities plagued by the per-
sistence of voter disenfranchisement. 
(6) To ensure that Federal civil rights laws pro-
tect the rights of voters against discriminatory and 
deceptive practices. 
Subtitle B—Findings Relating to 
Native American Voting Rights 
SEC. 2101. FINDINGS RELATING TO NATIVE AMERICAN VOT-
ING RIGHTS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The right to vote for all Americans is sa-
cred. Congress must fulfill the Federal Government’s 
trust responsibility to protect and promote Native 
Americans’ exercise of their fundamental right to 
vote, including equal access to voter registration vot-
ing mechanisms and locations, and the ability to 
serve as election officials. 
(2) The Native American Voting Rights Coali-
tion’s four-State survey of voter discrimination 
(2016) and nine field hearings in Indian Country 
(2017–2018) revealed obstacles that Native Ameri-
cans must overcome, including a lack of accessible
309 
and proximate registration and polling sites, non-
traditional addresses for residents on Indian reserva-
tions, inadequate language assistance for Tribal 
members, and voter identification laws that discrimi-
nate against Native Americans. The Department of 
Justice and courts have recognized that some juris-
dictions have been unresponsive to reasonable re-
quests from federally recognized Indian Tribes for 
more accessible and proximate voter registration 
sites and in-person voting locations. 
(3) The 2018 midterm and 2020 general elec-
tions provide further evidence that systemic voter 
discrimination and intimidation continues to occur in 
communities of color and Tribal lands across the 
country, making it clear that democracy reform can-
not be achieved until Congress restores key provi-
sions of the Voting Rights Act and passes additional 
protections. 
(4) Congress has broad, plenary authority to 
enact legislation to safeguard the voting rights of 
Native American voters. 
(5) Congress must conduct investigatory and 
evidentiary hearings to determine the necessary leg-
islation to restore the Voting Rights Act and combat 
continuous efforts that suppress the voter franchise
310 
within Tribal lands, to include, but not to be limited 
to, the Native American Voting Rights Act 
(NAVRA) and the Voting Rights Advancement Act 
(VRAA). 
Subtitle C—Findings Relating to 
District of Columbia Statehood 
SEC. 2201. FINDINGS RELATING TO DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 
STATEHOOD. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The 705,000 District of Columbia residents 
deserve voting representation in Congress and local 
self-government, which only statehood can provide. 
(2) The United States is the only democratic 
country that denies both voting representation in the 
national legislature and local self-government to the 
residents of its Nation’s capital. 
(3) There are no constitutional, historical, fis-
cal, or economic reasons why the Americans who live 
in the District of Columbia should not be granted 
statehood. 
(4) Since the founding of the United States, the 
residents of the District of Columbia have always 
carried all of the obligations of citizenship, including 
serving in all of the Nation’s wars and paying Fed-
eral taxes, but have been denied voting representa-
312 
United States Capitol, the White House, the United 
States Supreme Court, the National Mall, and the 
principal Federal monuments and buildings. 
Subtitle D—Territorial Voting 
Rights 
SEC. 2301. FINDINGS RELATING TO TERRITORIAL VOTING 
RIGHTS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The right to vote is one of the most power-
ful instruments residents of the territories of the 
United States have to ensure that their voices are 
heard. 
(2) These Americans have played an important 
part in the American democracy for more than 120 
years. 
(3) Political participation and the right to vote 
are among the highest concerns of territorial resi-
dents in part because they were not always afforded 
these rights. 
(4) Voter participation in the territories consist-
ently ranks higher than many communities on the 
mainland. 
(5) Territorial residents serve and die, on a per 
capita basis, at a higher rate in every United States 
war and conflict since WWI, as an expression of
313 
their commitment to American democratic principles 
and patriotism. 
SEC. 2302. CONGRESSIONAL TASK FORCE ON VOTING 
RIGHTS OF UNITED STATES CITIZEN RESI-
DENTS OF TERRITORIES OF THE UNITED 
STATES. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established within 
the legislative branch a Congressional Task Force on Vot-
ing Rights of United States Citizen Residents of Terri-
tories of the United States (in this section referred to as 
the ‘‘Task Force’’). 
