Democracy Dollars Act
Bill: H.R.1572 | Sponsor: Rep. Jayapal, Pramila (D-WA)
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics

Summary:
Democracy Dollars Act
This bill directs the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to select three states to operate voucher pilot programs under which individuals who are eligible to vote may receive $25 vouchers toward contributions to the congressional candidates of their choice. Each participating state must (1) establish a commission or designate an existing entity to oversee and implement its pilot program, (2) carry out a public awareness campaign, and (3) submit reports to the FEC about the operation and effectiveness of its pilot program.
Upon receiving a preliminary report from a participating state, the FEC must reimburse the state for the costs of operating its pilot program.

To direct the Federal Election Commission to carry out a voucher pilot 
 program under which individuals may use vouchers to make small dollar 
 contributions to qualified candidates for election for the office of 
    Representative in, or Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, the 
                   Congress, 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 ``Democracy Dollars Act''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF PILOT PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment.--The Federal Election Commission (hereafter in 
this Act referred to as the ``Commission'') shall establish a pilot 
program under which the Commission shall select 3 eligible States to 
operate a voucher pilot program which is described in section 3 during 
the program operation period.
    (b) Eligibility of States.--A State is eligible to be selected to 
operate a voucher pilot program under this Act if, not later than 180 
days after the beginning of the program application period, the State 
submits to the Commission an application containing--
            (1) information and assurances that the State will operate 
        a voucher program which contains the elements described in 
        section 3(a);
            (2) information and assurances that the State will 
        establish fraud prevention mechanisms described in section 
        3(b);
            (3) information and assurances that the State will 
        establish a commission to oversee and implement the program as 
        described in section 3(c);
            (4) information and assurances that the State will carry 
        out a public information campaign as described in section 3(d);
            (5) information and assurances that the State will submit 
        reports as required under section 4; and
            (6) such other information and assurances as the Commission 
        may require.
    (c) Selection of Participating States.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the beginning 
        of the program application period, the Commission shall select 
        the 3 States which will operate voucher pilot programs under 
        this Act.
            (2) Criteria.--In selecting States for the operation of the 
        voucher pilot programs under this Act, the Commission shall 
        apply such criteria and metrics as the Commission considers 
        appropriate to determine the ability of a State to operate the 
        program successfully, and shall attempt to select States in a 
        variety of geographic regions and with a variety of political 
        party preferences.
            (3) No supermajority required for selection.--The selection 
        of States by the Commission under this subsection shall require 
        the approval of only half of the Members of the Commission.
    (d) Duties of States During Program Preparation Period.--During the 
program preparation period, each State selected to operate a voucher 
pilot program under this Act shall take such actions as may be 
necessary to ensure that the State will be ready to operate the program 
during the program operation period, and shall complete such actions 
not later than 90 days before the beginning of the program operation 
period.
    (e) Termination.--Each voucher pilot program under this Act shall 
terminate as of the first day after the program operation period.
    (f) Reimbursement of Costs.--Upon receiving the report submitted by 
a State under section 4(a) with respect to an election cycle, the 
Commission shall transmit a payment to the State in an amount equal to 
the reasonable costs incurred by the State in operating the voucher 
pilot program under this Act during the cycle.

SEC. 3. VOUCHER PROGRAM DESCRIBED.

    (a) General Elements of Program.--
            (1) Elements described.--The elements of a voucher pilot 
        program operated by a State under this Act are as follows:
                    (A) The State shall provide each qualified 
                individual upon the individual's request with a voucher 
                worth $25 to be known as a ``My Voice Voucher'' during 
                the election cycle which will be assigned a routing 
                number and which at the option of the individual will 
                be provided in either paper or electronic form.
                    (B) Using the routing number assigned to the My 
                Voice Voucher, the individual may submit the My Voice 
                Voucher in either electronic or paper form to qualified 
                candidates for election for the office of 
                Representative in, or Delegate or Resident Commissioner 
                to, the Congress and allocate such portion of the value 
                of the My Voice Voucher in increments of $5 as the 
                individual may select to any such candidate.
                    (C) If the candidate transmits the My Voice Voucher 
                to the Commission, the Commission shall pay the 
                candidate the portion of the value of the My Voice 
                Voucher that the individual allocated to the candidate, 
                which shall be considered a contribution by the 
                individual to the candidate for purposes of the Federal 
                Election Campaign Act of 1971.
            (2) Designation of qualified individuals.--For purposes of 
        paragraph (1)(A), a ``qualified individual'' with respect to a 
        State means an individual--
                    (A) who is a resident of the State;
                    (B) who will be of voting age as of the date of the 
                election for the candidate to whom the individual 
                submits a My Voice Voucher; and
                    (C) who is not prohibited under Federal law from 
                making contributions to candidates for election for 
                Federal office.
            (3) Treatment as contribution to candidate.--For purposes 
        of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, the submission of 
        a My Voice Voucher to a candidate by an individual shall be 
        treated as a contribution to the candidate by the individual in 
        the amount of the portion of the value of the Voucher that the 
        individual allocated to the candidate.
    (b) Fraud Prevention Mechanism.--In addition to the elements 
described in subsection (a), a State operating a voucher pilot program 
under this Act shall permit an individual to revoke a My Voice Voucher 
not later than 2 days after submitting the My Voice Voucher to a 
candidate.
    (c) Oversight Commission.--In addition to the elements described in 
subsection (a), a State operating a voucher pilot program under this 
Act shall establish a commission or designate an existing entity to 
oversee and implement the program in the State, except that no such 
commission or entity may be comprised of elected officials.
    (d) Public Information Campaign.--In addition to the elements 
described in subsection (a), a State operating a voucher pilot program 
under this Act shall carry out a public information campaign to 
disseminate awareness of the program among qualified individuals.

SEC. 4. REPORTS.

    (a) Preliminary Report.--Not later than 6 months after the first 
election cycle of the program operation period, a State which operates 
a voucher pilot program under this Act shall submit a report to the 
Commission analyzing the operation and effectiveness of the program 
during the cycle and including such other information as the Commission 
may require.
    (b) Final Report.--Not later than 6 months after the end of the 
program operation period, the State shall submit a final report to the 
Commission analyzing the operation and effectiveness of the program and 
including such other information as the Commission may require.
    (c) Report by Commission.--Not later than the end of the first 
election cycle which begins after the program operation period, the 
Commission shall submit a report to Congress which summarizes and 
analyzes the results of the voucher pilot program, and shall include in 
the report such recommendations as the Commission considers appropriate 
regarding the expansion of the pilot program to all States and 
territories, along with such other recommendations and other 
information as the Commission considers appropriate.

SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.

    (a) Election Cycle.--In this Act, the term ``election cycle'' means 
the period beginning on the day after the date of the most recent 
regularly scheduled general election for Federal office and ending on 
the date of the next regularly scheduled general election for Federal 
office.
    (b) Definitions Relating to Periods.--In this Act, the following 
definitions apply:
            (1) Program application period.--The term ``program 
        application period'' means the first election cycle which 
        begins after the date of the enactment of this Act.
            (2) Program preparation period.--The term ``program 
        preparation period'' means the first election cycle which 
        begins after the program application period.
            (3) Program operation period.--The term ``program operation 
        period'' means the first 2 election cycles which begin after 
        the program preparation period.
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