Title: Voter Information and Access Act of 2018
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics

Summary:
Voter Information and Access Act of 2018
This bill expands the uses of certain Department of Justice (DOJ) grant funds to include voting restoration and voter registration education for persons in prisons, jails, and juvenile facilities.
DOJ is authorized to make grants to states and units of local government to: (1) install polling places in jails for use by detained persons eligible to vote; (2) provide absentee ballots to detained persons eligible to vote; and (3) provide counseling, education, and information services on voting restoration and voter registration in prisons.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7359 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7359

 To authorize the use of certain Department of Justice grant funds for 
         voting restoration education, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 20, 2018

 Ms. Moore (for herself, Ms. Jackson Lee, Ms. Clarke of New York, and 
 Ms. Norton) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                       Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To authorize the use of certain Department of Justice grant funds for 
         voting restoration education, 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 ``Voter Information and Access Act of 
2018''.

SEC. 2. USE OF DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE GRANT FUNDS FOR VOTING RESTORATION 
              EDUCATION.

    (a) Second Chance Act of 2007.--Section 3 of the Second Chance Act 
of 2007 (34 U.S.C. 60501) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in paragraph (5), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (B) in paragraph (6), by striking the period at the 
                end and inserting a semicolon; and
                    (C) by inserting after paragraph (6) the following:
            ``(7) to provide persons in prisons, jails, and juvenile 
        facilities (as applicable) with counseling, education, and 
        information services on voting restoration and voter 
        registration; and
            ``(8) to install polling stations in jails or provide 
        absentee ballots to incarcerated persons who are eligible to 
        vote.''; and
            (2) in subsection (b), by adding at the end the following:
            ``(20) Restoring the voting rights of incarcerated persons 
        after their release can reduce recidivism''.
    (b) Adult and Juvenile Offender State and Local Reentry 
Demonstration Projects.--Section 2976 of the Omnibus Crime Control and 
Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10631) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b)(1), by inserting after ``literacy,'' 
        the following: ``voting restoration, voter registration,'';
            (2) in subsection (e)(3), by inserting after ``victims 
        services,'' the following: ``voting restoration, voter 
        registration,'';
            (3) in subsection (j)(2)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (G), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (B) in subparagraph (H), by striking the period at 
                the end and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by inserting after subparagraph (H) the 
                following:
                    ``(I) increased voter registration or 
                restoration.''; and
            (4) in subsection (m)(3)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (H), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (B) in subparagraph (I), by striking the period at 
                the end and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by inserting after subparagraph (I) the 
                following:
                    ``(J) disseminate relevant voter restoration and 
                voter registration information for each State.''.
    (c) State, Tribal, and Local Reentry Courts.--Section 2978(b)(4) of 
the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 
10633(b)(4)) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (E), by striking ``and'' at the end; 
        and
            (2) by inserting after subparagraph (F) the following:
                    ``(G) voter registration; and''.
    (d) Federal Formerly Incarcerated Persons Reentry Initiative.--
Section 4042(a)(E) of title 18, United States Code, is amended by 
adding at the end the following:
                            ``(viii) Voting restoration and voter 
                        registration.''.

SEC. 3. GRANTS TO ENCOURAGE VOTING AMONG ELIGIBLE DETAINED AND 
              INCARCERATED PERSONS.

    (a) Authorization.--The Attorney General is authorized to make 
grants to States and units of local government to--
            (1) install polling places in jails for use by detained 
        persons eligible to vote;
            (2) provide absentee ballots to detained persons eligible 
        to vote; and
            (3) provide counseling, education, and information services 
        on voting restoration and voter registration in prisons.
    (b) Application.--The chief executive officer of a State or unit of 
local government seeking a grant under this section shall submit to the 
Attorney General an application at such time, in such manner, and 
containing such information as the Attorney General may reasonably 
require.
    (c) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that recipients 
of grants under this section should continue to partner with entities 
possessing an existing and proven track record of providing affected 
populations with services described in subsection (a) on the date of 
the enactment of this Act.
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