(b) MEMBERSHIP.—The Task Force shall be com-
posed of 12 members as follows: 
(1) One Member of the House of Representa-
tives, who shall be appointed by the Speaker of the 
House of Representatives, in coordination with the 
Chairman of the Committee on Natural Resources of 
the House of Representatives. 
(2) One Member of the House of Representa-
tives, who shall be appointed by the Speaker of the 
House of Representatives, in coordination with the 
Chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary of the 
House of Representatives. 
(3) One Member of the House of Representa-
tives, who shall be appointed by the Speaker of the
314 
House of Representatives, in coordination with the 
Chairman of the Committee on House Administra-
tion of the House of Representatives. 
(4) One Member of the House of Representa-
tives, who shall be appointed by the minority leader 
of the House of Representatives, in coordination 
with the ranking minority member of the Committee 
on Natural Resources of the House of Representa-
tives. 
(5) One Member of the House of Representa-
tives, who shall be appointed by the minority leader 
of the House of Representatives, in coordination 
with the ranking minority member of the Committee 
on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives. 
(6) One Member of the House of Representa-
tives, who shall be appointed by the minority leader 
of the House of Representatives, in coordination 
with the ranking minority member of the Committee 
on House Administration of the House of Represent-
atives. 
(7) One Member of the Senate, who shall be ap-
pointed by the majority leader of the Senate, in co-
ordination with the Chairman of the Committee on 
Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate.
315 
(8) One Member of the Senate, who shall be ap-
pointed by the majority leader of the Senate, in co-
ordination with the Chairman of the Committee on 
the Judiciary of the Senate. 
(9) One Member of the Senate, who shall be ap-
pointed by the majority leader of the Senate, in co-
ordination with the Chairman of the Committee on 
Rules and Administration of the Senate. 
(10) One Member of the Senate, who shall be 
appointed by the minority leader of the Senate, in 
coordination with the ranking minority member of 
the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of 
the Senate. 
(11) One Member of the Senate, who shall be 
appointed by the minority leader of the Senate, in 
coordination with the ranking minority member of 
the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate. 
(12) One Member of the Senate, who shall be 
appointed by the minority leader of the Senate, in 
coordination with the ranking minority member of 
the Committee on Rules and Administration of the 
Senate. 
(c) DEADLINE
FOR APPOINTMENT.—All appoint-
ments to the Task Force shall be made not later than 30 
days after the date of enactment of this Act.
316 
(d) CHAIR.—The Speaker shall designate one Mem-
ber to serve as chair of the Task Force. 
(e) VACANCIES.—Any vacancy in the Task Force 
shall be filled in the same manner as the original appoint-
ment. 
(f) STATUS UPDATE.—Between September 1, 2021, 
and September 30, 2021, the Task Force shall provide a 
status update to the House of Representatives and the 
Senate that includes— 
(1) information the Task Force has collected; 
and 
(2) a discussion on matters that the chairman 
of the Task Force deems urgent for consideration by 
Congress. 
(g) REPORT.—Not later than December 31, 2021, 
the Task Force shall issue a report of its findings to the 
House of Representatives and the Senate regarding— 
(1) the economic and societal consequences 
(through statistical data and other metrics) that 
come with political disenfranchisement of United 
States citizens in territories of the United States; 
(2) impediments to full and equal voting rights 
for United States citizens who are residents of terri-
tories of the United States in Federal elections, in-
317 
cluding the election of the President and Vice Presi-
dent of the United States; 
(3) impediments to full and equal voting rep-
resentation in the House of Representatives for 
United States citizens who are residents of terri-
tories of the United States; 
(4) recommended changes that, if adopted, 
would allow for full and equal voting rights for 
United States citizens who are residents of terri-
tories of the United States in Federal elections, in-
cluding the election of the President and Vice Presi-
dent of the United States; 
(5) recommended changes that, if adopted, 
would allow for full and equal voting representation 
in the House of Representatives for United States 
citizens who are residents of territories of the United 
States; and 
(6) additional information the Task Force 
deems appropriate. 
