I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5564 
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 
APRIL 18, 2018 
Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI (for himself, Mr. PALLONE, Ms. MOORE, Mr. HAS-
TINGS, and Mr. SWALWELL of California) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce 
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. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) According to the National Center for Edu-
cation Statistics, undergraduate enrollment is pro-
jected to increase from 17,000,000 to 19,300,000 
students between 2015 and 2026, and nearly 
3,000,000 undergraduate and graduate students 
today enroll in exclusively online education. 
(2) According to the Pew Research Center, peo-
ple between the ages of 18 and 35 comprise roughly 
31 percent of the overall electorate. 
(3) In 2014, young adults (ages 18 to 29) made 
up about 21 percent of the voting eligible population 
but only 17 percent of this populations cast a ballot 
in the 2014 election. 
(4) Just 42 percent of 18–24 year olds said 
they were registered to vote in 2014, which was the 
lowest rate in 40 years. 
(5) In 2008, 21 percent of young adults (ages 
18 to 29) said they weren’t registered to vote be-
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cause they missed the registration deadline. Six per-
cent said they didn’t know where or how to register. 
SEC. 4. DISTRIBUTING VOTER REGISTRATION FORMS. 
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 a good faith 
effort to distribute voter registration forms to each 
student, and to make such forms widely available to 
students at the institution. In this paragraph, the 
term ‘student’ means an individual who is enrolled 
at the institution as an undergraduate or graduate 
student on a full-time or part-time basis, including 
an individual who is solely enrolled in an online 
course. 
‘‘(B) The institution shall be considered in com-
pliance with the good faith requirements of subpara-
graph (A)— 
‘‘(i) if, with respect to each student en-
rolled and physically in attendance at the insti-
tution, the institution— 
‘‘(I)(aa) distributes voter registration 
forms not less than twice in a calendar 
year, and distributes such voter registra-
tion forms not less than 30 days in ad-
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vance of the deadline for registering to 
vote within the State for the next sched-
uled Federal or State primary election and 
not less than 30 days in advance of the 
deadline for registering to vote within the 
State for the next scheduled Federal or 
State general election; or 
‘‘(bb) electronically transmits a mes-
sage containing a voter registration form 
(or the message contains an Internet ad-
dress where such a form can be down-
loaded) acceptable for use in the State in 
which the institution is located to each 
such student, and such electronic message 
is devoted exclusively to voter registration, 
not less than twice in a calendar year, and 
transmits such a message not less than 30 
days in advance of the deadline for reg-
istering to vote within the State for the 
next scheduled Federal or State primary 
election and not less than 30 days in ad-
vance of the deadline for registering to 
vote within the State for the next sched-
uled Federal or State general election; 
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‘‘(II) makes available information re-
garding State registration deadlines, resi-
dency requirements, voter identification, 
and absentee voting, as applicable; and 
‘‘(III) ensures that an appropriate 
staff person or office has been designated 
as a ‘Campus 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 infor-
mation, on the institution’s website; 
and 
‘‘(bb) upon request, provide to 
students residency requirements for 
voting, including the ability of out of 
State students to vote in the State in 
which they are enrolled and physically 
in attendance, in accordance with ap-
plicable State law; and 
‘‘(ii) if, with respect to each student en-
rolled exclusively in distance education or cor-
respondence programs and who is not physically 
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in attendance at the institution, the institu-
tion— 
‘‘(I) transmits a message of referral 
to a centralized voter registration website 
or platform that provides applicable voter 
registration forms and information to po-
tential voters in all States, provided that 
such platform is hosted by a government 
affiliated website; and 
‘‘(II) transmits such message not less 
than twice in a calendar year. 
‘‘(C) The institution may also include voter reg-
istration forms within materials or information dis-
tributed to newly enrolled, or returning, students at 
the beginning of a term, consistent with the require-
ments of subparagraph (B).’’. 
SEC. 5. 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; 
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(2) engaging the surrounding community in 
nonpartisan voter registration and get out the vote 
efforts; 
(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. 6. 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). 
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(b) CIVIL ACTIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—A State law enforcement of-
ficer or chief elections official of a State may com-
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. 
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(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-
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, 
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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 
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. 
(d) PRESERVATION OF REMEDIES.—Nothing in this 
section shall be construed to preclude or limit any remedy 
otherwise available under other law, including consequen-
tial and punitive damages. 
Æ 
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