I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6512 
To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require State and local 
election officials to conduct public education campaigns to notify individ-
uals of changes in the administration of elections for Federal office 
in response to emergencies affecting public health and safety, to require 
the websites of such officials to be fully accessible to individuals with 
disabilities and to meet best practices established by the National Insti-
tute for Science and Technology for ensuring the continuing operation 
of such websites in the event of emergencies affecting public health 
and safety, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 14, 2020 
Mr. PHILLIPS (for himself, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. DEUTCH, 
Mr. MALINOWSKI, Mr. MOULTON, and Mr. ALLRED) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Administra-
tion, and in addition to the Committee on Science, Space, and Tech-
nology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require 
State and local election officials to conduct public edu-
cation campaigns to notify individuals of changes in the 
administration of elections for Federal office in response 
to emergencies affecting public health and safety, to re-
quire the websites of such officials to be fully accessible 
to individuals with disabilities and to meet best practices 
established by the National Institute for Science and 
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Technology for ensuring the continuing operation of such 
websites in the event of emergencies affecting public 
health and safety, 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 ‘‘Voter Notification of 
Timely Information about Changes in Elections Act’’ or 
the ‘‘Voter Notice Act’’. 
SEC. 2. PUBLIC EDUCATION CAMPAIGNS IN EVENT OF 
CHANGES IN ELECTIONS IN RESPONSE TO 
EMERGENCIES. 
(a) REQUIREMENT FOR ELECTION OFFICIALS TO 
CONDUCT CAMPAIGNS.—Section 302 of the Help America 
Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21082) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating subsection (d) as sub-
section (e); and 
(2) by inserting after subsection (c) the fol-
lowing new subsection: 
‘‘(d) PUBLIC EDUCATION CAMPAIGNS IN EVENT OF 
CHANGES
IN
ELECTIONS
IN
RESPONSE
TO
EMER-
GENCIES.— 
‘‘(1) REQUIREMENT.—If the administration of 
an election for Federal office, including the methods 
of voting or registering to vote in the election, is 
changed in response to an emergency affecting pub-
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lic health and safety, the appropriate State or local 
election official shall conduct a public education 
campaign through at least one direct mailing to each 
individual who is registered to vote in the election, 
and through additional direct mailings, newspaper 
advertisements, broadcasting (including through tel-
evision, radio, satellite, and the Internet), and social 
media, to notify individuals who are eligible to vote 
or to register to vote in the election of the changes. 
‘‘(2) FREQUENCY AND METHODS OF PROVIDING 
INFORMATION.—The election official shall carry out 
the public education campaign under this subsection 
at such frequency, and using such methods, as will 
have the greatest likelihood of providing timely 
knowledge of the change in the administration of the 
election to those individuals who will be most ad-
versely affected by the change. 
‘‘(3) LANGUAGE ACCESSIBILITY.—In the case 
of a State or political subdivision that is a covered 
State or political subdivision under section 203 of 
the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (52 U.S.C. 10503), 
the appropriate election official shall ensure that the 
information disseminated under a public education 
campaign conducted under this subsection is pro-
vided in the language of the applicable minority 
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group as well as in the English language, as re-
quired by section 203 of such Act. 
‘‘(4) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This subsection shall 
apply with respect to the regularly scheduled general 
election for Federal office held in November 2020 
and each succeeding election for Federal office.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT RELATING TO EF-
FECTIVE DATE.—Section 302(e) of such Act (52 U.S.C. 
21082(e)), as redesignated by subsection (a), is amended 
by striking ‘‘Each State’’ and inserting ‘‘Except as pro-
vided in subsection (d), each State’’. 
SEC. 3. REQUIREMENTS FOR WEBSITES OF ELECTION OFFI-
CIALS. 
(a) REQUIREMENTS.—Subtitle A of title III of the 
Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21081 et seq.) 
is amended— 
(1) by redesignating sections 304 and 305 as 
sections 305 and 306; and 
(2) by inserting after section 303 the following 
new section: 
‘‘SEC. 304. REQUIREMENTS FOR WEBSITES OF ELECTION 
OFFICIALS. 
‘‘(a) ACCESSIBILITY.—Each State and local election 
official shall ensure that the official public website of the 
official is fully accessible for individuals with disabilities, 
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including the blind and visually impaired, in a manner 
that provides the same opportunity for access and partici-
pation as the website provides for other individuals. 
‘‘(b) CONTINUING OPERATION IN CASE OF EMER-
GENCIES.— 
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT OF BEST PRACTICES.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the 
National Institute of Standards and Technology 
shall establish and regularly update best prac-
tices for ensuring the continuing operation of 
the official public websites of State and local 
election officials during emergencies affecting 
public health and safety. 
