IB 
Union Calendar No. 265 
109TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 9 
[Report No. 109–478] 
To amend the Voting Rights Act of 1965. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 2, 2006 
Mr. SENSENBRENNER (for himself, Mr. HASTERT, Ms. PELOSI, Mr. CONYERS, 
Mr. CHABOT, Mr. NADLER, Mr. WATT, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mr. 
TOWNS, Mr. SCOTT of Georgia, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Mr. OWENS, Mr. 
CLYBURN, Ms. LEE, Mr. SCOTT of Virginia, Ms. LINDA T. SA´NCHEZ of 
California, Mr. JACKSON of Illinois, Mr. JEFFERSON, Ms. NORTON, Ms. 
KILPATRICK of Michigan, Mr. FATTAH, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Ms. 
WATERS, Mr. HONDA, Mr. GONZALEZ, and Mrs. NAPOLITANO) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Ju-
diciary 
MAY 22, 2006 
Additional sponsors: Mr. COBLE, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. BACHUS, Mr. 
FEENEY, Mr. JENKINS, Mr. HYDE, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. ROGERS of 
Alabama, Mr. HOYER, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Mr. AL GREEN of Texas, 
Ms. WATSON, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mrs. JONES of Ohio, Mr. THOMPSON of 
Mississippi, Mr. CLAY, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. 
MEEK of Florida, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, Ms. CORRINE BROWN of 
Florida, Mr. WYNN, Mr. CLEAVER, Mr. DAVIS of Alabama, Mr. DAVIS 
of Illinois, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Ms. CARSON, Ms. MCKINNEY, Ms. MOORE 
of Wisconsin, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. MEEKS of New York, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. 
FORD, Mr. CASE, Mr. RUSH, Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD, Mr. LARSON 
of Connecticut, Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, Mr. SHAYS, Mr. HOLT, 
Mr. KELLER, Mr. HAYES, Mr. BARROW, Mr. FORBES, Mrs. MALONEY, 
Mr. CARDIN, Mr. WAXMAN, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. DAVIS of Florida, Ms. 
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Mr. HIGGINS, Ms. BERKLEY, Mr. PETERSON of 
Minnesota, Mr. PENCE, Mr. MELANCON, Mr. LANTOS, Mr. REYES, Mr. 
GEORGE MILLER of California, Mr. FILNER, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Mr. 
UDALL of Colorado, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, Mr. PRICE of North Carolina, Mr. 
ETHERIDGE, Mr. ISRAEL, Mr. KUCINICH, Mr. DAVIS of Tennessee, Mr. 
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PALLONE, Mr. SCHIFF, Mr. KENNEDY
of Rhode Island, Mr. 
RUPPERSBERGER, Mr. DINGELL, Ms. ZOE LOFGREN of California, Mr. 
BERMAN, Mr. KENNEDY of Minnesota, Ms. SCHWARTZ of Pennsylvania, 
Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. ISSA, Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania, Mrs. WILSON 
of New Mexico, Mr. GREEN of Wisconsin, Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, 
Mr. KILDEE, Mr. BROWN of Ohio, Mr. ALLEN, Mr. BRADY of Pennsyl-
vania, Mr. DELAHUNT, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mrs. MILLER of Michigan, Mr. 
MORAN of Virginia, Mr. COSTELLO, Mr. FARR, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Ms. 
MCCOLLUM of Minnesota, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. MOORE 
of Kansas, Ms. SLAUGHTER, Mr. WEINER, Mr. DOGGETT, Mr. SPRATT, 
Mrs. DAVIS of California, Mr. SHERMAN, Mr. MEEHAN, Ms. ROYBAL-AL-
LARD, Ms. MATSUI, Mr. SABO, Mr. BOUSTANY, Mr. MCHUGH, Mr. 
REICHERT, Mr. BOYD, Mrs. CAPPS, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mrs. MCCARTHY, Mr. 
BOUCHER, Ms. SOLIS, Mr. LANGEVIN, Mr. CAPUANO, Mr. WEXLER, Mr. 
UDALL of New Mexico, Mr. COOPER, Mr. LEACH, Mr. LOBIONDO, Mr. 
STRICKLAND, Mr. WELLER, Mr. ORTIZ, Mr. SANDERS, and Mrs. 
BIGGERT 
MAY 22, 2006 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on May 2, 2006] 
A BILL 
To amend the Voting Rights Act of 1965. 
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 ‘‘Fannie Lou Hamer, 
Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Re-
authorization and Amendments Act of 2006’’. 
SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL PURPOSE AND FINDINGS. 
(a) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to ensure 
that the right of all citizens to vote, including the right to 
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register to vote and cast meaningful votes, is preserved and 
protected as guaranteed by the Constitution. 
(b) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds the following: 
(1) Significant progress has been made in elimi-
nating first generation barriers experienced by minor-
ity voters, including increased numbers of registered 
minority voters, minority voter turnout, and minor-
ity representation in Congress, State legislatures, and 
local elected offices. This progress is the direct result 
of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. 