(h) CONSENSUS VIEWS.—To the greatest extent 
practicable, the report issued under subsection (g) shall 
reflect the shared views of all 12 Members, except that 
the report may contain dissenting views. 
(i) HEARINGS AND SESSIONS.—The Task Force may, 
for the purpose of carrying out this section, hold hearings,
318 
sit and act at times and places, take testimony, and re-
ceive evidence as the Task Force considers appropriate. 
(j) STAKEHOLDER PARTICIPATION.—In carrying out 
its duties, the Task Force shall consult with the govern-
ments of American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of 
the Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of 
Puerto Rico, and the United States Virgin Islands. 
(k) RESOURCES.—The Task Force shall carry out its 
duties by utilizing existing facilities, services, and staff of 
the House of Representatives and the Senate. 
(l) TERMINATION.—The Task Force shall terminate 
upon issuing the report required under subsection (g). 
Subtitle E—Redistricting Reform 
SEC. 2400. SHORT TITLE; FINDING OF CONSTITUTIONAL AU-
THORITY. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This subtitle may be cited as the 
‘‘Redistricting Reform Act of 2021’’. 
(b) FINDING
OF CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY.— 
Congress finds that it has the authority to establish the 
terms and conditions States must follow in carrying out 
congressional redistricting after an apportionment of 
Members of the House of Representatives because— 
(1) the authority granted to Congress under ar-
ticle I, section 4 of the Constitution of the United 
States gives Congress the power to enact laws gov-
319 
erning the time, place, and manner of elections for 
Members of the House of Representatives; and 
(2) the authority granted to Congress under 
section 5 of the fourteenth amendment to the Con-
stitution gives Congress the power to enact laws to 
enforce section 2 of such amendment, which requires 
Representatives to be apportioned among the several 
States according to their number. 
PART 1—REQUIREMENTS FOR CONGRESSIONAL 
REDISTRICTING 
SEC. 2401. REQUIRING CONGRESSIONAL REDISTRICTING 
TO BE CONDUCTED THROUGH PLAN OF INDE-
PENDENT STATE COMMISSION. 
(a) USE OF PLAN REQUIRED.—Notwithstanding any 
other provision of law, and except as provided in sub-
section (c) and subsection (d), any congressional redis-
tricting conducted by a State shall be conducted in accord-
ance with— 
(1) the redistricting plan developed and enacted 
into law by the independent redistricting commission 
established in the State, in accordance with part 2; 
or 
(2) if a plan developed by such commission is 
not enacted into law, the redistricting plan developed
320 
and enacted into law by a 3-judge court, in accord-
ance with section 2421. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 22(c) of 
the Act entitled ‘‘An Act to provide for the fifteenth and 
subsequent decennial censuses and to provide for an ap-
portionment of Representatives in Congress’’, approved 
June 18, 1929 (2 U.S.C. 2a(c)), is amended by striking 
‘‘in the manner provided by the law thereof’’ and insert-
ing: ‘‘in the manner provided by the Redistricting Reform 
Act of 2021’’. 
(c) SPECIAL RULE FOR EXISTING COMMISSIONS.— 
Subsection (a) does not apply to any State in which, under 
law in effect continuously on and after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, congressional redistricting is car-
ried out in accordance with a plan developed and approved 
by an independent redistricting commission which is in 
compliance with each of the following requirements: 
(1) PUBLICLY AVAILABLE APPLICATION PROC-
ESS.—Membership on the commission is open to citi-
zens of the State through a publicly available appli-
cation process. 
