Title: Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that Congress should enact the Voters with Disabilities Bill of Rights to fulfill the promises of the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 and other civil rights laws which demand equal access to the ballot box for people with disabilities and to reaffirm and ensure that voters with disabilities have equal access to the ballot box.
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics

Summary:
This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that Congress should enact the Voters with Disabilities Bill of Rights to ensure that voters with disabilities have equal access to the ballot box.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 806 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 806

  Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that Congress 
should enact the Voters with Disabilities Bill of Rights to fulfill the 
promises of the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 and other civil 
rights laws which demand equal access to the ballot box for people with 
 disabilities and to reaffirm and ensure that voters with disabilities 
                  have equal access to the ballot box.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 17, 2020

 Ms. Wild (for herself, Ms. Norton, Mr. Rose of New York, Mr. Khanna, 
 Ms. Stevens, Mr. Pappas, Mr. Clay, Mr. Grijalva, Ms. Dean, Mr. Larsen 
of Washington, Ms. Velazquez, Mr. McNerney, Mr. Soto, Mr. Horsford, Mr. 
 DeSaulnier, Mrs. Kirkpatrick, Ms. Schakowsky, Ms. Haaland, Ms. Fudge, 
Mrs. Davis of California, Mr. Smith of Washington, Mr. Blumenauer, Ms. 
 Meng, and Mr. Langevin) submitted the following resolution; which was 
           referred to the Committee on House Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that Congress 
should enact the Voters with Disabilities Bill of Rights to fulfill the 
promises of the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 and other civil 
rights laws which demand equal access to the ballot box for people with 
 disabilities and to reaffirm and ensure that voters with disabilities 
                  have equal access to the ballot box.

Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 61,000,000 
        Americans live with a disability;
Whereas the School of Management and Labor Relations at Rutgers University 
        projected that in 2016 there were 35,400,000 people with disabilities 
        eligible to vote in the United States, one-sixth of the total American 
        electorate;
Whereas, despite the size, diversity, and the interest of people with 
        disabilities to participate in the United States electoral system, 
        America's elections are woefully, inexcusably, and unjustly not fully 
        accessible to all voters;
Whereas the Government Accountability Office found that 65 percent of voting 
        stations had an accessible voting system that could impede the casting 
        of a private and independent vote in 2016;
Whereas despite the demonstrated investment of the disability community in 
        elections, people with disabilities continue to turn out to vote at a 
        lower rate than their nondisabled peers; and
Whereas the School of Management and Labor Relations at Rutgers University found 
        that voter turnout of people with disabilities lagged behind the 
        nondisabled population by a difference of 6 percentage points in 2016 
        and 5.7 percentage points in 2012: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that 
Congress should enact the Voters with Disabilities Bill of Rights to 
fulfill the promises of the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 and 
other civil rights laws which demand equal access to the ballot box for 
people with disabilities and to reaffirm and ensure that voters with 
disabilities have equal access to the ballot box, including by the 
following:
            (1) Reaffirming the right to a private and independent 
        vote.
            (2) Reaffirming the right to equal access to voter 
        registration.
            (3) Reaffirming the right to request accommodations and 
        materials in accessible formats while voting.
            (4) Reaffirming the right to the assistant of his or her 
        choice while voting, with the exception of the voter's employer 
        or union representative.
            (5) Reaffirming the right to an accommodation when waiting 
        in line at a polling place.
            (6) Reaffirming the right to obtain new ballots for voters 
        who make mistakes while filling out their ballots.
            (7) Ensuring the right to vote after the polls close if 
        they are in line, or waiting to vote curbside, prior to the 
        polls closing.
            (8) Reaffirming the right to an accessible polling station.
            (9) Ensuring the right to vote while under guardianship.
            (10) Ensuring the ability to report violations of their 
        voting rights and advocate on problems they experienced while 
        voting.
            (11) Ensuring access to voting systems and materials in 
        polling places that are accessible, timely, and well-
        maintained.
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