Title: VoteSafe Act of 2020
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics

Summary:
VoteSafe Act of 2020
This bill expands vote-by-mail and early in-person voting during the 2020 federal elections. It also directs polling places to follow certain guidance related to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) preparedness.
Specifically, each state and local jurisdiction must permit no-excuse mail-in absentee voting. Among other things, each state and jurisdiction must (1) provide a mail-in ballot with prepaid return postage to each registered voter who requests such a ballot, (2) allow voters to submit online ballot requests, (3) allow voters to cure certain signature discrepancies, and (4) provide secured drop-off boxes from 45 days before the date of the election.
Each state and local jurisdiction must maintain an early in-person voting period of at least 20 days.
Additionally, each state must establish a plan to ensure that polling places are implementing guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention related to COVID-19 preparedness. Among other requirements, each plan must (1) keep as many voting locations open as possible, (2) prepare polling locations to implement social distancing protocols, (3) provide sufficient quantities of hygiene and cleaning supplies at polling locations, and (4) provide hazard pay and protective equipment to poll workers.
The Election Assistance Commission (EAC) must make a payment, within 30 days, to each state to carry out these requirements.
Finally, the EAC must make payments to eligible states to carry out certain activities related to in-person voting, such as ensuring that elections are accessible to individuals with disabilities and implementing curbside voting.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3725 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3725

  To expand vote by mail and early voting, and to improve the safety, 
accessibility, and efficiency of in-person voting during elections for 
                            Federal office.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 13, 2020

  Ms. Harris introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
         referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To expand vote by mail and early voting, and to improve the safety, 
accessibility, and efficiency of in-person voting during elections for 
                            Federal office.

    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 ``VoteSafe Act of 2020''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) The right to vote is the foundation of American 
        democracy. Voting provides the citizenry with a vital check on 
        their elected officials and grants people the political power 
        necessary to exercise and defend the rights guaranteed by the 
        United States Constitution.
            (2) The Elections Clause of the United States Constitution 
        gives Congress sweeping power to regulate the time, place, and 
        manner of Federal elections (Article I, section 4 of the 
        Constitution of the United States; see also Arizona v. Inter 
        Tribal Council of Arizona, Inc., 570 U.S. 1 (2013)). Congress 
        also has enforcement power under the Fourteenth and Fifteenth 
        Amendments of the Constitution of the United States.
            (3) As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. explained in a speech 
        delivered on May 17, 1957, ``So long as I do not firmly and 
        irrevocably possess the right to vote I do not possess myself. 
        I cannot make up my mind--it is made up for me. I cannot live 
        as a democratic citizen, observing the laws I have helped to 
        enact--I can only submit to the edict of others.''.
            (4) The right to vote was not guaranteed to all Americans 
        at our Nation's founding. The ratification of the Fifteenth and 
        Nineteenth Amendments, the civil rights movement's struggle for 
        justice and equality, and the enactment of the Voting Rights 
        Act of 1965 and its subsequent amendments succeeded in 
        expanding access to the franchise.
            (5) Unfortunately, the barriers faced by voters who have 
        historically experienced the greatest obstacles to voting are 
        exacerbated by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
            (6) Strategies to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 include 
        ``social distancing'', a practice that requires individuals to 
        maintain a distance between themselves and other people in 
