I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2232 
To amend title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require institutions 
of higher education that participate in programs under such title to 
distribute voter registration forms to students enrolled at the institution, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 26, 2021 
Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committee 
on House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by 
the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall with-
in the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
to require institutions of higher education that partici-
pate in programs under such title to distribute voter 
registration forms to students enrolled at the institution, 
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 ‘‘Help Students Vote 
Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that political participation 
and civic engagement are fundamental to the health of 
American democracy, and that all citizens should be en-
couraged to vote, regardless of party affiliation. 
SEC. 3. DISTRIBUTING VOTER REGISTRATION INFORMA-
TION. 
Section 487(a)(23) of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1094(a)(23)) is amended to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘(23)(A) The institution will make every rea-
sonable effort to— 
‘‘(i) distribute voter registration applica-
tions for elections for Federal office prescribed 
pursuant to section 9 of the National Voter 
Registration Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20508), 
which may include sharing a direct, guided link 
to such application, to each student enrolled at 
the institution; 
‘‘(ii) provide clear guidance that each stu-
dent enrolled at the institution should— 
‘‘(I) register in the State in which the 
student is eligible to vote in the next elec-
tion if registration is required, which may 
include the ability of out of State students 
to vote in the State in which they are en-
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rolled and physically in attendance, in ac-
cordance with applicable State law; and 
‘‘(II) update the student’s existing 
voter registration if the student’s address 
has changed recently or since the last elec-
tion in which the student was eligible to 
vote; 
‘‘(iii) periodically share credible, non-
partisan resources to help students determine 
where and how they are eligible to vote, which 
may include resources from State and local 
election officials on voter registration and vot-
ing requirements, including voter registration 
deadlines, residency requirements, voter identi-
fication requirements, and absentee voting op-
tions, as applicable; and 
‘‘(iv) in distributing voting materials (as 
defined in section 203(b)(3) of the Voting 
Rights Act of 1965 (52 U.S.C. 10503(b)(3)) 
that are produced by a covered State or polit-
ical subdivision (as defined in such section), en-
sure to the greatest extent practicable that— 
‘‘(I) such voting materials are pro-
vided in accordance with section 203 of 
such Act (52 U.S.C. 10503); and 
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‘‘(dd) shares credible, nonpartisan re-
sources to help students who are registered 
in another State to apply for absentee bal-
lots in such State, which may include re-
sources from State and local election offi-
cials; and 
‘‘(III) ensures that an appropriate staff 
person or office has been designated as a ‘Cam-
pus Vote Coordinator’ to ensure compliance in 
accordance with this clause at the institution 
and who shall— 
‘‘(aa) be publicly designated as the 
‘Campus Vote Coordinator’, along with the 
Coordinator’s contact information, on the 
institution’s website; and 
‘‘(bb) upon request, provide to stu-
dents residency requirements for voting, 
including the ability of out of State stu-
dents to vote in the State in which they 
are enrolled and physically in attendance, 
in accordance with applicable State law; 
and 
‘‘(ii) if, with respect to each student enrolled 
exclusively in distance education or correspondence 
programs, the institution— 
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‘‘(I) transmits a message devoted exclu-
sively to voter registration referring such stu-
dents to a centralized voter registration website 
or platform that provides applicable voter reg-
istration application and voting information for 
all States, provided that such platform is hosted 
by a government affiliated website; 
‘‘(II) transmits such message not less than 
twice in a calendar year; and 
‘‘(III) maintains information on the insti-
tution’s website containing credible, nonpartisan 
resources to help students determine where and 
how they are eligible to vote, or a link to such 
resources. 
‘‘(C) The institution may also include voter registra-
tion applications within materials or information distrib-
uted to newly enrolled, or returning, students at the begin-
ning of a term, consistent with the requirements of sub-
paragraph (B). 
‘‘(D) In this paragraph— 
‘‘(i) the term ‘absentee ballot’ means any ballot 
cast by any means other than in person and for 
which the State requires an application; 
‘‘(ii) the term ‘distance education’ has the 
meaning given the term in section 103, except such 
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term shall not include distance education that is pro-
vided due to a decision of an institution to require 
or encourage students of the institution to remain 
off-campus due to a national, State, or local public 
health or other emergency; 
‘‘(iii) the term ‘Federal office’ has the meaning 
given the term in section 301(3) of the Federal Elec-
tion Campaign Act of 1971 (52 U.S.C. 30101(3)); 
and 
‘‘(iv) the term ‘voter registration application’ 
has the meaning of the term ‘mail voter registration 
form’ as described in section 9(b) of the National 
Voter Registration Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 
20508(b)).’’. 
SEC. 4. GRANTS AUTHORIZED. 
The Secretary of Education shall award grants to in-
stitutions of higher education that greatly exceed the min-
imum requirements under section 487(a)(23) of the High-
er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1094(a)(23)), in-
cluding as demonstrated by— 
(1) sponsoring large on-campus voter mobiliza-
tion efforts; 
(2) engaging the surrounding community in 
nonpartisan voter registration and get out the vote 
efforts; 
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(3) creating a website with centralized informa-
tion about voter registration and election dates; 
(4) inviting candidates to speak on campus; and 
(5) offering rides to the polls to increase voter 
education, registration, and mobilization. 
SEC. 5. ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS. 
(a) CORRECTIVE ACTION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Education 
shall submit a written warning to an institution of 
higher education that violates a requirement of sec-
tion 487(a)(23) of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1094(a)(23)) that includes a direc-
tion to correct the violation not later than 60 days 
after the date the warning was received. 
