Global Electoral Exchange Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.1488 | Sponsor: Rep. Castro, Joaquin (D-TX)
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Global Electoral Exchange Act of 2021
This bill authorizes the Department of State to establish a Global Electoral Exchange Program to promote sound election-administration practices around the world. The State Department may award grants to qualified, tax-exempt, U.S.-based organizations that have expertise and experience in relevant topics, such as election-system integrity. Grants may be used to design programs to bring relevant individuals, such as election administrators and poll workers, together to study and discuss election procedures.
The State Department shall periodically report to Congress on the program's activities.

To promote international exchanges on best election practices, 
cultivate more secure democratic institutions around the world, and for 
                            other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Global Electoral Exchange Act of 
2021''.

SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) recent elections globally have illustrated the urgent 
        need for the promotion and exchange of international best 
        election practices, particularly in the areas of cybersecurity, 
        results transmission, transparency of electoral data, election 
        dispute resolution, and the elimination of discriminatory 
        registration practices and other electoral irregularities;
            (2) the advancement of democracy worldwide promotes United 
        States interests, as stable democracies provide new market 
        opportunities and promote economic freedom and regional 
        security;
            (3) credible elections are the cornerstone of a healthy 
        democracy and enable all persons to exercise their basic human 
        right to have a say in how they are governed;
            (4) inclusive elections strengthen the credibility and 
        stability of democracies more broadly;
            (5) at the heart of a strong election cycle is the 
        professionalism of the election management body and an 
        empowered civil society;
            (6) the development of local expertise via peer-to-peer 
        learning and exchanges promotes the independence of such bodies 
        from internal and external influence; and
            (7) supporting the efforts of peoples in democratizing 
        societies to build more representative governments in their 
        respective countries is in the national interest of the United 
        States.

SEC. 3. GLOBAL ELECTORAL EXCHANGE.

    (a) Global Electoral Exchange.--The Secretary of State is 
authorized to establish and administer a Global Electoral Exchange 
Program to promote the utilization of sound election administration 
practices around the world.
    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of the Global Electoral Exchange Program 
described in subsection (a) shall include the promotion and exchange of 
international best election practices, including in the following 
areas:
            (1) Cybersecurity.
            (2) Results transmission.
            (3) Transparency of electoral data.
            (4) Election dispute resolution.
            (5) The elimination of discriminatory registration 
        practices and electoral irregularities.
            (6) Equitable access to polling places, voter education 
        information, and voting mechanisms (including by persons with 
        disabilities).
            (7) Other sound election administration practices.
    (c) Exchange of Electoral Authorities.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of State may, in 
        consultation, as appropriate, with the Administrator of the 
        United States Agency for International Development, make grants 
        to any United States-based organization described in section 
        501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from 
        tax under section 501(a) of such Code with experience in and a 
        primary focus on foreign comparative election systems or 
        subject matter expertise in the administration or integrity of 
        such systems that submits an application in such form, and 
        satisfying such requirements, as the Secretary may require.
            (2) Types of grants.--An organization described in 
        paragraph (1) may receive a grant for one or more of the 
        following purposes:
                    (A) To design and implement programs bringing 
                election administrators and officials, including 
                government officials, poll workers, civil society 
                representatives, members of the judiciary, and others 
                who participate in the organization and administration 
                of public elections in a foreign country that faces 
                challenges to its electoral process to the United 
                States to study election procedures in the United 
                States for educational purposes.
                    (B) To design and implement programs taking the 
                United States or another country's election 
                administrators and officials, including government 
                officials, poll workers, civil society representatives, 
                members of the judiciary, and others who participate in 
                the organization and administration of public elections 
                to countries other than the United States to study and 
                discuss election procedures for educational purposes.
            (3) Limits on activities.--Activities administered under 
        the Global Electoral Exchange Program may not--
                    (A) include observation of an election for the 
                purposes of assessing the validity or legitimacy of 
                that election;
                    (B) facilitate any advocacy for a certain electoral 
                result by a grantee when participating in the Program; 
                or
                    (C) be carried out without proper consultation with 
                State and local authorities in the United States that 
                administer elections.
            (4) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
        the Secretary of State should establish and maintain a network 
        of Global Electoral Exchange Program alumni, to promote 
        communication and further exchange of information regarding 
        sound election administration practices among current and 
        former Program participants.
            (5) Further limits.--A recipient of a grant under the 
        Global Electoral Exchange Program may use such grant for only 
        the purpose for which such grant was awarded, unless otherwise 
        authorized by the Secretary of State.
            (6) Not duplicative.--Grants made under this subsection may 
        not be duplicative of any other grants made under any other 
        provision of law for similar or related purposes.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated for $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026 
to carry out subsections (a), (b), and (c).

SEC. 4. CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT.

    Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act 
and annually thereafter for two years, the Secretary of State shall 
provide to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a 
briefing on the status of any activities carried out pursuant to this 
Act during the immediately preceding year, which shall include, among 
other information, the following:
            (1) A summary of all exchanges conducted under the Global 
        Electoral Exchange Program pursuant to section 3, including 
        information regarding grantees, participants, and the locations 
        where Program activities were held.
            (2) A description of the criteria used to select grantees 
        under the Global Electoral Exchange Program.
            (3) Any recommendations for the improvement of the Global 
        Electoral Exchange Program, based on the purpose specified in 
        section 3(b).
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