        order to avoid acquiring or transmitting the virus. The need to 
        embrace such precautions will require States to quickly modify 
        voting processes to minimize person-to-person contact.
            (7) Voting by mail is a critical part of the solution and 
        must be expanded as quickly as possible, not simply as a means 
        of ensuring access during public health emergencies, but also 
        as a means of expanding access to the franchise to those whose 
        work, health, or ability to access the ballot may be limited.
            (8) However, safe and secure in-person voting remains 
        vitally important for large groups of voters, including voters 
        with disabilities, language minority voters, American Indian 
        and Alaska Native voters, and African-American voters.
            (9) The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 
        12101 et seq.) and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 
        701 et seq.) require that individuals with disabilities have 
        equal access to every aspect of the voting process. Vote-by-
        mail poses various accessibility challenges for voters with 
        disabilities, including blind, low-vision, or other print-
        disabled voters who may require in-person voting or assistive 
        technology in order to privately and independently mark their 
        ballots. Remedies for voters with disabilities require an 
        investment of resources to ensure State and local election 
        websites, online voter registration portals, and vote-by-mail 
        systems are accessible; that in-person voting locations permit 
        a safe, dignified, and accessible voting experience; and that 
        the right of voters with disabilities to a secret ballot is not 
        sacrificed due to the pandemic.
            (10) Language minority voters face unique barriers to 
        voting that require additional resources and support to ensure 
        full and equal access, including additional resources to ensure 
        local compliance with the language minority voting protections 
        in section 203 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (52 U.S.C. 
        10503) and greater language assistance services, including 
        additional bilingual or multilingual poll workers and election 
        workers.
            (11) American Indian and Alaska Native voters face unique 
        obstacles in a vote-by-mail system. Tribal communities in rural 
        areas often do not have traditional residential mailing 
        addresses and have limited access to transportation. Tribal 
        members have distant rural post offices, slow mail routes, 
        limited numbers of post office operation, and too few post 
        office boxes. As a result, rural Tribal communities require 
        distinct voting accommodations to ensure participation in a 
        vote-by-mail system.
            (12) Finally, in-person voting holds great significance for 
        African-American voters, for whom the right to vote was hard 
        won. African Americans have been excluded from the franchise 
        through State and local laws, poll taxes, voting literacy 
        tests, physical violence, and lynchings. For many African-
        American voters today, casting a ballot at one's polling place 
        is a solemn ritual that honors those who sacrificed their 
        safety and their lives in order to secure the right to vote. 
        However, COVID-19 poses substantial risks to the African-
        American population and has infected and killed African 
        Americans in the United States at disproportionately high 
        rates, highlighting longstanding inequalities in resources and 
        access to health care.
            (13) Social distancing designed to curb the COVID-19 
        pandemic will also greatly impact in-person voter registration 
        efforts, including voter registration drives and voter 
        registration services required by the National Voter 
        Registration Act. Many government offices, like State 
        departments of motor vehicles, are currently closed to in-
        person traffic and are likely to remain closed for an 
        indefinite period of time in 2020.
            (14) Therefore, it is appropriate for Congress to expand 
        no-excuse absentee vote-by-mail while also ensuring the safety 
        and accessibility of in-person voting and voter registration 
        during exigent circumstances, including the current pandemic.