(2) DISQUALIFICATIONS
FOR
GOVERNMENT 
SERVICE
AND
POLITICAL
APPOINTMENT.—Individ-
uals who, for a covered period of time as established 
by the State, hold or have held public office, individ-
321 
uals who are or have been candidates for elected 
public office, and individuals who serve or have 
served as an officer, employee, or paid consultant of 
a campaign committee of a candidate for public of-
fice are disqualified from serving on the commission. 
(3) SCREENING
FOR
CONFLICTS.—Individuals 
who apply to serve on the commission are screened 
through a process that excludes persons with con-
flicts of interest from the pool of potential commis-
sioners. 
(4) MULTI-PARTISAN COMPOSITION.—Member-
ship on the commission represents those who are af-
filiated with the two political parties whose can-
didates received the most votes in the most recent 
statewide election for Federal office held in the 
State, as well as those who are unaffiliated with any 
party or who are affiliated with political parties 
other than the two political parties whose candidates 
received the most votes in the most recent statewide 
election for Federal office held in the State. 
(5) CRITERIA FOR REDISTRICTING.—Members 
of the commission are required to meet certain cri-
teria in the map drawing process, including mini-
mizing the division of communities of interest and a 
ban on drawing maps to favor a political party.
322 
(6) PUBLIC INPUT.—Public hearings are held 
and comments from the public are accepted before 
a final map is approved. 
(7) BROAD-BASED SUPPORT FOR APPROVAL OF 
FINAL PLAN.—The approval of the final redistricting 
plan requires a majority vote of the members of the 
commission, including the support of at least one 
member of each of the following: 
(A) Members who are affiliated with the 
political party whose candidate received the 
most votes in the most recent statewide election 
for Federal office held in the State. 
(B) Members who are affiliated with the 
political party whose candidate received the sec-
ond most votes in the most recent statewide 
election for Federal office held in the State. 
(C) Members who are not affiliated with 
any political party or who are affiliated with po-
litical parties other than the political parties de-
scribed in subparagraphs (A) and (B). 
(d) TREATMENT OF STATE OF IOWA.—Subsection (a) 
does not apply to the State of Iowa, so long as congres-
sional redistricting in such State is carried out in accord-
ance with a plan developed by the Iowa Legislative Serv-
ices Agency with the assistance of a Temporary Redis-
323 
tricting Advisory Commission, under law which was in ef-
fect for the most recent congressional redistricting carried 
out in the State prior to the date of the enactment of this 
Act and which remains in effect continuously on and after 
the date of the enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 2402. BAN ON MID-DECADE REDISTRICTING. 
A State that has been redistricted in accordance with 
this subtitle and a State described in section 2401(c) or 
section 2401(d) may not be redistricted again until after 
the next apportionment of Representatives under section 
22(a) of the Act entitled ‘‘An Act to provide for the fif-
teenth and subsequent decennial censuses and to provide 
for an apportionment of Representatives in Congress’’, ap-
proved June 18, 1929 (2 U.S.C. 2a), unless a court re-
quires the State to conduct such subsequent redistricting 
to comply with the Constitution of the United States, the 
Voting Rights Act of 1965 (52 U.S.C. 10301 et seq.), the 
Constitution of the State, or the terms or conditions of 
this subtitle. 
SEC. 2403. CRITERIA FOR REDISTRICTING. 
(a) CRITERIA.—Under the redistricting plan of a 
State, there shall be established single-member congres-
sional districts using the following criteria as set forth in 
the following order of priority:
324 
(1) Districts shall comply with the United 
States Constitution, including the requirement that 
they equalize total population. 
(2) Districts shall comply with the Voting 
Rights Act of 1965 (52 U.S.C. 10301 et seq.), in-
cluding by creating any districts where two or more 
politically cohesive groups protected by such Act are 
able to elect representatives of choice in coalition 
with one another, and all applicable Federal laws. 
(3) Districts shall be drawn, to the extent that 
the totality of the circumstances warrant, to ensure 
the practical ability of a group protected under the 
Voting Rights Act of 1965 (52 U.S.C. 10301 et 
seq.) to participate in the political process and to 
nominate candidates and to elect representatives of 
choice is not diluted or diminished, regardless of 
whether or not such protected group constitutes a 
majority of a district’s citizen voting age population. 