‘‘(B) DEADLINE.—The Director shall first 
establish the best practices required under this 
paragraph as soon as practicable after the date 
of the enactment of this section, but in no case 
later than August 15, 2020. 
‘‘(2) REQUIRING
WEBSITES
TO
MEET
BEST 
PRACTICES.—Each State and local election official 
shall ensure that the official public website of the of-
ficial is in compliance with the best practices estab-
lished by the Director of the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology under paragraph (2). 
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‘‘(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall apply 
with respect to the regularly scheduled general election for 
Federal office held in November 2020 and each succeeding 
election for Federal office.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT RELATING TO ADOP-
TION OF VOLUNTARY GUIDANCE BY ELECTION ASSIST-
ANCE COMMISSION.—Section 311(b) of such Act (52 
U.S.C. 21101(b)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph 
(2); 
(2) by striking the period at the end of para-
graph (3) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(4) in the case of the recommendations with 
respect to section 304, as soon as practicable after 
the date of the enactment of this paragraph, but in 
no case later than August 15, 2020.’’. 
(c) CONFORMING AMENDMENT RELATING TO EN-
FORCEMENT.—Section 401 of such Act (52 U.S.C. 21111) 
is amended by striking ‘‘sections 301, 302, and 303’’ and 
inserting ‘‘subtitle A of title III’’. 
(d) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 
of such Act is amended— 
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(1) by redesignating the items relating to sec-
tions 304 and 305 as relating to sections 305 and 
306; and 
(2) by inserting after the item relating to sec-
tion 303 the following new item: 
‘‘Sec. 304. Requirements for websites of election officials.’’. 
SEC. 4. PAYMENTS BY ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION 
TO STATES FOR COSTS OF COMPLIANCE. 
(a) AVAILABILITY OF PAYMENTS.—Subtitle D of title 
II of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 
21001 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new part: 
‘‘PART 7—PAYMENTS FOR COSTS OF COMPLI-
ANCE WITH CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS RE-
LATING TO PUBLIC NOTIFICATION 
‘‘SEC. 297. PAYMENTS. 
‘‘(a) AVAILABILITY AND USE OF PAYMENTS.—The 
Commission shall make a payment to each eligible State 
to cover the costs the State incurs or expects to incur in 
meeting the requirements of section 302(d) (relating to 
public education campaigns in event of changes in elec-
tions in response to emergencies) and section 304 (relating 
to requirements for the websites of election officials). 
‘‘(b) SCHEDULE OF PAYMENTS.—As soon as prac-
ticable after the date of the enactment of this part, and 
not less frequently than once each calendar year there-
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after, the Commission shall make payments under this 
part. 
‘‘(c) ADMINISTRATION
OF PAYMENTS.—The chief 
State election official of the State shall receive the pay-
ment made to a State under this part, and may use the 
payment for the purposes set forth in this part without 
intervening action by the legislature of the State. 
‘‘SEC. 297A. AMOUNT OF PAYMENT. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The amount of a payment made 
to an eligible State for a year under this part shall be 
determined by the Commission on the basis of the infor-
mation provided by the State in its application under sec-
tion 297B. 
‘‘(b) CONTINUING AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS AFTER 
APPROPRIATION.—A payment made to an eligible State 
under this part shall be available without fiscal year limi-
tation. 
‘‘SEC. 297B. REQUIREMENTS FOR ELIGIBILITY. 
‘‘(a) APPLICATION.—Each State that desires to re-
ceive a payment under this part for a fiscal year shall sub-
mit an application for the payment to the Commission at 
such time and in such manner and containing such infor-
mation as the Commission shall require. 
‘‘(b) CONTENTS OF APPLICATION.—Each application 
submitted under subsection (a) shall— 
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‘‘(1) describe the activities for which assistance 
under this part is sought; and 
‘‘(2) provide an estimate of the costs the State 
has incurred or expects to incur in carrying out the 
provisions described in section 297, together with 
such additional information and certifications as the 
Commission determines to be essential to ensure 
compliance with the requirements of this part. 
‘‘SEC. 297C. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
‘‘There are authorized to be appropriated for pay-
ments under this part such sums as may be necessary for 
each of the fiscal years 2020 through 2023. 
‘‘SEC. 297D. REPORTS. 
‘‘(a) REPORTS BY RECIPIENTS.—Not later than the 
6 months after the end of each fiscal year for which an 
eligible State received a payment under this part, the 
State shall submit a report to the Commission on the ac-
tivities conducted with the funds provided during the year. 
‘‘(b) REPORTS BY COMMISSION TO COMMITTEES.— 
With respect to each fiscal year for which the Commission 
makes payments under this part, the Commission shall 
submit a report on the activities carried out under this 
part to the Committee on House Administration of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on Rules 
and Administration of the Senate.’’. 
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