SEC. 3. REQUIREMENTS FOR NO-EXCUSE ABSENTEE VOTING, EARLY IN-PERSON 
              VOTING, AND PLAN TO ENSURE POLLING PLACES IMPLEMENT CDC 
              GUIDANCE FOR FEDERAL ELECTIONS IN 2020.

    (a) Applicable Federal Election.--For purposes of this section, the 
term ``applicable Federal election'' means any election for Federal 
office which occurs on or after the date that is 60 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act and before January 1, 2021.
    (b) Requirements.--In the case of any applicable Federal election, 
each State and local jurisdiction shall--
            (1) permit no-excuse mail-in absentee voting as described 
        in subsection (c);
            (2) maintain an early in-person voting period as described 
        in subsection (d); and
            (3) establish a plan as described in subsection (e) with 
        respect to in-person voting, including during early voting 
        periods and on the day of the election.
    (c) No-Excuse Mail-In Absentee Voting.--
            (1) In general.--No-excuse mail-in absentee voting meets 
        the requirements described in this subsection with respect to 
        an applicable Federal election, if the State--
                    (A) provides a no-excuse mail-in absentee ballot to 
                every registered voter who requests such a ballot (or, 
                in the case of any State that does not register voters, 
                to every individual who is eligible to vote and 
                requests such a ballot);
                    (B) allows voters to request a mail-in absentee 
                ballot online;
                    (C) if the State requires a signature for absentee 
                ballots, allows voters to provide their signature by 
                providing a mark or signature stamp or by providing a 
                signature with the use of an assistant because of age, 
                disability, or other need;
                    (D) accepts and counts ballots received before the 
                State's certification deadline if the ballot--
                            (i) is postmarked by the date of the 
                        election; or
                            (ii) includes an indication that it was 
                        mailed by the date of the election;
                    (E) provides a pre-paid and self-sealing return 
                envelope for each ballot furnished by mail;
                    (F) beginning with the date that is 45 days before 
                the date of the election and ending with the time that 
                polls close on the date of the election, provides in-
                person, secured drop boxes for voters to submit 
                completed absentee ballots as an alternative to 
                submitting ballots by mail;
                    (G) before discarding any absentee ballot for error 
                or technicalities (including the failure to meet any 
                signature matching requirement that is unrelated to the 
                voter's qualification)--
                            (i) as soon as practicable, by mail, phone, 
                        email, or text message, notifies the voter of 
                        such defects and explains that the voter may 
                        provide information to cure the ballot pursuant 
                        to clause (ii), or else the vote will not be 
                        counted; and
                            (ii) provides the voter an opportunity to 
                        cure such defects that--
                                    (I) is uniform among all voters in 
                                the State;
                                    (II) allows the voter to provide 
                                confirmation or information to cure the 
                                defect through the same form of 
                                communication in which the notice under 
                                clause (i) is provided; and
                                    (III) in the case of any error 
                                relating to a signature requirement, 
                                meets the requirements of paragraph 
                                (2);
                    (H) in the case of any voter with disabilities--
                            (i) provides the voter with access to 
                        Remote Access Vote By Mail (RAVBM) systems, 
                        ballot marking software, and screen reading 
                        software; and
                            (ii) allows the voter to receive assistance 
                        from a person of their choosing to complete and 
                        submit a mail-in ballot;
                    (I) ensures adequate support for language minority 
                voters, including multilingual versions of vote-by-mail 
                materials and language assistance services; and
                    (J) allows voters to designate a person to return a 
                voted and sealed absentee ballot in accordance with the 
                requirements of paragraph (3).
            (2) Requirements relating to signature defects.--The 
        requirements of this paragraph relating to any defect described 
        in paragraph (1)(G)(ii)(III) are the following:
                    (A) In any case in which a ballot is returned 
                without a signature, or it is determined that the 
                signature provided with the ballot is not the voter's 
                authentic signature, the voter shall be provided an 
                opportunity to provide confirmation or information to 
                cure the signature discrepancy.
                    (B) Voters shall have until the day before 
                certification of election results to provide 
                confirmation that the signature in question is their 
                genuine signature. The State shall accept confirmation 
                of a genuine signature orally, in writing, or 
                electronically, and without a separate oath or 
                affirmation.
                    (C) The voter shall have the opportunity to appeal 
                any rejection of the ballot based on the defect or the 
                additional information provided. Such opportunity to 
                appeal must be provided and decided before 
                certification of election results.
                    (D) Any final determination of the validity of the 
                ballot with a signature mismatch shall be made by a 
                group of 2 or more election officials. Where 
                applicable, at least one of the election officials must 
                be of an opposing party. The vote shall be counted 
                unless the officials unanimously determine, beyond a 
                reasonable doubt, that the ballot is not valid due to 
                signature discrepancy.
            (3) Requirements relating to allowing designated persons to 
        return ballots.--The requirements of this paragraph relating to 
        allowing a voter to designate a person to return a voted and 
        sealed absentee ballot are the following:
                    (A) A voter may designate any person to return the 
                voted and sealed absentee ballot to the post office, 
                ballot drop-off location, tribally designated building, 
                or election office.
                    (B) A person designated by a voter under 
