I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4990 
To direct the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Na-
tional Science Foundation to carry out research and other activities 
to promote the security and modernization of voting systems, and for 
other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 8, 2019 
Ms. SHERRILL (for herself, Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio, Ms. JOHNSON of Texas, 
and Mr. LUCAS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, and in addition to the 
Committee on House Administration, for a period to be subsequently de-
termined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To direct the National Institute of Standards and Technology 
and the National Science Foundation to carry out re-
search and other activities to promote the security and 
modernization of voting systems, 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 ‘‘Election Technology 
Research Act of 2019’’. 
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SEC. 2. NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECH-
NOLOGY. 
(a) VOTING SYSTEMS RESEARCH.—The Director of 
the National Institute of Standards and Technology, in 
collaboration with the National Science Foundation as ap-
propriate, shall carry out a program of research on voting 
systems, including— 
(1) the cybersecurity of different components of 
such systems; 
(2) end-to-end verifiable systems; 
(3) internet-enabled voting; 
(4) the accessibility and usability of different 
components of such systems; 
(5) voter privacy and data protection; 
(6) methods for auditing elections; 
(7) the interoperability of system technologies; 
(8) means for providing voters with the ability 
to easily check whether a ballot sent by mail has 
been dispatched to the voter and whether the voter’s 
marked ballot has been received and accepted by the 
appropriate election official; 
(9) the reliability of various approaches to voter 
authentication; and 
(10) such other areas of research as the Direc-
tor of the National Institute of Standards and Tech-
nology determines to be appropriate and related to 
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the security and integrity of elections for Federal of-
fice. 
(b) ELECTIONS
SYSTEMS
CENTER
OF
EXCEL-
LENCE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the National 
Institute of Standards and Technology shall make 
an award to an institution of higher education or an 
eligible nonprofit organization (or a consortium 
thereof) to establish a Center of Excellence in Elec-
tion Systems. 
(2) COLLABORATIONS.—The Director shall en-
sure that the Center of Excellence includes a col-
laboration of institutions of higher education, non-
profit organizations, private sector entities, and 
State and local election officials. 
(3) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the Center of 
Excellence shall be to— 
(A) conduct measurement research and 
statistical analyses to inform the development 
of standards for technologies and processes that 
contribute to more secure, fair, and accessible 
elections; 
(B) 
test 
and 
evaluate 
the 
security, 
usability, and accessibility of the technologies of 
voting systems; 
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(C) research testing methods that could be 
used for the certification of voting system tech-
nologies; 
(D) educate and train students studying in 
science, technology, engineering, and mathe-
matics fields to conduct measurement science 
and standards research relevant to such sys-
tems; and 
(E) foster collaboration among academic 
researchers, private sector vendors of election 
technology, and State and local election offi-
cials. 
(4) REQUIREMENTS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—An institution of higher 
education or an eligible nonprofit organization 
(or a consortium thereof) seeking funding under 
this subsection shall submit an application to 
the Director at such time, in such manner, and 
containing such information as the Director 
may require. 
(B) 
APPLICATIONS.—Each 
application 
under subparagraph (A) shall include a descrip-
tion of— 
(i) how the Center will work with 
other research institutions, industry part-
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ners, and State or local election officials to 
identify the measurement, testing, and 
standards needs of voting systems and to 
leverage the expertise of election practi-
tioners; and 
(ii) how the Center will promote active 
collaboration among researchers in mul-
tiple disciplines involved in ensuring the se-
curity and integrity of such systems. 
(C) SELECTION
AND
DURATION.—Each 
Center established under this section is author-
ized to carry out activities for a period of 5 
years, renewable for an additional 5 years at 
the discretion of the Director. 
(c) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$12,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2020 through 
2024. 
SEC. 3. NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION. 
(a) RESEARCH GRANTS.—The Director of the Na-
tional Science Foundation, in collaboration with the Na-
tional Institute of Standards and Technology and other 
relevant agencies, as appropriate, shall award basic re-
search grants to increase the understanding of cyber and 
other threats to voting systems and to inform the develop-
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ment of technologies, processes, and policies that con-
tribute to more secure, fair, and accessible elections, in-
cluding research on— 
(1) the cybersecurity of different components of 
such systems; 
(2) end-to-end verifiable systems; 
(3) the risks and benefits of internet-enabled 
voting; 
(4) the human-technology interface, including 
the usability, accessibility, and comprehensibility of 
ballot design, ballot-marking devices, and other com-
ponents of such systems; 
(5) voter privacy and data protection; 
(6) voter practices regarding the verification of 
ballots generated by ballot-marking devices and the 
likelihood that voters, both with and without disabil-
ities, will recognize errors or omissions with respect 
to such ballots; and 
(7) such other topics as the Director determines 
to be appropriate and related to the integrity of elec-
tions. 
(b) ELECTIONS SYSTEMS RESEARCH CENTER.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the National 
Science Foundation, in consultation with the Direc-
tor of the National Institute of Standards and Tech-
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nology and the Secretary of Homeland Security, as 
appropriate, shall award grants to institutions of 
higher education or eligible nonprofit organizations 
(or consortia thereof) to establish at least 1 multi-
disciplinary center for elections systems research and 
education. 
(2) CONSORTIA.—A consortia receiving an 
award under this subsection may include institutions 
of higher education, nonprofit organizations, private 
sector entities, and State and local election officials. 
