Title: U.S. Postal Service Accountability and Voting Rights Act
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics

Summary:
U.S. Postal Service Accountability and Voting Rights Act
This bill prohibits the U.S. Postal Service from making changes to operations or levels of service from those that were in effect on January 1, 2020, requires states to carry out programs to track federal absentee ballots and voter registration application forms, and requires states to accept the federal write-in absentee ballot from absent uniformed services and overseas voters. It also requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to provide annual training to members of the Armed Forces and civilian employees of DOD related to cyberspace information threats.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8607 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8607

 To protect and promote the ability of members of the Armed Forces and 
           citizens to vote by mail, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 16, 2020

Mr. Larson of Connecticut (for himself and Mr. Courtney) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and 
Reform, and in addition to the Committees on House Administration, and 
   Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To protect and promote the ability of members of the Armed Forces and 
           citizens to vote by mail, 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 ``U.S. Postal Service Accountability 
and Voting Rights Act''.

SEC. 2. POSTAL SERVICE OPERATION AND LEVEL OF SERVICE CHANGES 
              TEMPORARILY PROHIBITED.

    (a) In General.--During the period beginning on the date of the 
enactment of this Act and ending on January 31, 2021, the United States 
Postal Service may not implement or approve any change to the 
operations or the level of service provided by the Postal Service from 
those in effect on January 1, 2020, that would reduce service 
performance or impede prompt, reliable, and efficient services, 
including any of the following actions:
            (1) Any change in the nature of postal services which will 
        generally affect service on a nationwide or substantially 
        nationwide basis.
            (2) Any revision of service standards.
            (3) Any closure or consolidation of any post office or 
        postal facility, or any reduction of such office or facility 
        hours.
            (4) Any prohibition or restriction on the use of overtime 
        or overtime pay to Postal Service officers or employees.
            (5) Any change that would prevent the Postal Service from 
        meeting its service standards or cause a decline in 
        measurements of performance relative to those service 
        standards.
            (6) Any change that would have the effect of delaying 
        deferring, or curtailing mail, allowing for the non-delivery of 
        mail to a delivery route, or increasing the volume of 
        undelivered mail.
            (7) Treating election mail as any class of mail other than 
        first-class mail, regardless of whether such treatment requires 
        payment of overtime pay to officers or employees of the Postal 
        Service.
            (8) Removing, decommissioning, or any other stoppage of 
        mail sorting machines, other than for routine maintenance.
            (9) Removing or eliminating any mail collection box that is 
        available to the public.
            (10) Enacting any rule, policy, or standard the purpose or 
        effect of which would delay the delivery of mail to or from a 
        government entity.
            (11) Instituting any hiring freeze.
    (b) Reversal of Policies Hindering Delivery of Mail.--Not later 
than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Postal 
Service shall reverse any initiative or action that was implemented 
during the period beginning on January 1, 2020, and ending on the date 
of the enactment of this Act and is causing delay in processing or 
delivery or non-delivery of the mail.
    (c) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Election mail.--The term ``election mail'' means mail 
        consisting of--
                    (A) voter registration application forms, completed 
                voter registration application forms, and voter 
                registration cards or similar materials;
                    (B) absentee and other mail-in ballot application 
                forms, blank absentee and other mail-in ballots, and 
                completed absentee and other mail-in ballots; and
                    (C) other materials relating to an election which 
                are mailed by a State or local election official to 
                individuals who are registered to vote in the election.
            (2) Government entity.--The term ``government entity'' 
        means the Federal Government or any State (as that term is 
        defined in section 311 of title 5, United States Code) or local 
        government and any subdivision thereof.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Postal Service Fund (established under section 2003 
of title 39, United States Code) $1,000,000,000 for fiscal years 2020 
and 2021 to carry out this section.

SEC. 3. PROHIBITING CERTAIN OPERATIONAL AND LEVEL OF SERVICE CHANGES.

    (a) In General.--During any calendar year beginning after the date 
of the enactment of this Act in which a Federal election is held, the 
Postal Service may not implement or approve any change to the 
operations or the level of service provided by the Postal Service from 
those in effect on January 1 of the calendar year, that would reduce 
service performance or impede prompt, reliable, and efficient services, 
including the actions described in paragraphs (1) through (11) of 
section 2(a).
    (b) Service to Military and Families of Military.--The Postal 
Service may not implement or approve any change that reduces the level 
of service with respect to absent uniformed service voters or overseas 
voters below the level of service in effect on January 1, 2020.

SEC. 4. TRACKING PROGRAM FOR ABSENTEE BALLOTS AND VOTER REGISTRATION 
              APPLICATION FORMS; AVAILABILITY OF FEDERAL WRITE-IN 
              ABSENTEE BALLOT FOR ALL VOTERS.

    (a) Requirements.--Title III of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 
(52 U.S.C. 21081 et seq.) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating section 304 as section 305; and
            (2) by inserting after section 303 the following new 
        sections:

``SEC. 304. ABSENTEE BALLOT AND VOTER REGISTRATION APPLICATION FORM 
              TRACKING PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Absentee Ballot Tracking.--
            ``(1) Requirement.--Each State shall carry out a program to 
        track and confirm the receipt of absentee ballots in an 
        election for Federal office under which the State or local 
        election official responsible for the receipt of voted absentee 
        ballots in the election carries out procedures to track and 
        confirm the receipt of such ballots, and makes information on 
        the receipt of such ballots available to the individual who 
        cast the ballot by means of online access using the Internet 
        site of the official's office.
            ``(2) Information on whether vote was counted.--The 
        information referred to under paragraph (1) with respect to the 
        receipt of an absentee ballot shall include information 
        regarding whether the vote cast on the ballot was counted, and, 
        in the case of a vote which was not counted, the reasons 
        therefor.
    ``(b) Voter Registration Application Form Tracking.--
            ``(1) Requirement.--Each State shall carry out a program to 
        track and confirm the receipt of voter registration application 
        forms in an election for Federal office under which the State 
        or local election official responsible for processing such 
        forms carries out procedures to track and confirm the receipt 
        of such forms, and makes information on the receipt of such 
        forms available to the individual applicant by means of online 
        access using the Internet site of the official's office.
            ``(2) Information on whether form was accepted.--The 
        information referred to under paragraph (1) with respect to the 
        receipt of a voter registration application form shall include 
        information regarding whether the form was accepted and the 
        applicant is registered to vote in the election for Federal 
        office, and, in the case of a form which was not accepted, the 
        reasons therefor.
    ``(c) Use of Toll-Free Telephone Number by Officials Without 
Internet Site.--A program established by a State or local election 
official whose office does not have an Internet site may meet the 
requirements of subsections (a) and (b) if the official has established 
a toll-free telephone number that may be used--
            ``(1) by an individual who cast an absentee ballot to 
        obtain the information on the receipt of the voted absentee 
        ballot as provided under subsection (a); and
            ``(2) by an individual applicant for voter registration to 
        obtain the information on the receipt of the voter registration 
        application form as provided under subsection (b).
    ``(d) Effective Date.--This section shall apply with respect to the 
regularly scheduled general election for Federal office held in 
November 2022 and each succeeding election for Federal office.
    ``(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated $1,000,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2023 
to carry out this section.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment Relating to Enforcement.--Section 401 of 
such Act (52 U.S.C. 21111) is amended by striking ``sections 301, 302, 
and 303'' and inserting ``subtitle A of title III''.
    (c) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents of such Act is 
amended--
            (1) by redesignating the item relating to sections 304 as 
        relating to section 305; and
            (2) by inserting after the item relating to section 303 the 
        following new item:

``Sec. 304. Absentee ballot and voter registration application form 
                            tracking program.''.

SEC. 5. PROMOTING USE OF FEDERAL WRITE-IN ABSENTEE BALLOT UNDER 
              UNIFORMED AND OVERSEAS CITIZENS ABSENTEE VOTING ACT.

    (a) Eliminating Exemptions for States Using Alternative Ballots and 
States Making Ballots Available 90 Days Before Election.--Section 103 
of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (52 U.S.C. 
20303) is amended--
            (1) by striking subsections (e) and (g); and
            (2) by redesignating subsection (f) as subsection (e).
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply with respect to the regularly scheduled general election for 
Federal office held in November 2020 and each succeeding election for 
Federal office.

SEC. 6. REPORTS TO CONGRESS.

    (a) Initial Report.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Postmaster General shall submit to Congress 
a report on any change to the operations or the level of service 
provided by the Postal Service from those in effect on January 1, 2020, 
that--
            (1) reduced service performance or impeded prompt, 
        reliable, and efficient services, including any actions 
        described in paragraphs (1) through (11) of section 2(a); and
            (2) was implemented or approved during the period beginning 
        on June 15, 2020, and ending on the date of the enactment of 
        this Act.
    (b) Biennial Report.--Not later than January 1 of any odd-numbered 
calendar year beginning after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Postmaster General shall submit to Congress a report on any changes 
described in section 2(a) that were implemented or approved during the 
previous calendar year.
    (c) Military and Overseas Absentee Voting.--Not later 30 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the 
Secretary of Defense, acting through the Presidential designee under 
the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, shall submit 
to Congress a report on how changes to the operations or level of 
service provided by the Postal Service affect absentee voting by absent 
uniformed service voters and overseas voters under such Act.
    (d) Implementation of Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment 
Act.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this 
Act and annually thereafter, the Inspector General of the Department of 
Defense shall submit to Congress a report on the effectiveness of the 
implementation of the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act 
(subtitle H of title V of the National Defense Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 2010; Public Law 111-84) and the amendments made by such 
Act, including the effectiveness of such Act and such amendments in 
promoting registration and voting by absent uniformed service voters 
and overseas voters and in increasing the availability and 
effectiveness of voter registration and voting assistance services for 
such voters, and shall include in the report such recommendations as 
the Inspector General considers appropriate for improving the 
availability and effectiveness of such services for such voters.

SEC. 7. CYBERSPACE INFORMATION THREAT TRAINING.

    (a) In General.--In addition to any currently mandated training, 
the Secretary of Defense shall annually furnish to all members of the 
Armed Forces and all civilian employees of the Department of Defense 
training regarding cyberspace information threats.
    (b) Definitions.--In this section--
            (1) Covered entity.--The term ``covered entity'' means--
                    (A) a government of a foreign country or an agency 
                or instrumentality of a foreign country;
                    (B) a foreign person that is aided, abetted, or 
                directed by a government of a foreign country or an 
                agency or instrumentality of a foreign country;
                    (C) a terrorist organization; or
                    (D) any other foreign adversary of the United 
                States.
            (2) Cyberspace information threat.--The term ``cyberspace 
        information threat'' means any true, false, or misleading 
        information from a covered entity that is--
                    (A) communicated through cyberspace; and
                    (B) misleading or influential in a manner that 
                constitutes a threat to national security or to the 
                democratic processes of the United States, or that 
                operates to the advantage of a covered entity.

SEC. 8. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Absent uniformed service voter; overseas voter.--The 
        terms ``absent uniformed service voter'' and ``overseas voter'' 
        have the meanings given such terms in section 107 of the 
        Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (52 U.S.C. 
        20310).
            (2) Federal elections.--The term ``Federal election'' means 
        a regularly scheduled general election for Federal office.
            (3) Postal service.--The term ``Postal Service'' has the 
        meaning given such term in section 102 of title 39, United 
        States Code.
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