                subparagraph (A) shall not receive any form of 
                compensation based on the number of ballots that the 
                person has returned, and no individual, group, or 
                organization shall provide compensation to such person 
                on such basis.
                    (C) The State shall not limit how many voted and 
                sealed ballots any person so designated may return.
    (d) Early In-Person Voting Period.--The early in-person voting 
period described in this subsection with respect to an applicable 
Federal election is a period of at least 20 days. Such period must 
include at least 1 Saturday and 1 Sunday. For each day of early in-
person voting during such period, polls must be open for a minimum of 
10 hours, including hours before and after the standard work day.
    (e) Plan To Implement CDC Guidance.--
            (1) In general.--The requirement described in this 
        subsection with respect to in-person voting is met if the State 
        establishes a plan to ensure that polling places are 
        implementing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
        guidance relating to COVID-19 preparedness. Such plan must be 
        finalized and approved by the State within 30 days of the date 
        of enactment of this Act.
            (2) Minimum requirements.--At a minimum, a State plan 
        established under this subsection must include a plan--
                    (A) to keep as many voting locations as possible 
                open during the pandemic;
                    (B) to prepare polling locations to implement 
                social distancing protocols in lines and at voting 
                booths;
                    (C) to provide sufficient quantities of hygiene and 
                cleaning supplies at polling locations;
                    (D) to increase the number of--
                            (i) paper ballots and provisional ballots 
                        (including the numbers of such ballots that are 
                        translated, multilingual, or in-language 
                        ballots) available at each polling place; and
                            (ii) disposable ballot marking utensils 
                        available at each polling place;
                    (E) to provide masks and other personal protective 
                equipment to poll workers;
                    (F) to provide hazard pay to poll workers during 
                the pandemic;
                    (G) to increase the number of poll workers who can 
                reliably staff voting locations;
                    (H) to provide training to poll workers on pandemic 
                conditions and COVID-19 preparedness; and
                    (I) to educate voters on changes to procedures or 
                voting opportunities during the pandemic.
    (f) Private Right of Action.--Any person aggrieved by a violation 
of paragraph (1) or (2) of subsection (a) (relating to requirements for 
no-excuse mail-in absentee voting and early in-person voting period) 
may bring an action for all appropriate remedies, including injunctive 
relief and compensatory and punitive damages, in a Federal district 
court of competent jurisdiction.
    (g) Payments to States To Carry Out Requirements.--
            (1) In general.--The Election Assistance Commission shall 
        makes a payment to each State to carry out the requirements 
        under this section. Such payments shall be made not later than 
        30 days after the date of enactment of this Act.
            (2) Amount of payment.--
                    (A) In general.--The amount of payment made to a 
                State under this subsection shall be the voting age 
                population proportion amount described in subparagraph 
                (B) plus any additional amount determined by the 
                Commission under subparagraph (C).
                    (B) Voting age population proportion amount.--
                            (i) In general.--The voting age population 
                        proportion amount described in this paragraph 
                        is the product of--
                                    (I) the amount made available for 
                                payments under paragraph (3) minus the 
                                total of all of the additional payment 
                                amounts determined under subparagraph 
                                (C); and
                                    (II) the voting age population 
                                proportion for the State (as defined in 
                                clause (ii)).
                            (ii) Voting age population proportion 
                        defined.--The term ``voting age population 
                        proportion'' means, with respect to any State, 
                        the amount equal to the quotient of--
                                    (I) the voting age population of 
                                the State (as determined by the most 
                                recent American Community Survey 
                                conducted by the Bureau of the Census); 
                                and
                                    (II) the total voting age 
                                population of all States (as determined 
                                by the most recent American Community 
                                Survey conducted by the Bureau of the 
                                Census).
                    (C) Determination of additional amount based on 
                costs of implementing no-excuse absentee voting and 
                early in-person voting in state.--
                            (i) In general.--The Commission shall, with 
                        respect to each eligible State, provide an 
                        amount of payment for the State in addition to 
                        the amount determined under subparagraph (B).
                            (ii) Eligible state.--A State shall be 
                        eligible for an additional amount of payment 
                        under this subparagraph if the State is not in 
                        compliance with paragraph (1) or (2) of 
                        subsection (b), or both of such subparagraphs, 
                        as of the date of enactment of this Act.
                            (iii) Determination of amount.--In 
                        determining the amount of payment with respect 
                        to an eligible State under this subparagraph, 
                        the Commission shall consider the costs to the 
                        State and local jurisdictions of coming into 
                        compliance with either or both of such 
                        paragraphs.
                    (D) Distribution of funds to units of local 
                government.--At least 70 percent of funds provided to a 
                State under this subsection shall be distributed to 
                units of local government to carry out the requirements 
                under subsection (b).
            (3) Funding.--There are authorized to be appropriated to 
        make payments under this subsection, $2,500,000,000 for the 
        period of fiscal years 2020 and 2021. Amounts appropriated 
        under the preceding sentence shall remain available until 
        December 31, 2024.