(3) PURPOSE.—The purpose of a center estab-
lished with a grant awarded under this subsection 
shall be to— 
(A) conduct basic research to advance un-
derstanding of cyber and other threats to elec-
tion systems and the conduct of secure, fair, 
and accessible elections; 
(B) conduct research that may inform the 
development of technologies, processes, and 
policies that contribute to more secure, fair, 
and accessible elections; 
(C) educate and train students studying in 
science, technology, engineering, and mathe-
matics fields to conduct research relevant to 
election systems; 
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(D) design curricula that address the 
growing organizational management and infor-
mation technology needs of the election commu-
nity; and 
(E) foster collaboration among academic 
researchers, private sector vendors of election 
technology, and State and local election offi-
cials. 
(4) REQUIREMENTS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—An institution of higher 
education or an eligible nonprofit organization 
(or a consortium thereof) seeking funding under 
this subsection shall submit an application to 
the Director of the National Science Founda-
tion at such time, in such manner, and con-
taining such information as the Director may 
require. 
(B) 
APPLICATIONS.—Each 
application 
under subparagraph (A) shall include a descrip-
tion of— 
(i) how the center established with a 
grant awarded under this subsection will 
work with other research institutions, in-
dustry partners, and State and local elec-
tion officials to identify research needs and 
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leverage the expertise of election practi-
tioners; and 
(ii) how the center will promote active 
collaboration among researchers in mul-
tiple disciplines involved in elections sys-
tems security, including computer science, 
data science, and social and behavioral 
sciences. 
(5) SELECTION AND DURATION.—Each center 
established with a grant awarded under this section 
is authorized to carry out activities for a period of 
5 years, renewable for an additional 5 years at the 
discretion of the Director. 
(c) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$10,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2020 through 
2024. 
SEC. 4. OTHER ACTIVITIES OF NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF 
STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY TO PROMOTE 
SECURITY AND MODERNIZATION OF VOTING 
SYSTEMS. 
(a) COMMON DATA FORMAT.—The National Insti-
tute of Standards and Technology shall establish and 
make publicly available common data format specifications 
for auditing, voter registration, and other elements of vot-
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ing systems, and provide the specifications to the Tech-
nical Guidelines Development Committee of the Election 
Assistance Commission under section 221(e) of the Help 
America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 20961(e)). 
(b) ELECTIONS
SYSTEMS
CERTIFICATIONS.—The 
National Institute of Standards and Technology shall 
work in collaboration with the Election Assistance Com-
mission to update the process under which voting systems 
are certified pursuant to the Help America Vote Act of 
2002 so that State and local election officials will be better 
able to carry out updates and otherwise modernize such 
systems. 
(c) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—The Director of the 
National Institute of Standards and Technology shall to— 
(1) provide technical assistance to State and 
local election officials on the implementation of cy-
bersecurity standards, privacy standards, risk as-
sessments, risk-limiting audits, and technologies 
which are incorporated in the voluntary voting sys-
tem guidelines issued under the Help America Vote 
Act of 2002; and 
(2) in collaboration with the Department of 
Homeland Security and the Election Assistance 
Commission, as appropriate, conduct outreach to 
State and local election officials in order to dissemi-
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nate best practices for the implementation of such 
voluntary voting system guidelines. 
SEC. 5. GAO REPORT. 
Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit a report 
to Congress that— 
(1) addresses the extent to which efforts by the 
National Institute of Standards and Technology 
(NIST) to assist the Technical Guidelines Develop-
ment Committee of the Election Assistance Commis-
sion in the development of voluntary voting systems 
guidelines have resulted in market-ready standard-
ized voting equipment and software, and addresses 
the resources made available to NIST to carry out 
these activities; 
(2) addresses efforts by NIST to monitor and 
review the performance of laboratories accredited by 
the Elections Assistance Commission and to make 
recommendations for continuing accreditation, in-
creased voting technology reliability, and the number 
of accredited private laboratories, and addresses re-
sources made available to NIST to carry out these 
activities; and 
(3) addresses the extent to which the annual 
list of suggestions required to be submitted by NIST 
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to the Election Assistance Commission for research 
issues for grants and pilot programs under section 
271(d) of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 
U.S.C. 21041) and the evaluation of grants and pro-
grams by NIST has improved voting technology and 
been successful in encouraging the implementation 
of new technologies in voting systems and equip-
ment. 
SEC. 6. AMENDMENTS TO THE HELP AMERICA VOTE ACT 
OF 2002. 
Section 301(b) of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 
(52 U.S.C. 21081(b)) is amended— 
(1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by 
striking ‘‘this section’’ and inserting ‘‘this Act’’; 
(2) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph 
(1); 
(3) by redesignating paragraph (2) as para-
graph (6); and 
(4) by inserting after paragraph (1) the fol-
lowing new paragraphs: 
‘‘(2) any other paper or electronic technologies 
or processes for collecting, storing, or transmitting 
personal information of voters for use in the admin-
istration of elections for Federal office, including 
electronic poll books with respect to an election; 
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‘‘(3) voter registration databases and systems, 
including online interfaces; 
‘‘(4) systems for carrying out post-election au-
diting; 
‘‘(5) chain-of-custody procedures; and’’. 
SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act— 
(1) the term ‘‘voting system’’ has the meaning 
given such term in section 301(b) of the Help Amer-
ica Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21081(b)), as 
amended by section 6; and 
(2) the term ‘‘State’’ means each of the several 
States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth 
of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the United 
States Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the 
Northern Mariana Islands. 
Æ 
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