Voter Information and Access Act of 2018

Bill: 115-hr-7359
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Moore, Gwen [D-WI-4]
Introduced: 2018-12-20
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Adult education and literacy

Correctional facilities and imprisonment

Detention of persons

Elections, voting, political campaign regulation

Licensing and registrations

Voting rights
Latest action: action_date: 2018-12-20
text: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Summaries:
action_date: 2018-12-20
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Voter Information and Access Act of 2018</strong></p> <p>This bill expands the uses of certain Department of Justice (DOJ) grant funds to include voting restoration and voter registration education for persons in prisons, jails, and juvenile facilities.</p> <p>DOJ is authorized to make grants to states and units of local government to: (1) install polling places in jails for use by detained persons eligible to vote; (2) provide absentee ballots to detained persons eligible to vote; and (3) provide counseling, education, and information services on voting restoration and voter registration in prisons.<br> </p>

tv_txt: I 115th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 7359 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES December 20, 2018 Ms. Moore (for herself, Ms. Jackson Lee , Ms. Clarke of New York , and Ms. Norton ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To authorize the use of certain Department of Justice grant funds for voting restoration education, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Voter Information and Access Act of 2018 . 2. Use of Department of Justice grant funds for voting restoration education (a) Second Chance Act of 2007 Section 3 of the Second Chance Act of 2007 ( 34 U.S.C. 60501 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (a)— (A) in paragraph (5), by striking and at the end; (B) in paragraph (6), by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon; and (C) by inserting after paragraph (6) the following: (7) to provide persons in prisons, jails, and juvenile facilities (as applicable) with counseling, education, and information services on voting restoration and voter registration; and (8) to install polling stations in jails or provide absentee ballots to incarcerated persons who are eligible to vote. ; and (2) in subsection (b), by adding at the end the following: (20) Restoring the voting rights of incarcerated persons after their release can reduce recidivism . (b) Adult and juvenile offender state and local reentry demonstration projects Section 2976 of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 ( 34 U.S.C. 10631 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (b)(1), by inserting after literacy, the following: voting restoration, voter registration, ; (2) in subsection (e)(3), by inserting after victims services, the following: voting restoration, voter registration, ; (3) in subsection (j)(2)— (A) in subparagraph (G), by striking and at the end; (B) in subparagraph (H), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and ; and (C) by inserting after subparagraph (H) the following: (I) increased voter registration or restoration. ; and (4) in subsection (m)(3)— (A) in subparagraph (H), by striking and at the end; (B) in subparagraph (I), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and ; and (C) by inserting after subparagraph (I) the following: (J) disseminate relevant voter restoration and voter registration information for each State. . (c) State, tribal, and local reentry courts Section 2978(b)(4) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 ( 34 U.S.C. 10633(b)(4) ) is amended— (1) in subparagraph (E), by striking and at the end; and (2) by inserting after subparagraph (F) the following: (G) voter registration; and . (d) Federal formerly incarcerated persons reentry initiative Section 4042(a)(E) of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: (viii) Voting restoration and voter registration. . 3. Grants to encourage voting among eligible detained and incarcerated persons (a) Authorization The Attorney General is authorized to make grants to States and units of local government to— (1) install polling places in jails for use by detained persons eligible to vote; (2) provide absentee ballots to detained persons eligible to vote; and (3) provide counseling, education, and information services on voting restoration and voter registration in prisons. (b) Application The chief executive officer of a State or unit of local government seeking a grant under this section shall submit to the Attorney General an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Attorney General may reasonably require. (c) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that recipients of grants under this section should continue to partner with entities possessing an existing and proven track record of providing affected populations with services described in subsection (a) on the date of the enactment of this Act.