SEC. 4. GRANTS TO PROMOTE SAFE, ACCESSIBLE, AND EFFICIENT IN-PERSON 
              VOTING.

    (a) In General.--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:

 ``PART VII--GRANT PROGRAM TO PROMOTE SAFE, ACCESSIBLE, AND EFFICIENT 
                            IN-PERSON VOTING

``SEC. 297. PAYMENTS TO STATES.

    ``(a) In General.--The Commission shall make a payment to each 
eligible State (as described in section 298(a)). Such payments shall be 
made not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this part.
    ``(b) Use of Funds.--An eligible State shall use the payment 
received under this part to carry out one or more of the authorized 
activities described in section 298(b) with respect to elections for 
Federal office.
    ``(c) Amount of Payment.--
            ``(1) In general.--The amount of payment made to an 
        eligible State under this section shall be the voting age 
        population proportion amount described in paragraph (2) plus 
        any additional amount determined by the Commission under 
        paragraph (3).
            ``(2) Voting age population proportion amount.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The voting age population 
                proportion amount described in this paragraph is the 
                product of--
                            ``(i) the aggregate amount made available 
                        for payments under this section minus the total 
                        of all of the additional payment amounts 
                        determined under paragraph (3); and
                            ``(ii) the voting age population proportion 
                        for the State (as defined in subparagraph (B)).
                    ``(B) Voting age population proportion defined.--
                The term `voting age population proportion' means, with 
                respect to an eligible State, the amount equal to the 
                quotient of--
                            ``(i) the voting age population of the 
                        State (as determined by the most recent 
                        American Community Survey conducted by the 
                        Bureau of the Census); and
                            ``(ii) the total voting age population of 
                        all States (as determined by the most recent 
                        American Community Survey conducted by the 
                        Bureau of the Census).
            ``(3) Determination of additional amount based on needs of 
        voting age population in state.--The Commission shall, with 
        respect to each eligible State, determine an amount of payment 
        for the State in addition to the amount determined under 
        paragraph (2) based on the needs of the voting age population 
        in the State. In determining such additional amount of payment 
        with respect to an eligible State, the Commission shall take 
        into account--
                    ``(A) the number of individuals with income below 
                250 percent of the poverty line applicable to a family 
                of the size involved (as determined under section 
                673(2) of the Community Services Block Grant Act (42 
                U.S.C. 9902(2)));
                    ``(B) the number of individuals in the voting age 
                population of the State covered by section 203 of the 
                Voting Rights Act (52 U.S.C. 10503);
                    ``(C) the number of individuals with a disability 
                as defined in section 3 of the Americans with 
                Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12102);
                    ``(D) the number of individuals who live in a 
                nonmetropolitan area (as determined by the Bureau of 
                the Census); and
                    ``(E) the number of individuals who belong to an 
                Indian tribe (as such term is defined in section 4 of 
                the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance 
                Act (25 U.S.C. 5304)).
            ``(4) Distribution of funds to units of local government.--
        At least 70 percent of funds provided to a State under this 
        part shall be distributed to units of local government to carry 
        out one or more of the authorized activities described in 
        section 298(b) with respect to elections for Federal office.

``SEC. 298. ELIGIBILITY FOR PAYMENT; AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.

