Restoring Confidence in America's Elections Act

Bill: 115-hr-3132
Sponsor: Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank," Jr. [D-GA-4]
Introduced: 2017-06-29 in the House
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Accounting and auditing
Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Adult education and literacy
Computers and information technology
Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
Disability and paralysis
Due process and equal protection
Election Assistance Commission
Elections, voting, political campaign regulation
Foreign language and bilingual programs
Government ethics and transparency, public corruption
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Internet and video services
Internet, web applications, social media
Licensing and registrations
Postal service
Research administration and funding
Research and development
State and local government operations
Technology assessment
Telephone and wireless communication
Voting rights

Summary:
action_date: 2017-06-29
text: 

Restoring Confidence in America's Elections Act

 
This bill amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to: (1) prohibit the purchase or use in a federal election of an electronic voting system that does not produce a voter-verified paper record; (2) prohibit the imposition of conditions on voting by mail; (3) make mandatory the availability of early voting; and (4) require sufficient polling places, equipment, and resources to facilitate voting. 
 
The National Science Foundation shall make grants to: (1) study, test, and develop accessible ballot voting, verification, and casting mechanisms and devices and best practices to enhance the accessibility of paper ballot voting for individuals with disabilities, for voters whose primary language is not English, and for voters with difficulties in literacy; and (2) research the development of election-dedicated voting system software.
 
Each state shall, except when the winning candidate had no opponent or received 80% or more of the votes, manually audit federal election results, without advance notice to the precincts selected.
 
The bill amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to make it unlawful for a chief state election administration official, unless such official or an immediate family member is a candidate, to take an active part in political management or in a political campaign for federal office over which such official has supervisory authority.
 
The Department of Justice must initiate an investigation of an allegation of voter intimidation or suppression within 30 days of receiving such an allegation.
 
The Election Assistance Commission shall award grants for the development of voting systems that produce a voter-verified paper record of each vote cast, are compatible with commodity accessibility devices, and are fully accessible for the use of individuals with disabilities.
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2018-05-22
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Research and Technology.
action_date: 2017-07-24
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice.
action_date: 2017-06-29
text: Referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committees on Science, Space, and Technology, and the Judiciary, 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.
action_date: 2017-06-29
text: Referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committees on Science, Space, and Technology, and the Judiciary, 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.
action_date: 2017-06-29
text: Referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committees on Science, Space, and Technology, and the Judiciary, 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.
action_date: 2017-06-29
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2017-06-29
text: Introduced in House