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‘‘(II) information regarding a 
voter’s registration status or eligi-
bility. 
‘‘(3) FALSE STATEMENTS REGARDING PUBLIC 
ENDORSEMENTS.— 
‘‘(A) PROHIBITION.—No person, whether 
acting under color of law or otherwise, shall, 
within 90 days before an election described in 
paragraph (5), by any means, including by 
means of written, electronic, or telephonic com-
munications, communicate, or cause to be com-
municated, a materially false statement about 
an endorsement, if such person— 
‘‘(i) knows such statement to be false; 
and 
‘‘(ii) has the intent to impede or pre-
vent another person from exercising the 
right to vote in an election described in 
paragraph (5). 
‘‘(B) 
DEFINITION
OF
‘MATERIALLY 
FALSE’.—For purposes of subparagraph (A), a 
statement about an endorsement is ‘materially 
false’ if, with respect to an upcoming election 
described in paragraph (5)—
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‘‘(i) the statement states that a spe-
cifically named person, political party, or 
organization has endorsed the election of a 
specific candidate for a Federal office de-
scribed in such paragraph; and 
‘‘(ii) such person, political party, or 
organization has not endorsed the election 
of such candidate. 
‘‘(4) HINDERING, INTERFERING WITH, OR PRE-
VENTING VOTING OR REGISTERING TO VOTE.—No 
person, whether acting under color of law or other-
wise, shall intentionally hinder, interfere with, or 
prevent another person from voting, registering to 
vote, or aiding another person to vote or register to 
vote in an election described in paragraph (5). 
‘‘(5) ELECTION DESCRIBED.—An election de-
scribed in this paragraph is any general, primary, 
run-off, or special election held solely or in part for 
the purpose of nominating or electing a candidate 
for the office of President, Vice President, presi-
dential elector, Member of the Senate, Member of 
the House of Representatives, or Delegate or Com-
missioner from a Territory or possession.’’. 
(b) PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION.—
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(1) IN
GENERAL.—Subsection (c) of section 
2004 of the Revised Statutes (52 U.S.C. 10101(c)) 
is amended— 
(A) by striking ‘‘Whenever any person’’ 
and inserting the following: 
‘‘(1) Whenever any person’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(2) Any person aggrieved by a violation of 
subsection (b)(2), (b)(3), or (b)(4) may institute a 
civil action for preventive relief, including an appli-
cation in a United States district court for a perma-
nent or temporary injunction, restraining order, or 
other order. In any such action, the court, in its dis-
cretion, may allow the prevailing party a reasonable 
attorney’s fee as part of the costs.’’. 
(2) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
(A) Subsection (e) of section 2004 of the 
Revised Statutes (52 U.S.C. 10101(e)) is 
amended by striking ‘‘subsection (c)’’ and in-
serting ‘‘subsection (c)(1)’’. 
(B) Subsection (g) of section 2004 of the 
Revised Statutes (52 U.S.C. 10101(g)) is 
amended by striking ‘‘subsection (c)’’ and in-
serting ‘‘subsection (c)(1)’’.
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(c) CRIMINAL PENALTIES.— 
(1) DECEPTIVE ACTS.—Section 594 of title 18, 
United States Code, is amended— 
(A) by striking ‘‘Whoever’’ and inserting 
the following: 
‘‘(a) INTIMIDATION.—Whoever’’; 
(B) in subsection (a), as inserted by sub-
paragraph (A), by striking ‘‘at any election’’ 
and inserting ‘‘at any general, primary, run-off, 
or special election’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following new 
subsections: 
‘‘(b) DECEPTIVE ACTS.— 
‘‘(1) FALSE STATEMENTS REGARDING FEDERAL 
ELECTIONS.— 
‘‘(A) PROHIBITION.—It shall be unlawful 
for any person, whether acting under color of 
law or otherwise, within 90 days before an elec-
tion described in subsection (e), by any means, 
including by means of written, electronic, or tel-
ephonic communications, to communicate or 
cause to be communicated information de-
scribed in subparagraph (B), or produce infor-
mation described in subparagraph (B) with the
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intent that such information be communicated, 
if such person— 
‘‘(i) knows such information to be ma-
terially false; and 
‘‘(ii) has the intent to mislead voters, 
or the intent to impede or prevent another 
person from exercising the right to vote in 
an election described in subsection (e). 
‘‘(B) INFORMATION
DESCRIBED.—Infor-
mation is described in this subparagraph if such 
information is regarding— 
‘‘(i) the time or place of holding any 
election described in subsection (e); or 
‘‘(ii) the qualifications for or restric-
tions on voter eligibility for any such elec-
tion, including— 
‘‘(I) any criminal penalties asso-
ciated with voting in any such elec-
tion; or 
‘‘(II) information regarding a 
voter’s registration status or eligi-
bility. 
‘‘(2) PENALTY.—Any person who violates para-
graph (1) shall be fined not more than $100,000, 
imprisoned for not more than 5 years, or both.
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‘‘(c) HINDERING, INTERFERING WITH, OR PRE-
VENTING VOTING OR REGISTERING TO VOTE.— 
‘‘(1) PROHIBITION.—It shall be unlawful for 
any person, whether acting under color of law or 
otherwise, to intentionally hinder, interfere with, or 
prevent another person from voting, registering to 
vote, or aiding another person to vote or register to 
vote in an election described in subsection (e). 
‘‘(2) PENALTY.—Any person who violates para-
graph (1) shall be fined not more than $100,000, 
imprisoned for not more than 5 years, or both. 
