II 118th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 1609 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES May 16, 2023 Ms. Klobuchar (for herself, Mr. Warner , Mr. Padilla , Mr. Welch , Mr. Brown , Mr. Sanders , Ms. Smith , Mr. Whitehouse , and Mr. Wyden ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration A BILL To direct the Election Assistance Commission to establish a program to make grants to States to provide increased pay for election workers, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Support Our Election Workers Act . 2. Program for grants to support election workers (a) Establishment of program 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: 7 Payments to help support election workers 297. Establishment and operation of grant program (a) In general The Commission shall establish and operate a program under which the Commission shall make payments to eligible States for providing increased pay for election workers, including individuals serving as election officials or poll workers on a temporary or unpaid basis. (b) Amount of payment (1) Amount The amount of a payment made to a State under the program established under this part shall be equal to the greater of— (A) the reasonable costs the State expects to incur in providing increased pay for election workers, as determined by the Commission taking into account the information provided by the State in the plan described in section 297A; or (B) the minimum payment amount described in paragraph (2) with respect to the fiscal year. (2) Minimum payment amount The minimum payment amount described in this paragraph with respect to a fiscal year is equal to one-half of 1 percent of the aggregate amount made available during the fiscal year for payments under the program established under this part. (c) Application In order to be eligible to receive a payment under the program established under this part, a State shall submit to the Commission, at such time and in such form as the Commission may require, an application containing a description of a plan for how the State will use the payment to provide increased pay to election workers, as described in section 297A, together with such other information and assurances as the Commission may require. (d) Reports A State receiving a payment under the program established under this part shall submit to the Commission such reports on the State’s use of the payment as the Commission may require. 297A. State plan for providing increased pay to election workers (a) Elements of plan A State’s plan for providing increased pay to election workers shall include the following elements: (1) A description of how the State will use increased pay to retain qualified election workers and to recruit new election workers. (2) The requirements an individual must meet in order to be eligible to receive increased pay under the plan. (3) The amount of the reasonable costs the State expects to incur in providing increased pay for such eligible individuals. (4) The procedures for carrying out the plan, including the extent to which State and local election officials will be responsible for carrying out the plan. (b) Opportunity of all election workers To receive pay Under the State’s plan, the State may not treat an election worker as ineligible to receive increased pay solely because the individual does not interact directly with voters, individuals attempting to vote, or individuals attempting to register to vote. 297B. Coverage of Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands In this part, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands shall be considered a State. 297C. Authorization of appropriations There are authorized to be appropriated for payments under this part such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2024 and each succeeding fiscal year. . (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 to help support election workers Sec. 297. Establishment and operation of grant program. Sec. 297A. State plan for providing increased pay to election workers. Sec. 297B. Coverage of Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands. Sec. 297C. Authorization of appropriations. .