I
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2076
To amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to repeal the require-
ment that States provide for voter registration by mail and to require
applicants for voter registration to provide a Social Security number
and actual proof of United States citizenship, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JUNE 26, 1997
Mr. GOODLATTE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on House Oversight
A BILL
To amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to
repeal the requirement that States provide for voter reg-
istration by mail and to require applicants for voter
registration to provide a Social Security number and
actual proof of United States citizenship, 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. REPEAL OF REQUIREMENT FOR STATES TO
PROVIDE 
FOR 
VOTER 
REGISTRATION 
BY
MAIL.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 4(a) of the National Voter
Registration Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C. 1973gg–2) is amend-
ed—
(1) in paragraph (1), by adding ‘‘and’’ at the
end;
(2) by striking paragraph (2); and
(3) by redesignating paragraph (3) as para-
graph (2).
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS RELATING TO UNI-
FORM MAIL VOTER REGISTRATION FORM.—(1) The Na-
tional Voter Registration Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C. 1973gg
et seq.) is amended by striking section 9.
(2) Section 7(a)(6)(A) of such Act (42 U.S.C.
1973gg–5(a)(6)(A)) is amended by striking ‘‘assistance—
’’ and all that follows and inserting the following: ‘‘assist-
ance a voter registration application form which meets the
requirements described in section 5(c)(2) (other than sub-
paragraph (A)), unless the applicant, in writing, declines
to register to vote;’’.
(c) OTHER CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—(1) The
National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C.
1973gg et seq.) is amended by striking section 6.
(2) Section 8(a)(5) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1973gg–
6(a)(5)) is amended by striking ‘‘5, 6, and 7’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘5 and 7’’.
SEC. 2. REQUIRING APPLICANTS REGISTERING TO VOTE TO
PROVIDE CERTAIN ADDITIONAL INFORMA-
TION.
(a) SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 5(c)(2) of the Na-
tional Voter Registration Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C.
1973gg–3(c)(2)) is amended—
(A) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of sub-
paragraph (D);
(B) by striking the period at the end of
subparagraph (E) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and
(C) by adding at the end the following new
subparagraph:
‘‘(F) shall require the applicant to provide
the applicant’s Social Security number.’’.
(2) 
CONFORMING
AMENDMENT.—Section
5(c)(2)(A) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1973gg–
3(c)(2)(A)) is amended by inserting after ‘‘subpara-
graph (C)’’ the following: ‘‘, or the information de-
scribed in subparagraph (F)’’.
(3) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made
by this section shall take effect January 1, 1998,
and shall apply with respect to applicants registering
to vote in elections for Federal office on or after
such date.
(b) ACTUAL PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP.—
(1) REGISTRATION
WITH
APPLICATION
FOR
DRIVER’S
LICENSE.—Section 5(c) of the National
Voter Registration Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C. 1973gg–
3(c)) is amended by adding at the end the following
new paragraph:
‘‘(3) The voter registration portion of an application
for a State motor vehicle driver’s license shall not be con-
sidered to be completed unless the applicant provides to
the appropriate State motor vehicle authority proof that
the applicant is a citizen of the United States.’’.
(2) REGISTRATION WITH VOTER REGISTRATION
AGENCIES.—Section 7(a) of such Act (42 U.S.C.
1973gg–5(a)) is amended by adding at the end the
following new paragraph:
‘‘(8) A voter registration application received by a
voter registration agency shall not be considered to be
completed unless the applicant provides to the agency
proof that the applicant is a citizen of the United States.’’.
(3) 
CONFORMING
AMENDMENT.—Section
8(a)(5)(A) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1973gg–
6(a)(5)(A)) is amended by striking the semicolon
ing that the registrant did not change his or her residence,
or changed residence but remained in the registrar’s juris-
diction.’’.
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 8(i)(2) of
such Act (42 U.S.C. 1973gg–6(d)) is amended by insert-
ing ‘‘or subsection (d)(3)’’ after ‘‘subsection (d)(2)’’.
SEC. 4. PERMITTING STATE TO REQUIRE VOTERS TO
PRODUCE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PRIOR
TO VOTING.
(a) PHOTOGRAPHIC IDENTIFICATION.—Section 8 of
the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C.
1973gg–6) is amended—
(1) by redesignating subsection (j) as sub-
section (k); and
(2) by inserting after subsection (i) the follow-
ing new subsection:
‘‘(j) PERMITTING STATES TO REQUIRE VOTERS TO
PRODUCE PHOTO IDENTIFICATION.—A State may require
an individual to produce a valid photographic identifica-
tion before receiving a ballot for voting in an election for
Federal office.’’.
(b) SIGNATURE.—Section 8 of such Act (42 U.S.C.
1973gg–6), as amended by subsection (a), is further
amended—
(1) by redesignating subsection (k) as sub-
section (l); and
(2) by inserting after subsection (j) the follow-
ing new subsection:
‘‘(k) PERMITTING STATES TO REQUIRE VOTERS TO
PROVIDE SIGNATURE.—A State may require an individual
to provide the individual’s signature (in the presence of
an election official at the polling place) before receiving
a ballot for voting in an election for Federal office, other
than an individual who is unable to provide a signature
because of illiteracy or disability.’’.
SEC. 5. REPEAL OF REQUIREMENT THAT STATES PERMIT
REGISTRANTS 
CHANGING 
RESIDENCE 
TO
VOTE AT POLLING PLACE FOR FORMER AD-
DRESS.
Section 8(e)(2) of the National Voter Registration
Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C. 1973gg–6(e)(2)) is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘(2)(A)’’ and inserting ‘‘(2)’’;
and
(2) by striking ‘‘election, at the option of the
registrant—’’ and all that follows and inserting the
following: ‘‘election shall be permitted to correct the
voting records for purposes of voting in future elec-
tions at the appropriate polling place for the current
address and, if permitted by State law, shall be per-
mitted to vote in the present election, upon con-
firmation by the registrant of the new address by
such means as are required by law.’’.
SEC. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE.
The amendments made by this Act shall apply with
respect to elections for Federal office occurring after De-
cember 1997.
Æ