    ``(a) In General.--Each State that desires to receive a payment 
under this part shall submit a certification of intent to use such 
funds for at least one of the authorized activities described in 
subsection (b) with respect to elections for Federal office.
    ``(b) Authorized Activities Described.--Funds provided under this 
part shall be used for one or more of the following authorized 
activities:
            ``(1) Funding to ensure elections are accessible during 
        pandemic.--Ensuring voters can safely access polling sites 
        during the COVID-19 pandemic, including--
                    ``(A) expanding the number of voting locations, as 
                well as the days and hours of early in-person voting;
                    ``(B) providing mobile voting centers and temporary 
                voting stations, including advance notice of schedule 
                and locations;
                    ``(C) increasing the ratio of machines and poll 
                workers to voters in each precinct;
                    ``(D) preparing polling locations to implement 
                social distancing protocols in lines and voting booths;
                    ``(E) providing sufficient quantities of hygiene 
                and cleaning supplies, including materials to sanitize 
                voting machines after each use;
                    ``(F) increasing the number of paper ballots 
                available at each polling location;
                    ``(G) providing masks, gloves, and other personal 
                protective equipment to poll workers;
                    ``(H) increasing pay for poll workers during the 
                COVID-19 pandemic; and
                    ``(I) providing voter education on changes or 
                improvements to election procedures, accessibility, or 
                voting opportunities during the pandemic.
            ``(2) Funding to ensure elections are accessible to 
        individuals with disabilities during pandemic.--Ensuring voters 
        can safely register, access polling sites, and vote by mail 
        during the COVID-19 pandemic, in accordance with this Act, the 
        Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et 
        seq.), the Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped 
        Act (42 U.S.C. 1973ee et seq.), and other applicable law, by 
        improving polling place accessibility and providing 
        accommodations for individuals with disabilities, including--
                    ``(A) purchasing Remote Access Vote By Mail (RAVBM) 
                systems, ballot marking devices and software, and 
                screen reading software, and making them available to 
                voters with disabilities;
                    ``(B) equipping polling locations with technologies 
                that enable individuals with disabilities to privately 
                and independently mark, verify, and cast their ballots, 
                including through the availability of ballot marking 
                devices, headsets, controllers, and other assistive 
                devices;
                    ``(C) making permanent or temporary modifications 
                to render polling places accessible;
                    ``(D) ensuring appropriate polling place siting to 
                avoid locations that pose higher health risks to the 
                public;
                    ``(E) conducting analysis on polling place 
                reconfiguration to account for social distancing and 
                implementing changes;
                    ``(F) providing training for poll workers on how to 
                best serve individuals during the pandemic, including 
                specialized training for serving individuals with 
                disabilities;
                    ``(G) assessing the accessibility of election 
                websites and remediating any accessibility problems to 
                ensure voter information is clear and accessible; and
                    ``(H) providing fully accessible online voter 
                registration services.
            ``(3) Funding to ensure continuing protections for language 
        minority voters.--Ensuring continuing protections for language 
        minority voters, including--
                    ``(A) ensuring compliance with section 203 of the 
                Voting Rights Act of 1965 (52 U.S.C. 10503)--
                            ``(i) with respect to vote-by-mail and new 
                        voter registration procedures; and
                            ``(ii) with respect to voting materials (as 
                        such term is defined in such section);
                    ``(B) ensuring adequate support for such 
                individuals (including for language minority voters who 
                do not reside in jurisdictions covered by section 203 
                of the Voting Rights Act), including through--
                            ``(i) language assistance hotlines in 
                        covered languages;
                            ``(ii) phone interpretation and interpreter 
                        services;
                            ``(iii) funding to produce, print, and 
                        distribute multi-lingual versions of materials;
                            ``(iv) enhancing in-language media 
                        advertising regarding polling place changes;
                            ``(v) recruiting and hiring bilingual or 
                        multilingual election workers; and
                            ``(vi) enhancing in-language media 
                        advertising regarding procedures for obtaining 
                        and returning mail-in ballots; and
                    ``(C) providing voter education on activities 
                carried out under this paragraph.
            ``(4) Funding to ensure voting access by american indian 
        and alaska native voters and rural voters.--Ensuring voting 
        access American Indian and Alaska Native voters and rural 
        voters, including--
                    ``(A) ensuring polling place availability within 20 
                miles of where voters live;
                    ``(B) providing transportation services for 
                American Indian, Alaska Native, and rural voters to 
                reach their nearest polling location;
                    ``(C) establishing polling places in Indian 
                country, as defined in section 1151 of title 18, United 
                States Code, and on any land in Alaska owned pursuant 
                to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 
                1601 et seq.), that are open for voting days and hours 
                commensurate with polling place days and hours in urban 
                areas within the State;
                    ``(D) giving Indian tribes, as defined in section 4 
                of the Indian Self-Determination and Education 
                Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304), authority to designate 
                buildings that can be used as a residential address for 
                voter registration and for physical sites for ballot 
                pickup, drop-off, and collection;
                    ``(E) offering information in unwritten languages 
                or languages not widely used in written form, in 
                consultation with relevant Tribal governments;
                    ``(F) collecting ballots from remote polling 
                locations, ballot collection boxes, and tribally 
                designated buildings;
                    ``(G) carrying out any activities permitted under 
                paragraph (2) to improve accessibility for American 
                Indian and Alaska Native voters with disabilities; and
                    ``(H) providing voter education on the activities 
                carried out under this paragraph.
