I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1659 
To amend the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act to 
require the Presidential designee responsible for carrying out Federal 
functions under the Act to have experience in election administration 
and be approved by the Senate, to establish the Overseas Voting Advisory 
Board to oversee the administration of the Act so that American citizens 
who live overseas or serve in the military can participate in elections 
for public office, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 23, 2009 
Mrs. MALONEY (for herself and Mr. HONDA) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in 
addition to the Committee on Rules, 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 amend the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee 
Voting Act to require the Presidential designee respon-
sible for carrying out Federal functions under the Act 
to have experience in election administration and be ap-
proved by the Senate, to establish the Overseas Voting 
Advisory Board to oversee the administration of the Act 
so that American citizens who live overseas or serve 
in the military can participate in elections for public 
office, and for other purposes. 
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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 ‘‘Fixing the Federal 
Voting Assistance Program Act of 2009’’. 
SEC. 2. APPOINTMENT AND QUALIFICATIONS OF PRESI-
DENTIAL DESIGNEE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 101(a) of the Uniformed 
and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (42 U.S.C. 
1973ff(a)) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(a) PRESIDENTIAL DESIGNEE.— 
‘‘(1) APPOINTMENT.—The Federal functions 
under this title shall be carried out by an individual 
appointed by the President by and with the advice 
and consent of the Senate, who shall be known for 
purposes of this title as the ‘Presidential designee’. 
‘‘(2) QUALIFICATIONS.—The President may not 
appoint any individual to serve as the Presidential 
designee unless the individual has prior experience in 
election administration that includes oversight of 
voter registration and absentee ballot distribution.’’. 
(b) TRANSITION FOR CURRENT PRESIDENTIAL DES-
IGNEE.—Notwithstanding section 101(a) of the Uni-
formed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, as 
amended by subsection (a), the individual serving as the 
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Presidential designee under such Act as of the date of the 
enactment of this Act may continue to serve as the Presi-
dential designee without meeting the appointment and 
qualifications requirements of section 101(a) of such Act, 
but only until the expiration of the 6-month period which 
begins on the date of the enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 3. OVERSEAS VOTING ADVISORY BOARD. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT; DUTIES.—There is hereby es-
tablished the Overseas Voting Advisory Board (hereafter 
in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Board’’). 
(b) DUTIES.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Board shall conduct 
studies and issue reports with respect to the fol-
lowing issues: 
(A) The ability of citizens of the United 
States who reside outside of the United States 
to register to vote and vote in elections for pub-
lic office. 
(B) Methods to promote voter registration 
and voting among such citizens. 
(C) The effectiveness of the Presidential 
designee under the Uniformed and Overseas 
Citizens Absentee Voting Act in assisting such 
citizens in registering to vote and casting votes 
in elections. 
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(D) The effectiveness of the administration 
and enforcement of the requirements of the 
Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Vot-
ing Act. 
(E) The need for the enactment of legisla-
tion or the adoption of administrative actions to 
ensure that all Americans who are away from 
the jurisdiction in which they are eligible to 
vote because they live overseas or serve in the 
military (or are a spouse or dependent of some-
one who serves in the military) are able to reg-
ister to vote and vote in elections for public of-
fice. 
(2) REPORTS.—In addition to issuing such re-
ports as it considers appropriate, the Board shall 
transmit to Congress a report not later than March 
31 of each year describing its activities during the 
previous year, and shall include in that report such 
recommendations as the Board considers appropriate 
for legislative or administrative action, including the 
provision of funding, to address the issues described 
in paragraph (1). 
(3) COMMITTEE
HEARINGS
ON
ANNUAL
RE-
PORT.— 
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