(4) Districts shall respect communities of inter-
est, neighborhoods, and political subdivisions to the 
extent practicable and after compliance with the re-
quirements of paragraphs (1) through (3). A com-
munity of interest is defined as an area with recog-
nized similarities of interests, including but not lim-
ited to ethnic, racial, economic, tribal, social, cul-
325 
tural, geographic or historic identities. The term 
communities of interest may, in certain cir-
cumstances, include political subdivisions such as 
counties, municipalities, tribal lands and reserva-
tions, or school districts, but shall not include com-
mon relationships with political parties or political 
candidates. 
(b) NO FAVORING OR DISFAVORING OF POLITICAL 
PARTIES.— 
(1) PROHIBITION.—The redistricting plan en-
acted by a State shall not, when considered on a 
Statewide basis, be drawn with the intent or the ef-
fect of unduly favoring or disfavoring any political 
party. 
(2) DETERMINATION OF EFFECT.— 
(A) TOTALITY OF CIRCUMSTANCES.—For 
purposes of paragraph (1), the determination of 
whether a redistricting plan has the effect of 
unduly favoring or disfavoring a political party 
shall be based on the totality of circumstances, 
including evidence regarding the durability and 
severity of a plan’s partisan bias. 
(B) PLANS DEEMED TO HAVE EFFECT OF 
UNDULY FAVORING OR DISFAVORING A POLIT-
ICAL PARTY.—Without limiting other ways in
326 
which a redistricting plan may be determined to 
have the effect of unduly favoring or disfavoring 
a political party under the totality of cir-
cumstances under subparagraph (A), a redis-
tricting plan shall be deemed to have the effect 
of unduly favoring or disfavoring a political 
party if— 
(i) modeling based on relevant histor-
ical voting patterns shows that the plan is 
statistically likely to result in a partisan 
bias of more than one seat in States with 
20 or fewer congressional districts or a 
partisan bias of more than 2 seats in 
States with more than 20 congressional 
districts, as determined using quantitative 
measures of partisan fairness, which may 
include, but are not limited to, the seats- 
to-votes curve for an enacted plan, the effi-
ciency gap, the declination, partisan asym-
metry, and the mean-median difference, 
and 
(ii) alternative plans, which may in-
clude, but are not limited to, those gen-
erated by redistricting algorithms, exist 
that could have complied with the require-
327 
ments of law and not been in violation of 
paragraph (1). 
(3) DETERMINATION
OF
INTENT.—For pur-
poses of paragraph (A), a rebuttable presumption 
shall exist that a redistricting plan enacted by the 
legislature of a State was not enacted with the in-
tent of unduly favoring or disfavoring a political 
party if the plan was enacted with the support of at 
least a third of the members of the second largest 
political party in each house of the legislature. 
(4) NO
VIOLATION
BASED
ON
CERTAIN
CRI-
TERIA.—No redistricting plan shall be found to be 
in violation of paragraph (1) because of partisan 
bias attributable to the application of the criteria set 
forth in paragraphs (1), (2), or (3) of subsection (a), 
unless one or more alternative plans could have com-
plied with such paragraphs without having the effect 
of unduly favoring or disfavoring a political party. 
(c) FACTORS PROHIBITED FROM CONSIDERATION.— 
In developing the redistricting plan for the State, the inde-
pendent redistricting commission may not take into con-
sideration any of the following factors, except to the extent 
necessary to comply with the criteria described in para-
graphs (1) through (3) of subsection (a), subsection (b),
328 
and to enable the redistricting plan to be measured 
against the external metrics described in section 2413(d): 
(1) The residence of any Member of the House 
of Representatives or candidate. 
(2) The political party affiliation or voting his-
tory of the population of a district. 
(d) APPLICABILITY.—This section applies to any au-
thority, whether appointed, elected, judicial, or otherwise, 
that designs or enacts a congressional redistricting plan 
of a State. 