            ``(5) Curbside voting.--The implementation and promotion of 
        curbside voting to allow individuals to pick up ballots, 
        complete them, and return them to a poll worker from their 
        vehicles.
            ``(6) Funding to meet maximum wait time standard at polling 
        locations.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The implementation of standards 
                that reduce wait times at polling locations.
                    ``(B) Certification requirement.--In the case where 
                the State uses funds for purposes described in 
                subparagraph (A) with respect to an election for 
                Federal office, the State shall certify to the 
                Commission within 120 days of the election that wait 
                time standards were met in the State with respect to 
                such election.
            ``(7) Funding for publication of wait times.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The development or 
                implementation of an accessible, web-based platform for 
                the publication of wait times for voting in Federal 
                elections.
                    ``(B) Requirement.--If a State uses funds for a 
                purpose described in subparagraph (A), the State shall 
                take reasonable steps before using such platform in an 
                election for Federal office--
                            ``(i) to provide advance training to 
                        election workers regarding use of the platform;
                            ``(ii) to notify voters of the platform; 
                        and
                            ``(iii) to test and verify the security and 
                        functionality of the platform.
            ``(8) Methods to improve line management.--Implementing 
        standards to improve line management systems and polling place 
        management.
            ``(9) Standards for training and recruitment of poll 
        workers.--Providing for the training and recruitment of poll 
        workers, including--
                    ``(A) developing poll worker training curricula and 
                standards for serving individuals with disabilities and 
                language minority voters;
                    ``(B) ensuring that poll workers receive training, 
                which--
                            ``(i) may include remote training; and
                            ``(ii) may cover applicable Federal and 
                        State laws and regulations, recent changes in 
                        election laws and processes, election security 
                        and cyber vulnerabilities, ballot reviews, 
                        incident response, polling accessibility for 
                        language minorities and individuals with 
                        disabilities, and COVID-19 preparedness;
                    ``(C) expanding the number of election workers 
                hired;
                    ``(D) hiring individuals to serve as election 
                workers from among high school and college students 
                and, where feasible, compensating such individuals with 
                course credits; and
                    ``(E) hiring work-eligible non-citizens to satisfy 
                the need for bilingual poll workers, where language 
                assistance is required by law.
            ``(10) Improving access to voter registration.--Improving 
        access to voter registration, including--
                    ``(A) authorizing and implementing same day 
                registration;
                    ``(B) ensuring that online voter registration 
                systems are in place and have the capacity to process 
                registration applications electronically;
                    ``(C) expanding online voter registration systems 
                to allow use by the maximum number of individuals, 
                including--
                            ``(i) by allowing individuals to register 
                        to vote without records in the department of 
                        motor vehicle system of the State by submitting 
                        their signatures online;
                            ``(ii) by digitally uploading a picture of 
                        the required signature;
                            ``(iii) by allowing individuals to provide 
                        the required signature when voting at the polls 
                        or when returning a mail-in ballot; or
                            ``(iv) by allowing individual to provide a 
                        required signature with a mark or signature 
                        stamp or through the use of an assistant 
                        because of age, disability, or other need;
                    ``(D) sending a voter registration mailer, 
                including a blank voter registration application, a 
                self-sealing prepaid return envelope, and instructions 
                on additional methods to register if the mailer is not 
                accessible, to all eligible individuals with State 
                records who are not currently registered to vote; and
                    ``(E) testing capacity to ensure that existing 
                online voter registration systems can withstand the 
                likely increase in usage.
    ``(c) Interagency Consultation.--Not later than 15 days after the 
date of enactment of this part, the Commission shall--
            ``(1) consult with the Centers for Disease Control and 
        Prevention on preventing transmission of COVID-19 at polling 
        places and election offices; and
            ``(2) consult with the Civil Rights Division of the 
        Department of Justice to ensure changes to voting procedures 
        made pursuant to this part are nondiscriminatory and comply 
        with applicable Federal laws, including this Act, the Americans 
        with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.), the 
        Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act (42 
        U.S.C. 1973ee et seq.), the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (52 
        U.S.C. 10301 et seq.), the National Voter Registration Act of 
        1993 (52 U.S.C. 20501 et seq.), and the Help America Vote Act 
        of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 20901 et seq.).

``SEC. 299. FUNDING; REPORTS.

    ``(a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated, out of 
any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the period of 
fiscal years 2020 and 2021, for making payments under this part, 
$2,500,000,000. Such amounts--
            ``(1) shall be in addition to other amounts otherwise 
        available for such purposes; and
            ``(2) shall remain available until December 31, 2024.
    ``(b) Reports.--Not later than one year after the applicable 
election for which a payment was provided under this part, each 
eligible State that received such funds shall submit a report to the 
Commission on the activities conducted using such payment and to 
substantiate authorized activities described in section 298(b) carried 
out using such funds. Not later than 30 days after receipt of such 
reports, the Commission shall transmit such reports to the Committee on 
Rules and Administration of the Senate and the Committee on House 
Administration of the House of Representatives.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendments.--The table of contents of such Act is 
amended by inserting after the item relating to section 296 the 
following:

 ``PART VII--Grant Program to Promote Safe, Accessible, and Efficient 
                            In-person Voting

``Sec. 297. Payments to States.
``Sec. 298. Eligibility for payment; authorized activities.
``Sec. 299. Funding; reports.''.
                                 <all>