‘‘(d) ATTEMPT.—Any person who attempts to commit 
any offense described in subsection (a), (b)(1), or (c)(1) 
shall be subject to the same penalties as those prescribed 
for the offense that the person attempted to commit. 
‘‘(e) ELECTION DESCRIBED.—An election described 
in this subsection is any general, primary, run-off, or spe-
cial election held solely or in part for the purpose of nomi-
nating or electing a candidate for the office of President, 
Vice President, presidential elector, Member of the Senate, 
Member of the House of Representatives, or Delegate or 
Commissioner from a Territory or possession.’’. 
(2) MODIFICATION OF PENALTY FOR VOTER IN-
TIMIDATION.—Section 594(a) of title 18, United 
States Code, as amended by paragraph (1), is
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amended by striking ‘‘fined under this title or im-
prisoned not more than one year’’ and inserting 
‘‘fined not more than $100,000, imprisoned for not 
more than 5 years’’. 
(3) SENTENCING GUIDELINES.— 
(A) REVIEW AND AMENDMENT.—Not later 
than 180 days after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the United States Sentencing Commis-
sion, pursuant to its authority under section 
994 of title 28, United States Code, and in ac-
cordance with this section, shall review and, if 
appropriate, amend the Federal sentencing 
guidelines and policy statements applicable to 
persons convicted of any offense under section 
594 of title 18, United States Code, as amend-
ed by this section. 
(B) AUTHORIZATION.—The United States 
Sentencing Commission may amend the Federal 
Sentencing Guidelines in accordance with the 
procedures set forth in section 21(a) of the Sen-
tencing Act of 1987 (28 U.S.C. 994 note) as 
though the authority under that section had not 
expired. 
(4) PAYMENTS
FOR
REFRAINING
FROM
VOT-
ING.—Subsection (c) of section 11 of the Voting
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Rights Act of 1965 (52 U.S.C. 10307) is amended 
by striking ‘‘either for registration to vote or for vot-
ing’’ and inserting ‘‘for registration to vote, for vot-
ing, or for not voting’’. 
SEC. 313. CORRECTIVE ACTION. 
(a) CORRECTIVE ACTION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—If the Attorney General re-
ceives a credible report that materially false informa-
tion has been or is being communicated in violation 
of paragraphs (2) and (3) of section 2004(b) of the 
Revised Statutes (52 U.S.C. 10101(b)), as added by 
section 312(a), and if the Attorney General deter-
mines that State and local election officials have not 
taken adequate steps to promptly communicate accu-
rate information to correct the materially false infor-
mation, the Attorney General shall, pursuant to the 
written procedures and standards under subsection 
(b), communicate to the public, by any means, in-
cluding by means of written, electronic, or telephonic 
communications, accurate information designed to 
correct the materially false information. 
(2) COMMUNICATION OF CORRECTIVE INFORMA-
TION.—Any information communicated by the Attor-
ney General under paragraph (1)— 
(A) shall—
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(i) be accurate and objective; 
(ii) consist of only the information 
necessary to correct the materially false in-
formation that has been or is being com-
municated; and 
(iii) to the extent practicable, be by a 
means that the Attorney General deter-
mines will reach the persons to whom the 
materially false information has been or is 
being communicated; and 
(B) shall not be designed to favor or dis-
favor any particular candidate, organization, or 
political party. 
(b) WRITTEN PROCEDURES AND STANDARDS FOR 
TAKING CORRECTIVE ACTION.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Attorney 
General shall publish written procedures and stand-
ards for determining when and how corrective action 
will be taken under this section. 
(2) INCLUSION OF APPROPRIATE DEADLINES.— 
The procedures and standards under paragraph (1) 
shall include appropriate deadlines, based in part on 
the number of days remaining before the upcoming 
election.
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(3) CONSULTATION.—In developing the proce-
dures and standards under paragraph (1), the Attor-
ney General shall consult with the Election Assist-
ance Commission, State and local election officials, 
civil rights organizations, voting rights groups, voter 
protection groups, and other interested community 
organizations. 
(c) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Attorney General 
such sums as may be necessary to carry out this subtitle. 
SEC. 314. REPORTS TO CONGRESS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after 
each general election for Federal office, the Attorney Gen-
eral shall submit to Congress a report compiling all allega-
tions received by the Attorney General of deceptive prac-
tices described in paragraphs (2), (3), and (4) of section 
2004(b) of the Revised Statutes (52 U.S.C. 10101(b)), as 
added by section 312(a), relating to the general election 
for Federal office and any primary, run-off, or a special 
election for Federal office held in the 2 years preceding 
the general election. 
(b) CONTENTS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Each report submitted 
under subsection (a) shall include—
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(A) a description of each allegation of a 
deceptive practice described in subsection (a), 
including the geographic location, racial and 
ethnic composition, and language minority- 
group membership of the persons toward whom 
the alleged deceptive practice was directed; 
(B) the status of the investigation of each 
allegation described in subparagraph (A); 
(C) a description of each corrective action 
taken by the Attorney General under section 
4(a) in response to an allegation described in 
subparagraph (A); 
(D) a description of each referral of an al-
legation described in subparagraph (A) to other 
Federal, State, or local agencies; 
(E) to the extent information is available, 
a description of any civil action instituted under 
section 2004(c)(2) of the Revised Statutes (52 
U.S.C. 10101(c)(2)), as added by section 
312(b), in connection with an allegation de-
scribed in subparagraph (A); and 
(F) a description of any criminal prosecu-
tion instituted under section 594 of title 18, 
United States Code, as amended by section 
3(c), in connection with the receipt of an allega-