(e) SEVERABILITY OF CRITERIA.—If any of the cri-
teria set forth in this section, or the application of such 
criteria to any person or circumstance, is held to be uncon-
stitutional, the remaining criteria set forth in this section, 
and the application of such criteria to any person or cir-
cumstance, shall not be affected by the holding. 
PART 2—INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING 
COMMISSIONS 
SEC. 2411. INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING COMMISSION. 
(a) APPOINTMENT OF MEMBERS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The nonpartisan agency es-
tablished or designated by a State under section 
2414(a) shall establish an independent redistricting 
commission for the State, which shall consist of 15 
members appointed by the agency as follows:
329 
(A) Not later than October 1 of a year 
ending in the numeral zero, the agency shall, at 
a public meeting held not earlier than 15 days 
after notice of the meeting has been given to 
the public, first appoint 6 members as follows: 
(i) The agency shall appoint 2 mem-
bers on a random basis from the majority 
category of the approved selection pool (as 
described in section 2412(b)(1)(A)). 
(ii) The agency shall appoint 2 mem-
bers on a random basis from the minority 
category of the approved selection pool (as 
described in section 2412(b)(1)(B)). 
(iii) The agency shall appoint 2 mem-
bers on a random basis from the inde-
pendent category of the approved selection 
pool 
(as 
described 
in 
section 
2412(b)(1)(C)). 
(B) Not later than November 15 of a year 
ending in the numeral zero, the members ap-
pointed by the agency under subparagraph (A) 
shall, at a public meeting held not earlier than 
15 days after notice of the meeting has been 
given to the public, then appoint 9 members as 
follows:
330 
(i) The members shall appoint 3 mem-
bers from the majority category of the ap-
proved selection pool (as described in sec-
tion 2412(b)(1)(A)). 
(ii) The members shall appoint 3 
members from the minority category of the 
approved selection pool (as described in 
section 2412(b)(1)(B)). 
(iii) The members shall appoint 3 
members from the independent category of 
the approved selection pool (as described in 
section 2412(b)(1)(C)). 
(2) RULES
FOR
APPOINTMENT
OF
MEMBERS 
APPOINTED BY FIRST MEMBERS.— 
(A) AFFIRMATIVE VOTE OF AT LEAST 4 
MEMBERS.—The appointment of any of the 9 
members of the independent redistricting com-
mission who are appointed by the first members 
of the commission pursuant to subparagraph 
(B) of paragraph (1), as well as the designation 
of alternates for such members pursuant to 
subparagraph (B) of paragraph (3) and the ap-
pointment of alternates to fill vacancies pursu-
ant to subparagraph (B) of paragraph (4), shall 
require the affirmative vote of at least 4 of the
331 
members appointed by the nonpartisan agency 
under subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1), in-
cluding at least one member from each of the 
categories referred to in such subparagraph. 
(B) ENSURING DIVERSITY.—In appointing 
the 9 members pursuant to subparagraph (B) 
of paragraph (1), as well as in designating al-
ternates pursuant to subparagraph (B) of para-
graph (3) and in appointing alternates to fill 
vacancies pursuant to subparagraph (B) of 
paragraph (4), the first members of the inde-
pendent redistricting commission shall ensure 
that the membership is representative of the de-
mographic groups (including racial, ethnic, eco-
nomic, and gender) and geographic regions of 
the State, and provides racial, ethnic, and lan-
guage minorities protected under the Voting 
Rights Act of 1965 with a meaningful oppor-
tunity to participate in the development of the 
State’s redistricting plan. 
(3) DESIGNATION OF ALTERNATES TO SERVE 
IN CASE OF VACANCIES.— 
(A) MEMBERS APPOINTED BY AGENCY.— 
At the time the agency appoints the members 
of the independent redistricting commission
332 
under subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) from 
each of the categories referred to in such sub-
paragraph, the agency shall, on a random basis, 
designate 2 other individuals from such cat-
egory to serve as alternate members who may 
be appointed to fill vacancies in the commission 
in accordance with paragraph (4). 
