I 
111TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4449 
To direct the Election Assistance Commission to make payments to reimburse 
States for costs incurred in establishing online voter registration pro-
grams, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 13, 2010 
Mr. MCCARTHY of California (for himself and Mr. HARPER) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration 
A BILL 
To direct the Election Assistance Commission to make pay-
ments to reimburse States for costs incurred in estab-
lishing online voter registration programs, and for other 
purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; FINDINGS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Responsible Online Voter Empowerment Registration 
Act of 2010’’. 
(b) FINDINGS.—Congress finds as follows: 
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(1) Most States continue to rely upon paper 
forms for voter registration. 
(2) Paper voter registration forms are subject 
to delays in postal delivery or in submission to elec-
tion officials for processing, and may be subject to 
errors when data is entered into registration sys-
tems. 
(3) Online voter registration systems can solve 
the problems identified with paper forms, and with 
proper security measures can do so without increas-
ing fraud. 
(4) Online voter registration can increase the 
accuracy of registration records and reduce costs by 
eliminating the need for data entry of paper forms. 
(5) States that offer online voter registration 
have experienced rapid and widespread adoption by 
individuals registering to vote. 
(6) To ensure that online voter registrations are 
secure it is vital to validate them against an existing 
database with suitable information for voter reg-
istration. 
(7) Voter registration records must include the 
voter’s signature in order to validate absentee ballots 
and 
signatures 
on 
petitions, 
initiatives, 
and 
referenda. 
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SEC. 2. PAYMENTS TO REIMBURSE STATES FOR COSTS IN-
CURRED IN ESTABLISHING ONLINE VOTER 
REGISTRATION PROGRAMS. 
(a) PAYMENTS FOR COSTS OF ESTABLISHING PRO-
GRAM.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Election Assistance 
Commission shall make a payment to each eligible 
State to reimburse the State for the costs incurred 
in establishing, if the State so chooses to establish, 
an online voter registration program which meets 
the requirements of subsection (b) (including costs 
incurred prior to the date of the enactment of this 
Act). 
(2) LIMIT
ON
NUMBER
OF
PAYMENTS
RE-
CEIVED.—A State may not receive more than one 
payment under this Act. 
(b) REQUIREMENTS FOR ONLINE VOTER REGISTRA-
TION PROGRAM.— 
(1) REQUIREMENTS.—An online voter registra-
tion program established by a State meets the re-
quirements of this subsection if each of the following 
are met: 
(A) The program is operated through the 
official public website of the chief State election 
official, or through the official public websites 
of such other officials of the State or of units 
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of local government in the State as the chief 
State election official may designate. 
(B) If an applicant for voter registration 
uses the program, the entire process by which 
the applicant obtains, completes, and submits 
the voter registration application form for elec-
tions for Federal office in the State shall be 
carried out online. 
(C) An applicant for voter registration may 
use the program only if the applicant— 
(i) has a current and valid motor vehi-
cle operator’s license issued by the State, 
or another current and valid identification 
issued by the State, which includes the ap-
plicant’s signature; 
(ii) agrees that such license or identi-
fication, and the signature contained on 
the license or identification, may be used 
by the appropriate election officials in the 
State for voter registration purposes; and 
(iii) includes in the information sub-
mitted in the application the number of the 
license or identification which will be used 
as described in subparagraph (B). 
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(D) In processing an application submitted 
under the program, the election official obtains 
a digital copy of the signature which is con-
tained on the license or identification for which 
the applicant provided the number pursuant to 
subparagraph (C) from the State office which 
issued the license or identification to the appli-
cant. 
(E) An applicant for voter registration who 
uses the program is subject to the same re-
quirements regarding eligibility and attestations 
(including attestations of age and citizenship), 
and subject to the same penalties for providing 
false information, as an applicant for voter reg-
istration in the State who does not use the pro-
gram. 
(F) The chief State election official estab-
lishes measures sufficient to ensure the accu-
racy, integrity, and security of the information 
provided by an applicant using the program, in-
cluding security measures to prevent registra-
tion attempts when such attempts can be iden-
tified as originating with an automated source 
or being multiple or repeated attempts from the 
same individual. 
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(2) TREATMENT
AS
REGISTRATION
BY
MAIL 
FOR PURPOSES OF MEETING CERTAIN IDENTIFICA-
TION
REQUIREMENTS.—For purposes of section 
303(b) of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (42 
U.S.C. 15483(b)), an individual who registers to 
vote using an online voter registration program 
which meets the requirements of this subsection 
shall be considered to have registered to vote by 
mail. 
SEC. 3. CERTIFICATION OF COMPLIANCE AND COSTS. 
(a) CERTIFICATION REQUIRED.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—In order to receive a pay-
ment under this Act, the State shall submit to the 
Commission, at such time and in such form as the 
Commission may require, a statement containing the 
following information and assurances: 
(A) A certification that the State has es-
tablished an online voter registration program 
which meets the requirements of section 2(b). 
(B) A statement of the reasonable costs in-
curred by the State and by units of local gov-
ernment in the State in establishing the pro-
gram, together with documentation of such 
costs. 
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(2) DEADLINE.—A State may not receive a 
payment under this Act if the State does not submit 
the statement required under paragraph (1) prior to 
December 31, 2012. 
(b) AMOUNT OF PAYMENT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The amount of the payment 
made to an eligible State under this section shall be 
equal to the reasonable costs incurred by the State 
and by units of local government in the State in es-
tablishing the online voter registration program, as 
set forth in the statement submitted by the State 
under subsection (a)(1)(B), except that the total 
amount of the payment may not exceed $1,000,000. 
(2) EXCLUSION OF AMOUNTS ALREADY REIM-
BURSED.—The amount determined with respect to a 
State under paragraph (1) shall be reduced to the 
extent that the State has already been reimbursed 
by a requirements payment under part 1 of subtitle 
D of title II of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 
(42 U.S.C. 15401 et seq.) for the costs incurred in 
establishing the online voter registration program. 
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act— 
(1) the term ‘‘chief State election official’’ 
means, with respect to a State, the individual des-
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ignated by the State under section 10 of the Na-
tional Voter Registration Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C. 
1973gg–8) to be responsible for coordination of the 
State’s responsibilities under such Act; 
(2) the term ‘‘Commission’’ means the Election 
Assistance Commission; and 
(3) the term ‘‘State’’ means each of the several 
States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth 
of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, and the 
United States Virgin Islands. 
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
(a) AUTHORIZATION.—There are authorized to be ap-
propriated to the Commission such sums as may be nec-
essary to carry out this Act. 
(b) CORRESPONDING REDUCTION IN UNOBLIGATED 
REQUIREMENTS PAYMENTS.—The aggregate amount of 
the requirements payments under part 1 of subtitle D of 
title II of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 
15401 et seq.) which were appropriated prior to a fiscal 
year which remain unobligated as of the beginning of that 
fiscal year shall be reduced by the amount appropriated 
pursuant to the authorization under this section for that 
fiscal year. 
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(c) CONTINUING AVAILABILITY
OF FUNDS.—Any 
amounts appropriated pursuant to the authorization under 
this section shall remain available until expended. 
Æ 
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