Postage Free Ballot Act

Bill: 116-hr-1631
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Veasey, Marc A. [D-TX-33]
Introduced: 2019-03-07
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Elections, voting, political campaign regulation

Postal service
Latest action: action_date: 2019-03-07
text: Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform, and in addition to the Committee on House Administration, 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.

Summaries:
action_date: 2019-03-07
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Postage Free Ballot Act</b></p> <p>This bill requires that any absentee ballot for an election be carried through the mail expeditiously and free of charge.</p> <p>The bill directs a state to use a requirements payment under the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to reimburse the U.S. Postal Service for revenue it would have obtained from the mailing of absentee ballots but for the requirement that such ballots be mailed for free.</p>

tv_txt: I 116th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1631 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES March 7, 2019 Mr. Veasey introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform , and in addition to the Committee on House Administration , 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 A BILL To amend title 39, United States Code, to provide that any absentee ballot may be mailed free of postage, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Postage Free Ballot Act . 2. Absentee ballots carried free of postage (a) In general Chapter 34 of title 39, United States Code, is amended by adding after section 3406 the following: 3407. Absentee ballots carried free of postage (a) Any absentee ballot for any election shall be carried expeditiously and free of postage. (b) As used in this section, the term absentee ballot does not include any ballot covered by section 3406. . (b) Clerical amendment The table of sections for chapter 34 of such title is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 3406 the following: 3407. Absentee ballots carried free of postage. . (c) Reimbursement Section 2401(c) of title 39, United States Code, is amended by striking 3406 and inserting 3407 . 3. Use by States of requirements payments under Help America Vote Act of 2002 to reimburse Postal Service (a) Authorizing use of payments Section 251(b) of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 ( 52 U.S.C. 21001(b) ) is amended— (1) in paragraph (1), by striking as provided in paragraphs (2) and (3) and inserting as otherwise provided in this subsection ; and (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (4) Reimbursement of Postal Service for costs associated with absentee ballots A State shall use a requirements payment to reimburse the United States Postal Service for the revenue which the Postal Service would have obtained as the result of the mailing of absentee ballots in the State but for section 3407 of title 39, United States Code. . (b) Effective date The amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to the requirements payments made to a State under part 1 of subtitle D of title II of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 ( 52 U.S.C. 21001 et seq.)— (1) for fiscal year 2019 or any previous fiscal year, but only to the extent that any such payment remains unobligated or unexpended by the State as of the date of the enactment of this Act; and (2) for fiscal year 2020 and each succeeding fiscal year.