(B) MEMBERS APPOINTED BY FIRST MEM-
BERS.—At the time the members appointed by 
the agency appoint the other members of the 
independent redistricting commission under 
subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) from each 
of the categories referred to in such subpara-
graph, the members shall, in accordance with 
the special rules described in paragraph (2), 
designate 2 other individuals from such cat-
egory to serve as alternate members who may 
be appointed to fill vacancies in the commission 
in accordance with paragraph (4). 
(4) APPOINTMENT OF ALTERNATES TO SERVE 
IN CASE OF VACANCIES.— 
(A) MEMBERS APPOINTED BY AGENCY.—If 
a vacancy occurs in the commission with respect 
to a member who was appointed by the non-
partisan agency under subparagraph (A) of
333 
paragraph (1) from one of the categories re-
ferred to in such subparagraph, the agency 
shall fill the vacancy by appointing, on a ran-
dom basis, one of the 2 alternates from such 
category who was designated under subpara-
graph (A) of paragraph (3). At the time the 
agency appoints an alternate to fill a vacancy 
under the previous sentence, the agency shall 
designate, on a random basis, another indi-
vidual from the same category to serve as an al-
ternate member, in accordance with subpara-
graph (A) of paragraph (3). 
(B) MEMBERS APPOINTED BY FIRST MEM-
BERS.—If a vacancy occurs in the commission 
with respect to a member who was appointed by 
the first members of the commission under sub-
paragraph (B) of paragraph (1) from one of the 
categories referred to in such subparagraph, the 
first members shall, in accordance with the spe-
cial rules described in paragraph (2), fill the va-
cancy by appointing one of the 2 alternates 
from such category who was designated under 
subparagraph (B) of paragraph (3). At the time 
the first members appoint an alternate to fill a 
vacancy under the previous sentence, the first
334 
members shall, in accordance with the special 
rules described in paragraph (2), designate an-
other individual from the same category to 
serve as an alternate member, in accordance 
with subparagraph (B) of paragraph (3). 
(5) REMOVAL.—A member of the independent 
redistricting commission may be removed by a ma-
jority vote of the remaining members of the commis-
sion if it is shown by a preponderance of the evi-
dence that the member is not eligible to serve on the 
commission under section 2412(a). 
(b) PROCEDURES
FOR CONDUCTING COMMISSION 
BUSINESS.— 
(1) CHAIR.—Members of an independent redis-
tricting commission established under this section 
shall select by majority vote one member who was 
appointed from the independent category of the ap-
proved 
selection 
pool 
described 
in 
section 
2412(b)(1)(C) to serve as chair of the commission. 
The commission may not take any action to develop 
a redistricting plan for the State under section 2413 
until the appointment of the commission’s chair. 
(2) REQUIRING MAJORITY APPROVAL FOR AC-
TIONS.—The independent redistricting commission 
of a State may not publish and disseminate any
460 
the Chairman of the Committee on the Judici-
ary. 
(F) Two members shall be appointed by 
the minority leader of the House of Representa-
tives, in consultation with the ranking minority 
member of the Committee on Homeland Secu-
rity, the ranking minority member of the Com-
mittee on the Judiciary, and the ranking minor-
ity member of the Committee on House Admin-
istration. 
(2) QUALIFICATIONS.—Individuals shall be se-
lected for appointment to the Commission solely on 
the basis of their professional qualifications, achieve-
ments, public stature, experience, and expertise in 
relevant fields, including cybersecurity, national se-
curity, and the Constitution of the United States. 
(3) NO COMPENSATION FOR SERVICE.—Mem-
bers may not receive compensation for service on the 
Commission, but shall receive travel expenses, in-
cluding per diem in lieu of subsistence, in accord-
ance with chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code. 
(4) DEADLINE FOR APPOINTMENT.—All mem-
bers of the Commission shall be appointed not later 
than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this 
Act.