Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, Coretta Scott King, and Cesar E. Chavez Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006

Bill: 109-s-2703
Sponsor: Sen. Specter, Arlen [R-PA]
Introduced: 2006-05-03 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Administrative remedies
Ballots
Bilingualism
Census
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Civil actions and liability
Congress
Congressional oversight
Department of Justice
Election administration
Expert witnesses
Federal employees
Government paperwork
Injunctions
Language and languages
Law
Legal fees
Local laws
Minorities
Office of Personnel Management
Racial discrimination
State laws
Sunset legislation
Voting rights

Summary:
action_date: 2006-05-03
text: 
Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006 - Amends the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to revise requirements for: (1) the use of election examiners and observers; (2) declaratory judgment on the issue of voting qualifications or standards intended to diminish the ability of U.S. citizens to elect preferred candidates; and (3) award of attorney fees in enforcement proceedings to include expert fees and other reasonable costs of litigation.
 
Extends bilingual election requirements through August 5, 2032. Revises the requirements for determining states and political subdivisions covered by them to require use of 2010 American Community Survey census data.
 
Amends the Voting Rights Act of 1965 with respect to the prohibition against the use of tests or devices to deny the right to vote in any federal, state, or local election. Extends both the prohibition and the date for mandatory congressional reconsideration of it.

action_date: 2006-07-19
text: 
Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, Coretta Scott King, and Cesar E. Chavez Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006 - (Sec. 3) Amends the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to revise requirements for the use of examiners and observers at federal elections. Requires the Director of the Office of Personnel (OPM) to assign an appropriate number of observers for any political subdivision in question if: (1) a court has authorized the appointment of observers for the subdivision; or (2) the Attorney General certifies that the assignment of observers is otherwise necessary to enforce the guarantees of the 14th and 15th Amendments because written meritorious complaints indicate that efforts to deny or abridge the right to vote under color of law on account of race or color are likely to occur. Repeals the requirement that federal examiners first be serving in such a political subdivision.

Eliminates the position of federal voting examiner, and related requirements. 

Replaces examiners with federal voting observers with respect to: (1) proceedings to enforce the right to vote; and (2) suspension of the use of tests or devices in determining eligibility to vote.

(Sec. 4) Extends: (1) the time for reconsideration of federal oversight of jurisdictions which once used suspended voting tests or devices until 15 years after the enactment of this Act; and (2) related requirements for such jurisdictions until 25 years after the enactment of this Act.

(Sec. 5) Revises criteria for a declaratory judgment regarding the legality or constitutionality of voting rules changes. States that any voting qualification or prerequisite to voting, or standard, practice, or procedure with respect to voting denies or abridges the right to vote if its purpose is or its effect will be the diminishment of the ability of any U.S. citizens on account of race or color, or in contravention of certain guarantees, to elect their preferred candidates of choice.

(Sec. 6) Authorizes the prevailing party in a civil voting rights enforcement proceeding to recover expert costs as part of recoverable attorney fees.

(Sec. 7) Extends bilingual election requirements through August 5, 2032.
 
(Sec. 8) Revises the requirements for determining states and political subdivisions covered by them to require use of 2010 American Community Survey census data.
 



Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-07-26
text: By Senator Specter from Committee on the Judiciary filed written report. Report No. 109-295. Additional views filed.
action_date: 2006-07-26
text: By Senator Specter from Committee on the Judiciary filed written report. Report No. 109-295. Additional views filed.
action_date: 2006-07-19
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 523.
action_date: 2006-07-19
text: Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Specter with an amendment. Without written report.
action_date: 2006-07-19
text: Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Specter with an amendment. Without written report.
action_date: 2006-07-19
text: Committee on the Judiciary. Ordered to be reported with an amendment favorably.
action_date: 2006-05-10
text: Committee on the Judiciary. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 109-562.
action_date: 2006-05-03
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2006-05-03
text: Introduced in Senate