I 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7536 
To require each eligible citizen to appear to vote in each regularly scheduled 
general election for Federal office, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 18, 2022 
Mr. LARSON of Connecticut introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on House Administration 
A BILL 
To require each eligible citizen to appear to vote in each 
regularly scheduled general election for Federal office, 
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. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Civic Duty to Vote 
Act’’. 
SEC. 2. REQUIREMENTS WITH RESPECT TO VOTING BY 
CITIZENS. 
(a) REQUIREMENT TO APPEAR TO VOTE.— 
(1) REQUIREMENT.—Each eligible citizen shall 
appear to vote in each regularly scheduled general 
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election for Federal office as described in paragraph 
(2). 
(2) APPEARING TO VOTE DESCRIBED.—An eli-
gible citizen shall be deemed to appear to vote in a 
regularly scheduled general election for Federal of-
fice if such citizen returns a ballot to vote in such 
election to an appropriate State election official in 
the State in which such citizen is eligible to vote by 
any method authorized by the laws of the State in 
which such election is held. 
(3) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this 
subsection may be construed to require an eligible 
citizen to cast a vote for any candidate in an election 
for Federal office. 
(b) CIVIL MONEY PENALTY FOR VIOLATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
graph (4), a civil money penalty in the amount of 
$20 shall be assessed against any individual found 
to be in violation of the requirements under sub-
section (a) unless the individual certifies to an ap-
propriate State election official that the individual 
has a valid and sufficient reason for not appearing 
to vote in any such election described in subsection 
(a)(1). 
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(2) VALID
AND
SUFFICIENT
REASON
DE-
SCRIBED.—The following shall be deemed to be a 
valid and sufficient reason for not appearing to vote 
in a regularly scheduled general election for Federal 
office: 
(A) An individual is unable to receive or 
return a ballot in such an election because the 
individual is not registered to vote in the elec-
tion in the State after a good faith attempt by 
the individual to register to vote in such elec-
tion. 
(B) An individual is unable to appear to 
vote as a result of an emergency. 
(C) An individual is unable to comply with 
the requirements of subsection (a) due to sin-
cerely held religious or personal beliefs. 
(D) An individual was unaware of the indi-
vidual’s eligibility to vote in any such election. 
(3) WAIVER.—The appropriate State election 
official shall grant a waiver of the civil money pen-
alty under paragraph (1) with respect to any indi-
vidual found to be in violation of the requirement 
under subsection (a)(1) who— 
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(A) certifies to the election official that the 
individual cannot afford to pay such civil money 
penalty; or 
(B) attests that such individual will com-
plete one hour of community service. 
(4) EXCEPTION.—In the case of an individual’s 
first violation of the requirements under subsection 
(a)— 
(A) the civil money penalty under para-
graph (1) shall not apply; and 
(B) the appropriate State election official 
of the State in which such citizen is eligible to 
vote shall send the individual a notice that in-
forms the individual of the violation and the 
civil money penalty that will be assessed against 
the individual with respect to any subsequent 
violation. 
(5) NO ADDITIONAL PENALTIES FOR FAILURE 
TO PAY CIVIL MONEY PENALTY.—In the case of an 
individual found to be in violation of the requirement 
under subsection (a)(1) who fails to pay a civil 
money penalty assessed under paragraph (1), such 
individual shall not, as a result of such failure to 
pay the civil money penalty, be subject to any addi-
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tional civil or criminal penalties or any denial of gov-
ernment benefits. 
(c) PROHIBITION AGAINST CERTAIN USES OF INFOR-
MATION.— 
(1) PROHIBITION AGAINST INFORMATION SHAR-
ING WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT.—A State election of-
ficial may not share any information provided by an 
individual for the purposes of certifying a valid and 
sufficient reason that the individual did not appear 
to vote under subsection (b)(2) or receiving a waiver 
of the civil money penalty under subsection (b)(3) 
with any Federal, State, or local law enforcement 
agency. 
(2) PROHIBITION AGAINST LAW ENFORCEMENT 
USE OF INFORMATION.—No Federal, State, or local 
law enforcement agency may use any information 
provided by an individual for the purposes of certi-
fying a valid and sufficient reason that the indi-
vidual did not appear to vote under subsection (b)(2) 
to subject such individual to any additional penalties 
or criminal investigation. 
(d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall apply with 
respect to the regularly scheduled general election for Fed-
eral office held in November 2024 and each succeeding 
election for Federal office. 
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SEC. 3. ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION PUBLICATION 
OF BEST PRACTICES. 
Not later than 60 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Election Assistance Commission shall 
develop and publish recommendations for best practices 
for States to implement the requirements of this Act, in-
cluding practices for States to provide individuals with an 
option on a ballot in an election for Federal office to af-
firmatively decline to vote for any candidate with respect 
to each office in any such election. 
SEC. 4. ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION GRANTS TO 
STATES. 
(a) GRANTS TO STATES.—The Election Assistance 
Commission shall make grants to each eligible State to 
assist the State in implementing the requirements of this 
Act. 
(b) ELIGIBILITY.—A State is eligible to receive a 
grant under this section if the State submits to the Com-
mission, at such time and in such form as the Commission 
may require, an application containing such information 
as the Commission determines appropriate. 
(c) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 
necessary to carry out this section. 
SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act, the following definitions apply: 
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(1) ELIGIBLE CITIZEN.—The term ‘‘eligible cit-
izen’’ means a citizen who is eligible to vote in a reg-
ularly scheduled general election for Federal office in 
a State pursuant to the laws of the State in which 
the citizen resides. 
(2) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means each of 
the several States and the District of Columbia. 
Æ 
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