Title: Voter Notice Act
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics

Summary:
Voter Notification of Timely Information about Changes in Elections Act or the Voter Notice Act
This bill requires state and local election officials to conduct public education campaigns in the event of changes to federal elections (e.g., methods of voting) due to public health and safety emergencies.
Specifically, the bill requires election officials to notify individuals of changes to federal elections by (1) providing not fewer than one direct mailing to each registered voter; and (2) notifying individuals who are eligible to vote through direct mailings, newspaper advertisements, broadcasting, and social media.
Election officials must ensure their official public websites are accessible to individuals with disabilities, including the blind and visually impaired.
The bill also directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology to establish and regularly update best practices to ensure official public websites of election officials are continuously operating during emergencies. Election officials must ensure their official public websites comply with such best practices.
The Election Assistance Commission must make payments to states for conducting public education campaigns and operating election websites during emergencies.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6512 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6512

 To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require State and local 
  election officials to conduct public education campaigns to notify 
 individuals of changes in the administration of elections for Federal 
 office in response to emergencies affecting public health and safety, 
  to require the websites of such officials to be fully accessible to 
individuals with disabilities and to meet best practices established by 
  the National Institute for Science and Technology for ensuring the 
   continuing operation of such websites in the event of emergencies 
      affecting public health and safety, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 14, 2020

 Mr. Phillips (for himself, Ms. McCollum, Mrs. Napolitano, Mr. Deutch, 
 Mr. Malinowski, Mr. Moulton, and Mr. Allred) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration, and 
 in addition to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, 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 amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require State and local 
  election officials to conduct public education campaigns to notify 
 individuals of changes in the administration of elections for Federal 
 office in response to emergencies affecting public health and safety, 
  to require the websites of such officials to be fully accessible to 
individuals with disabilities and to meet best practices established by 
  the National Institute for Science and Technology for ensuring the 
   continuing operation of such websites in the event of emergencies 
      affecting public health and safety, 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 Notification of Timely 
Information about Changes in Elections Act'' or the ``Voter Notice 
Act''.

SEC. 2. PUBLIC EDUCATION CAMPAIGNS IN EVENT OF CHANGES IN ELECTIONS IN 
              RESPONSE TO EMERGENCIES.

    (a) Requirement for Election Officials To Conduct Campaigns.--
Section 302 of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21082) is 
amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsection (d) as subsection (e); and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (c) the following new 
        subsection:
    ``(d) Public Education Campaigns in Event of Changes in Elections 
in Response to Emergencies.--
            ``(1) Requirement.--If the administration of an election 
        for Federal office, including the methods of voting or 
        registering to vote in the election, is changed in response to 
        an emergency affecting public health and safety, the 
        appropriate State or local election official shall conduct a 
        public education campaign through at least one direct mailing 
        to each individual who is registered to vote in the election, 
        and through additional direct mailings, newspaper 
        advertisements, broadcasting (including through television, 
        radio, satellite, and the Internet), and social media, to 
        notify individuals who are eligible to vote or to register to 
        vote in the election of the changes.
            ``(2) Frequency and methods of providing information.--The 
        election official shall carry out the public education campaign 
        under this subsection at such frequency, and using such 
        methods, as will have the greatest likelihood of providing 
        timely knowledge of the change in the administration of the 
        election to those individuals who will be most adversely 
        affected by the change.
            ``(3) Language accessibility.--In the case of a State or 
        political subdivision that is a covered State or political 
        subdivision under section 203 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 
        (52 U.S.C. 10503), the appropriate election official shall 
        ensure that the information disseminated under a public 
        education campaign conducted under this subsection is provided 
        in the language of the applicable minority group as well as in 
        the English language, as required by section 203 of such Act.
            ``(4) Effective date.--This subsection shall apply with 
        respect to the regularly scheduled general election for Federal 
        office held in November 2020 and each succeeding election for 
        Federal office.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment Relating to Effective Date.--Section 
302(e) of such Act (52 U.S.C. 21082(e)), as redesignated by subsection 
(a), is amended by striking ``Each State'' and inserting ``Except as 
provided in subsection (d), each State''.

SEC. 3. REQUIREMENTS FOR WEBSITES OF ELECTION OFFICIALS.

    (a) Requirements.--Subtitle A of title III of the Help America Vote 
Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21081 et seq.) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating sections 304 and 305 as sections 305 
        and 306; and
            (2) by inserting after section 303 the following new 
        section:

``SEC. 304. REQUIREMENTS FOR WEBSITES OF ELECTION OFFICIALS.