(2) However, vestiges of discrimination in voting 
continue to exist as demonstrated by second genera-
tion barriers constructed to prevent minority voters 
from fully participating in the electoral process. 
(3) The continued evidence of racially polarized 
voting in each of the jurisdictions covered by the ex-
piring provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 
demonstrates that racial and language minorities re-
main politically vulnerable, warranting the continued 
protection of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. 
(4) Evidence of continued discrimination in-
cludes— 
(A) the hundreds of objections interposed, 
requests for more information submitted followed 
by voting changes withdrawn from consideration 
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by jurisdictions covered by the Voting Rights Act 
of 1965, and section 5 enforcement actions un-
dertaken by the Department of Justice in covered 
jurisdictions since 1982 that prevented election 
practices, such as annexation, at-large voting, 
and the use of multi-member districts, from 
being enacted to dilute minority voting strength; 
(B) the number of requests for declaratory 
judgments denied by the United States District 
Court for the District of Columbia; 
(C) the continued filing of section 2 cases 
that originated in covered jurisdictions; and 
(D) the litigation pursued by the Depart-
ment of Justice since 1982 to enforce sections 
4(e), 4(f)(4), and 203 of such Act to ensure that 
all language minority citizens have full access to 
the political process. 
(5) The evidence clearly shows the continued 
need for Federal oversight in jurisdictions covered by 
the Voting Rights Act of 1965 since 1982, as dem-
onstrated in the counties certified by the Attorney 
General for Federal examiner and observer coverage 
and the tens of thousands of Federal observers that 
have been dispatched to observe elections in covered 
jurisdictions. 
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(6) The effectiveness of the Voting Rights Act of 
1965 has been significantly weakened by the United 
States Supreme Court decisions in Reno v. Bossier 
Parish II and Georgia v. Ashcroft, which have mis-
construed Congress’ original intent in enacting the 
Voting Rights Act of 1965 and narrowed the protec-
tions afforded by section 5 of such Act. 
(7) Despite the progress made by minorities 
under the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the evidence be-
fore Congress reveals that 40 years has not been a suf-
ficient amount of time to eliminate the vestiges of dis-
crimination following nearly 100 years of disregard 
for the dictates of the 15th amendment and to ensure 
that the right of all citizens to vote is protected as 
guaranteed by the Constitution. 
(8) Present day discrimination experienced by 
racial and language minority voters is contained in 
evidence, including the objections interposed by the 
Department of Justice in covered jurisdictions; the 
section 2 litigation filed to prevent dilutive techniques 
from adversely affecting minority voters; the enforce-
ment actions filed to protect language minorities; and 
the tens of thousands of Federal observers dispatched 
to monitor polls in jurisdictions covered by the Voting 
Rights Act of 1965. 
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(9) The record compiled by Congress dem-
onstrates that, without the continuation of the Voting 
Rights Act of 1965 protections, racial and language 
minority citizens will be deprived of the opportunity 
to exercise their right to vote, or will have their votes 
diluted, undermining the significant gains made by 
minorities in the last 40 years. 
SEC. 3. CHANGES RELATING TO USE OF EXAMINERS AND 
OBSERVERS. 
(a) USE OF OBSERVERS.—Section 8 of the Voting 
Rights Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 1973f) is amended to read 
as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 8. (a) Whenever— 
‘‘(1) a court has authorized the appointment of 
observers under section 3(a) for a political subdivi-
sion; or 
‘‘(2) the Attorney General certifies with respect 
to any political subdivision named in, or included 
within the scope of, determinations made under sec-
tion 4(b), unless a declaratory judgment has been ren-
dered under section 4(a), that— 
‘‘(A) the Attorney General has received 
written meritorious complaints from residents, 
elected officials, or civic participation organiza-
tions that efforts to deny or abridge the right to 
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vote under the color of law on account of race or 
color, or in contravention of the guarantees set 
forth in section 4(f)(2) are likely to occur; or 
‘‘(B) in the Attorney General’s judgment 
(considering, among other factors, whether the 
ratio of nonwhite persons to white persons reg-
istered to vote within such subdivision appears 
to the Attorney General to be reasonably attrib-
utable to violations of the 14th or 15th amend-
ment or whether substantial evidence exists that 
bona fide efforts are being made within such sub-
division to comply with the 14th or 15th amend-
ment), the assignment of observers is otherwise 
necessary to enforce the guarantees of the 14th or 
15th amendment; 
the Director of the Office of Personnel Management 
shall assign as many observers for such subdivision as 
the Director may deem appropriate. 
‘‘(b) Except as provided in subsection (c), such observ-
ers shall be assigned, compensated, and separated without 
regard to the provisions of any statute administered by the 
Director of the Office of Personnel Management, and their 
service under this Act shall not be considered employment 
for the purposes of any statute administered by the Director 
of the Office of Personnel Management, except the provisions 
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of section 7324 of title 5, United States Code, prohibiting 
partisan political activity. 