(2) ACTIONS AUTHORIZED.—If an institution of 
higher education does not correct a violation in ac-
cordance with a direction from the Secretary of Edu-
cation as described in paragraph (1), the Attorney 
General of the United States may authorize the ap-
propriate State law enforcement officer or the chief 
elections official of a State to commence a civil ac-
tion in accordance with subsection (b). 
(b) CIVIL ACTIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—A State law enforcement of-
ficer or chief elections official of a State may com-
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mence a civil action in accordance with subsection 
(a) in the appropriate district court of the United 
States against the institution that engages in a pat-
tern or practice of violating section 487(a)(23) of 
the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1094(a)(23)). 
(2) RELIEF.—In a civil action commenced 
under paragraph (1), the court may— 
(A) grant any appropriate equitable or de-
claratory relief with respect to the violation of 
section 487(a)(23) of the Higher Education Act 
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1094(a)(23)); 
(B) award all other appropriate relief to 
any person or group aggrieved by the violation; 
(C) to vindicate the public interest, assess 
a civil penalty in an amount not exceeding the 
amount listed in section 487(c)(3)(B) of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1094(c)(3)(B)) for any violation; and 
(D) take into account the number of days 
in which the infraction occurred. 
(3) INTERVENTION.—Upon timely application, 
a person aggrieved by a violation of section 
487(a)(23) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1094(a)(23)) with respect to which a civil ac-
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tion is commenced under this subsection may inter-
vene in such action, and may obtain such appro-
priate relief as the person could obtain in a civil ac-
tion under subsection (c) with respect to such viola-
tion, along with costs and reasonable attorneys fees. 
(c) PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Any person or group ag-
grieved by a violation of section 487(a)(23) of the 
Higher 
Education 
Act 
of 
1965 
(20 
U.S.C. 
1094(a)(23)) may commence a civil action in any 
appropriate district court of the United States 
against the institution that engages in such viola-
tion. 
(2) RELIEF.—In a civil action commenced 
under paragraph (1), the court may— 
(A) grant any appropriate equitable or de-
claratory relief with respect to the violation of 
section 487(a)(23) of the Higher Education Act 
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1094(a)(23)); 
(B) award any other appropriate relief to 
the person or group aggrieved by the violation, 
including the costs of the action, such as rea-
sonable attorneys fees; 
(C) to vindicate the public interest, assess 
a civil penalty in an amount not exceeding the 
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amount listed in section 487(c)(3)(B) of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1094(c)(3)(B)) for any violation; and 
(D) take into account the number of days 
in which the infraction occurred. 
(3) REPORTING.—Not later than 60 days be-
fore the date a person or group aggrieved by a viola-
tion of section 487(a)(23) of the Higher Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1094(a)(23)) commences a 
civil action under paragraph (1), the person or 
group shall report the violation to the Department 
of Education, a Federal or State law enforcement 
agency, and the institution purported to have com-
mitted the violation via an affidavit detailing the al-
leged violation. 
(4) PRESERVATION OF REMEDIES.—Nothing in 
this section shall be construed to preclude or limit 
any remedy otherwise available under other law, in-
cluding consequential and punitive damages. 
SEC. 6. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS TO HELP AMERICA 
VOTE ACT. 
Section 303 of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 
(52 U.S.C. 21083) is amended— 
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(1) in the section heading, by inserting ‘‘; PRO-
VISION OF FORMS TO INSTITUTIONS OF HIGH-
ER EDUCATION’’ after ‘‘BY MAIL’’; 
(2) by redesignating subsection (d) as sub-
section (e); 
(3) by inserting after subsection (c) the fol-
lowing new subsection: 
‘‘(d) PROVISION OF ABSENTEE BALLOT APPLICA-
TION
FORMS
TO
INSTITUTIONS
OF
HIGHER
EDU-
CATION.—Each State shall provide the voter registration 
and absentee ballot application forms or access to elec-
tronic versions of such forms to each institution of higher 
education for the purposes described in section 487(a)(23) 
of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1094(a)(23)).’’; and 
(4) in subsection (e), as redesignated by para-
graph (2), by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(3) REQUIREMENT TO PROVIDE VOTER REG-
ISTRATION
AND
ABSENTEE
BALLOT
APPLICATION 
FORMS TO INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION.— 
Each State and jurisdiction shall be required to 
comply with the requirements of subsection (d) no 
later than 30 days after the date of enactment of 
the Help Students Vote Act.’’. 
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SEC. 7. GRANTS FOR FEDERAL WORK-STUDY PROGRAMS. 
Section 443(b)(2) of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087–53(b)(2)) is amended to read as 
follows: 
‘‘(2) provide that funds granted an institution 
of higher education, pursuant to this section, may be 
used only to make payments to students partici-
pating in work-study programs, except that— 
‘‘(A) for fiscal year 2022 and succeeding 
fiscal years, an institution shall use at least 25 
percent of the total amount of funds granted to 
such institution under this section for such fis-
cal year to compensate students employed in 
community service and civic engagement activi-
ties, such as voter registration, non-partisan 
voter engagement, and voter participation work, 
and shall ensure that not less than 1 tutoring 
or family literacy project (as described in sub-
section (d)) is included in meeting the require-
ment of this subparagraph, except that the Sec-
retary may waive this subparagraph if the Sec-
retary determines that enforcing this subpara-
graph would cause hardship for students at the 
institution; and 
‘‘(B) an institution may use a portion of 
the sums granted to it to meet administrative 
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expenses in accordance with section 489 of this 
Act, may use a portion of the sums granted to 
it to meet the cost of a job location and devel-
opment program in accordance with section 446 
of this part, and may transfer funds in accord-
ance with the provisions of section 488 of this 
Act;’’. 
Æ 
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