I
107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 354
To establish a grant program to assist State and local governments with
improving the administration of elections through activities which may
include the modernization of voting procedures and equipment, and for
other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 31, 2001
Mr. HUTCHINSON (for himself, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, Mr. FOLEY, Mr.
UDALL of Colorado, Mr. MCHUGH, Mr. MCINTYRE, Mr. GREEN of Texas,
Mr. ENGLISH, and Mr. GOODLATTE) introduced the following bill; which
was referred to the Committee on House Administration
A BILL
To establish a grant program to assist State and local gov-
ernments with improving the administration of elections
through activities which may include the modernization
of voting procedures and equipment, and for other pur-
poses.
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 ‘‘Election Procedures
Improvement Act’’.
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF GRANT PROGRAM.
(a) IN GENERAL.—There is hereby established a pro-
gram under which the Federal Election Commission (here-
after in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Commission’’), acting
through the Office of Elections Administration, shall make
grants to eligible States and eligible units of local govern-
ment for activities to improve the administration of elec-
tions.
(b) EXAMPLES OF ACTIVITIES FUNDED.—In accord-
ance with such criteria as the Commission may adopt, a
State or unit of local government may use funds provided
under the program under this Act for such activities as
it considers appropriate to improve the administration of
its elections, including the modernization or replacement
of voting equipment, the purchase, upgrade, or repair of
computer-based voting systems, and the enhancement of
the procedures used to tabulate and report election results.
(c) ELIGIBILITY.—A State or a unit of local govern-
ment is eligible to receive a grant under the program
under this Act if it submits to the Commission (at such
time and in such manner as the Commission may require)
an application containing such information and assurances
as the Commission may require.
SEC. 3. DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS AMONG GEOGRAPHIC RE-
GIONS AND RURAL AREAS.
In carrying out the program under this Act, the Com-
mission shall ensure—
(1) that grants are awarded in a manner which
reflects the various geographic regions of the United
States; and
(2) that not less than 25 percent of the total
amount of funds awarded under the program during
a fiscal year is provided to units of local government
which serve a population of fewer than 50,000 indi-
viduals, either directly or through cooperative agree-
ments with the States in which such units of local
government are located.
SEC. 4. OTHER REQUIREMENTS FOR GRANT RECIPIENTS.
(a) MATCHING OF FUNDS.—The amount provided by
a grant under the program under this Act may not exceed
75 percent of the total cost of the activity funded by the
grant.
(b) REPORTS.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—During the 1 year-period
which begins on the date a State or unit of local
government receives a grant under the program
under this Act, the State or unit of local government
shall submit a report every 6 months to the Commis-
sion describing the terms of the grant and the activi-
ties funded by the grant.
(2) REPORT BY COMMISSION TO CONGRESS.—
Based on the information reported by States and
units of local government under paragraph (1), the
Commission shall submit a report to Congress on
the program under this Act not later than 30 days
after each fiscal year during which grants are made
under the program.
SEC. 5. STATE DEFINED.
In this Act, the term ‘‘State’’ includes the District
of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam,
American Samoa, and the United States Virgin Islands.
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated for the first
3 fiscal years which begin after the date of the enactment
of this Act an aggregate amount of $1,500,000,000 to
carry out this Act (which shall remain available until ex-
pended), of which not more than 2 percent may be used
for administrative costs associated with the program
under this Act.
Æ