‘‘(c) The Director of the Office of Personnel Manage-
ment is authorized to, after consulting the head of the ap-
propriate department or agency, designate suitable persons 
in the official service of the United States, with their con-
sent, to serve in these positions. 
‘‘(d) Observers shall be authorized to— 
‘‘(1) enter and attend at any place for holding 
an election in such subdivision for the purpose of ob-
serving whether persons who are entitled to vote are 
being permitted to vote; and 
‘‘(2) enter and attend at any place for tabulating 
the votes cast at any election held in such subdivision 
for the purpose of observing whether votes cast by per-
sons entitled to vote are being properly tabulated. 
‘‘(e) Observers shall investigate and report to the Attor-
ney General, and if the appointment of observers has been 
authorized pursuant to section 3(a), to the court.’’. 
(b) MODIFICATION OF SECTION 13.—Section 13 of the 
Voting Rights Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 1973k) is amended 
to read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 13. (a) The assignment of observers shall termi-
nate in any political subdivision of any State— 
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‘‘(1) with respect to observers appointed pursu-
ant to section 8 or with respect to examiners certified 
under this Act before the date of the enactment of the 
Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott 
King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amend-
ments Act of 2006, whenever the Attorney General no-
tifies the Director of the Office of Personnel Manage-
ment, or whenever the District Court for the District 
of Columbia determines in an action for declaratory 
judgment brought by any political subdivision de-
scribed in subsection (b), that there is no longer rea-
sonable cause to believe that persons will be deprived 
of or denied the right to vote on account of race or 
color, or in contravention of the guarantees set forth 
in section 4(f)(2) in such subdivision; and 
‘‘(2) with respect to observers appointed pursu-
ant to section 3(a), upon order of the authorizing 
court. 
‘‘(b) A political subdivision referred to in subsection 
(a)(1) is one with respect to which the Director of the Cen-
sus has determined that more than 50 per centum of the 
nonwhite persons of voting age residing therein are reg-
istered to vote. 
‘‘(c) A political subdivision may petition the Attorney 
General for a termination under subsection (a)(1).’’. 
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(c) REPEAL
OF
SECTIONS
RELATING
TO
EXAM-
INERS.—Sections 6, 7, and 9 of the Voting Rights Act of 
1965 (42 U.S.C. 1973d, 1973e and 1973g) are repealed. 
(d) SUBSTITUTION OF REFERENCES TO ‘‘OBSERVERS’’ 
FOR REFERENCES TO ‘‘EXAMINERS’’.— 
(1) Section 3(a) of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 
(42 U.S.C. 1973a(a)) is amended by striking ‘‘exam-
iners’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘observ-
ers’’. 
(2) Section 4(a)(1)(C) of the Voting Rights Act 
of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 1973b(a)(1)(C)) is amended by in-
serting ‘‘or observers’’ after ‘‘examiners’’. 
(3) Section 12(b) of the Voting Rights Act of 
1965 (42 U.S.C. 1973j(b)) is amended by striking ‘‘an 
examiner has been appointed’’ and inserting ‘‘an ob-
server has been assigned’’. 
(4) Section 12(e) of the Voting Rights Act of 
1965 (42 U.S.C. 1973j(e)) is amended— 
(A) by striking ‘‘examiners’’ and inserting 
‘‘observers’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘examiner’’ each place it 
appears and inserting ‘‘observer’’. 
(e) CONFORMING CHANGES RELATING
TO SECTION 
REFERENCES.— 
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(1) Section 4(b) of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 
(42 U.S.C. 1973b(b)) is amended by striking ‘‘section 
6’’ and inserting ‘‘section 8’’. 
(2) Subsections (a) and (c) of section 12 of the 
Voting Rights Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 1973j(a) and 
1973j(c)) are each amended by striking ‘‘7,’’. 
(3) Section 14(b) of the Voting Rights Act of 
1965 (42 U.S.C. 1973l(b)) is amended by striking ‘‘or 
a court of appeals in any proceeding under section 
9’’. 
SEC. 4. RECONSIDERATION OF SECTION 4 BY CONGRESS. 
Paragraphs (7) and (8) of section 4(a) of the Voting 
Rights Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 1973b(a)) are each amended 
by striking ‘‘Voting Rights Act Amendments of 1982’’ and 
inserting ‘‘Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, and Coretta 
Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amend-
ments Act of 2006’’. 
SEC. 5. CRITERIA FOR DECLARATORY JUDGMENT. 
Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 
1973c) is amended— 
(1) by inserting ‘‘(a)’’ before ‘‘Whenever’’; 
(2) by striking ‘‘does not have the purpose and 
will not have the effect’’ and inserting ‘‘neither has 
the purpose nor will have the effect’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
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