    ``(a) Accessibility.--Each State and local election official shall 
ensure that the official public website of the official is fully 
accessible for individuals with disabilities, including the blind and 
visually impaired, in a manner that provides the same opportunity for 
access and participation as the website provides for other individuals.
    ``(b) Continuing Operation in Case of Emergencies.--
            ``(1) Establishment of best practices.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Director of the National 
                Institute of Standards and Technology shall establish 
                and regularly update best practices for ensuring the 
                continuing operation of the official public websites of 
                State and local election officials during emergencies 
                affecting public health and safety.
                    ``(B) Deadline.--The Director shall first establish 
                the best practices required under this paragraph as 
                soon as practicable after the date of the enactment of 
                this section, but in no case later than August 15, 
                2020.
            ``(2) Requiring websites to meet best practices.--Each 
        State and local election official shall ensure that the 
        official public website of the official is in compliance with 
        the best practices established by the Director of the National 
        Institute of Standards and Technology under paragraph (2).
    ``(c) Effective Date.--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.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment Relating to Adoption of Voluntary Guidance 
by Election Assistance Commission.--Section 311(b) of such Act (52 
U.S.C. 21101(b)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (2);
            (2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (3) and 
        inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(4) in the case of the recommendations with respect to 
        section 304, as soon as practicable after the date of the 
        enactment of this paragraph, but in no case later than August 
        15, 2020.''.
    (c) 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''.
    (d) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents of such Act is 
amended--
            (1) by redesignating the items relating to sections 304 and 
        305 as relating to sections 305 and 306; and
            (2) by inserting after the item relating to section 303 the 
        following new item:

``Sec. 304. Requirements for websites of election officials.''.

SEC. 4. PAYMENTS BY ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION TO STATES FOR COSTS 
              OF COMPLIANCE.

    (a) Availability of Payments.--Subtitle D of title II of the Help 
America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21001 et seq.) is amended by adding 
at the end the following new part:

 ``PART 7--PAYMENTS FOR COSTS OF COMPLIANCE WITH CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS 
                    RELATING TO PUBLIC NOTIFICATION

``SEC. 297. PAYMENTS.

    ``(a) Availability and Use of Payments.--The Commission shall make 
a payment to each eligible State to cover the costs the State incurs or 
expects to incur in meeting the requirements of section 302(d) 
(relating to public education campaigns in event of changes in 
elections in response to emergencies) and section 304 (relating to 
requirements for the websites of election officials).
    ``(b) Schedule of Payments.--As soon as practicable after the date 
of the enactment of this part, and not less frequently than once each 
calendar year thereafter, the Commission shall make payments under this 
part.
    ``(c) Administration of Payments.--The chief State election 
official of the State shall receive the payment made to a State under 
this part, and may use the payment for the purposes set forth in this 
part without intervening action by the legislature of the State.

``SEC. 297A. AMOUNT OF PAYMENT.

    ``(a) In General.--The amount of a payment made to an eligible 
State for a year under this part shall be determined by the Commission 
on the basis of the information provided by the State in its 
application under section 297B.
    ``(b) Continuing Availability of Funds After Appropriation.--A 
payment made to an eligible State under this part shall be available 
without fiscal year limitation.

``SEC. 297B. REQUIREMENTS FOR ELIGIBILITY.

    ``(a) Application.--Each State that desires to receive a payment 
under this part for a fiscal year shall submit an application for the 
payment to the Commission at such time and in such manner and 
containing such information as the Commission shall require.
    ``(b) Contents of Application.--Each application submitted under 
subsection (a) shall--
            ``(1) describe the activities for which assistance under 
        this part is sought; and
            ``(2) provide an estimate of the costs the State has 
        incurred or expects to incur in carrying out the provisions 
        described in section 297, together with such additional 
        information and certifications as the Commission determines to 
        be essential to ensure compliance with the requirements of this 
        part.

``SEC. 297C. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    ``There are authorized to be appropriated for payments under this 
part such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2020 
through 2023.

``SEC. 297D. REPORTS.

    ``(a) Reports by Recipients.--Not later than the 6 months after the 
end of each fiscal year for which an eligible State received a payment 
under this part, the State shall submit a report to the Commission on 
the activities conducted with the funds provided during the year.
    ``(b) Reports by Commission to Committees.--With respect to each 
fiscal year for which the Commission makes payments under this part, 
the Commission shall submit a report on the activities carried out 
under this part to the Committee on House Administration of the House 
of Representatives and the Committee on Rules and Administration of the 
Senate.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents of such Act is 
amended by adding at the end of the items relating to subtitle D of 
title II the following:

 ``Part 7--Payments for Costs of Compliance With Certain Requirements 
                    Relating to Public Notification

``Sec. 297. Payments.
``Sec. 297A. Amount of payment.
``Sec. 297B. Requirements for eligibility.
``Sec. 297C. Authorization of appropriations.
``Sec. 297D. Reports.''.
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