In this task, you are given text for US Congressional and California state bills, your task is to generate a summary for this bill.

Ex Input:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ''Balancing the Rights Of Web Surfers
Equally and Responsibly Act of 2017'' or the ''BROWSER Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. NOTICE OF PRIVACY POLICIES.

(a) In General.--A provider of a covered service shall provide the
users of the service with notice of the privacy policies of the
provider with respect to the service. Such notice shall be clear and
conspicuous.
(b) Availability to Prospective Users.--The notice required by
subsection (a) shall be made available to prospective users--
(1) at the point of sale of, subscription to, or
establishment of an account for the covered service, prior to
such sale, subscription, or establishment, whether such point
of sale, subscription, or establishment is in person, online,
over the telephone, or through another means; or
(2) if there is no such sale, subscription, or
establishment, before the user uses the service.
(c) Persistent Availability.--The notice required by subsection (a)
shall be made persistently available.
(d) Material Changes.--A provider of a covered service shall
provide users with advance notice of any material change to the privacy
policies of the provider. The notice required by this subsection shall
be clear and conspicuous.

SEC. 3. USER OPT-IN OR OPT-OUT APPROVAL RIGHTS BASED ON SENSITIVITY OF
INFORMATION.

(a) Opt-In Approval Required for Sensitive User Information.--
Except as provided in subsection (c), a provider of a covered service
shall obtain opt-in approval from a user to use, disclose, or permit
access to the sensitive user information of the user.
(b) Opt-Out Approval Required for Non-Sensitive User Information.--
Except as provided in subsection (c)--
(1) a provider of a covered service shall obtain opt-out
approval from a user to use, disclose, or permit access to any
of the non-sensitive user information of the user; or
(2) if the provider so chooses, the provider may comply
with the requirement of paragraph (1) by obtaining opt-in
approval from the user to use, disclose, or permit access to
any such non-sensitive user information.
(c) Limitations and Exceptions.--A provider of a covered service
may use, disclose, or permit access to user information without user
approval for the following purposes:
(1) In providing the covered service from which such
information is derived, or in providing services necessary to,
or used in, the provision of such service.
(2) To initiate, render, bill, and collect for the covered
service.
(3) To protect the rights or property of the provider, or
to protect users of the covered service and other service
providers from fraudulent, abusive, or unlawful use of the
service.
(4) To provide location information or non-sensitive user
information--
(A) to a public safety answering point, emergency
medical service provider or emergency dispatch
provider, public safety, fire service, or law
enforcement official, or hospital emergency or trauma
care facility, in order to respond to the request of
the user for emergency services;
(B) to inform the legal guardian of the user, or
members of the immediate family of the user, of the
location of the user in an emergency situation that
involves the risk of death or serious physical harm; or
(C) to providers of information or database
management services solely for purposes of assisting in
the delivery of emergency services in response to an
emergency.
(5) As otherwise required or authorized by law.
(d) Mechanism for Exercising User Approval.--
(1) In general.--A provider of a covered service shall make
available a simple, easy-to-use mechanism for users to grant,
deny, or withdraw opt-in approval or opt-out approval at any
time.
(2) Form and manner.--The mechanism required by paragraph
(1) shall be--
(A) clear and conspicuous; and
(B) made available--
(i) at no additional cost to the user; and
(ii) in a language other than English, if
the provider transacts business with the user
in such other language.
(3) Effect.--The grant, denial, or withdrawal of opt-in
approval or opt-out approval by a user shall--
(A) be given effect promptly; and
(B) remain in effect until the user revokes or
limits such grant, denial, or withdrawal of approval.

SEC. 4. SERVICE OFFERS CONDITIONED ON WAIVERS OF PRIVACY RIGHTS.

A provider of a covered service may not--
(1) condition, or effectively condition, provision of such
service on agreement by a user to waive privacy rights
guaranteed by law or regulation, including this Act; or
(2) terminate such service or otherwise refuse to provide
such service as a direct or indirect consequence of the refusal
of a user to waive any such privacy rights.

SEC. 5. ENFORCEMENT BY FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION.

(a) General Application.--The requirements of this Act apply,
according to their terms, to--
(1) those persons, partnerships, and corporations over
which the Commission has authority pursuant to section 5(a)(2)
of the Federal Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 45(a)(2)); and
(2) providers of broadband internet access service,
notwithstanding the exception in such section for common
carriers subject to the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C.
151 et seq.).
(b) Unfair or Deceptive Acts or Practices.--A violation of this Act
shall be treated as an unfair or deceptive act or practice in or
affecting commerce for purposes of section 5(a)(2) of the Federal Trade
Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 45(a)(2)).
(c) Powers of Commission.--Except as provided in subsection (a)(2)
of this section--
(1) the Commission shall enforce this Act in the same
manner, by the same means, and with the same jurisdiction,
powers, and duties as though all applicable terms and
provisions of the Federal Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 41 et
seq.) were incorporated into and made a part of this Act; and
(2) any person who violates this Act shall be subject to
the penalties and entitled to the privileges and immunities
provided in the Federal Trade Commission Act.

SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:
(1) Broadband internet access service.--
(A) In general.--The term ''broadband internet
access service'' means a mass-market retail service by
wire or radio that provides the capability to transmit
data to and receive data from all or substantially all
internet endpoints, including any capabilities that are
incidental to and enable the operation of the
communications service, but excluding dial-up internet
access service.
(B) Functional equivalent; evasion.--Such term also
includes any service that--
(i) the Commission finds to be providing a
functional equivalent of the service described
in subparagraph (A); or
(ii) is used to evade the protections set
forth in this Act.
(2) Commission.--The term ''Commission'' means the Federal
Trade Commission.
(3) Covered service.--The term ''covered service'' means--
(A) broadband internet access service; or
(B) an edge service.
(4) Edge service.--The term ''edge service''--
(A) means a service provided over the internet--
(i) for which the provider requires the
user to subscribe or establish an account in
order to use the service;
(ii) that the user purchases from the
provider of the service without a subscription
or account;
(iii) by which a program searches for and
identifies items in a database that correspond
to keywords or characters specified by the
user, used especially for finding particular
sites on the World Wide Web; or
(iv) by which the user divulges sensitive
user information; and
(B) includes a service described in subparagraph
(A) that is provided through a software program,
including a mobile application.
(5) Emergency services.--The term ''emergency services''
has the meaning given such term in section 222 of the
Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 222).
(6) Material.--The term ''material'' means, with respect to
a change in a privacy policy of a provider of a covered
service, any change in such policy that a user of the service,
acting reasonably under the circumstances, would consider
important to the decisions of the user regarding the privacy of
the user, including any change to information required to be
included in a privacy notice under section 2.
(7) Mobile application.--The term ''mobile application''
means a software program that runs on the operating system of a
mobile device.
(8) Non-sensitive user information.--The term ''non-
sensitive user information'' means any user information that is
not sensitive user information.
(9) Opt-in approval.--The term ''opt-in approval'' means a
method for obtaining from a user of a covered service consent
to use, disclose, or permit access to sensitive user
information under which the provider of the service obtains
express consent allowing the requested usage, disclosure, or
access to the sensitive user information.
(10) Opt-out approval.--The term ''opt-out approval'' means
a method for obtaining from a user of a covered service consent
to use, disclose, or permit access to non-sensitive user
information under which the user is deemed to have consented to
the use, disclosure, or access to the non-sensitive user
information if the user has failed to object to such use,
disclosure, or access.
(11) Public safety answering point.--The term ''public
safety answering point'' has the meaning given such term in
section 222 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 222).
(12) Sensitive user information.--The term ''sensitive user
information'' includes any of the following:
(A) Financial information.
(B) Health information.
(C) Information pertaining to children under the
age of 13.
(D) Social Security number.
(E) Precise geo-location information.
(F) Content of communications.
(G) Web browsing history, history of usage of a
software program (including a mobile application), and
the functional equivalents of either.
(13) State.--The term ''State'' means each of the several
States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto
Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands of the United
States, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, any
other territory or possession of the United States, and each
federally recognized Indian Tribe.
(14) User.--The term ''user'' means, with respect to a
covered service, a person who--
(A) is a current or former--
(i) subscriber to such service; or
(ii) holder of an account for such service;
(B) purchases such service without a subscription
or account;
(C) is an applicant for such service; or
(D) in the case of a service described in clause
(iii) or (iv) of paragraph (4)(A), uses the service.
(15) User information.--The term ''user information'' means
any information that--
(A) a provider of a covered service acquires in
connection with the provision of such service; and
(B) is linked or reasonably linkable to an
individual.

SEC. 7. RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER LAW.

(a) Preemption of State Law.--No State or political subdivision of
a State shall, with respect to a provider of a covered service subject
to this Act, adopt, maintain, enforce, or impose or continue in effect
any law, rule, regulation, duty, requirement, standard, or other
provision having the force and effect of law relating to or with
respect to the privacy of user information.
(b) Other Federal Law.--
(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2),
nothing in this Act shall be construed to supercede any other
Federal statute or regulation relating to information privacy.
(2) Communications act of 1934.--Insofar as any provision
of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 151 et seq.) or
any regulations promulgated under such Act apply to any person,
partnership, or corporation subject to this Act with respect to
privacy policies, terms of service, and practices covered by
this Act, such provision of the Communications Act of 1934 or
such regulations shall have no force or effect, unless such
regulations pertain to emergency services.

Ex Output:
Balancing the Rights Of Web Surfers Equally and Responsibly Act of 2017 or the BROWSER Act of 2017 This bill authorizes the Federal Trade Commission to enforce information privacy protections that require broadband Internet access services and certain websites or mobile applications providing subscription, account, purchase, or search engine services to allow users to opt-in or opt-out of the use, disclosure, or access to their user information depending on the sensitivity of the information. Opt-in approval through the user's express consent must be obtained for the use of sensitive information that is: financial information, health information, about children under 13, Social Security numbers, precise geo-location information, content of communications, web browsing history, or history of usage of a software program or mobile application. Opt-out approval must be provided for the use of non-sensitive user information under a method in which users are deemed to have consented if they fail to object after being provided notice of privacy policies. The bill allows a service provider to use information without approval for specified purposes, including for services necessary for provision of the service and to initiate, render, bill, and collect for the service. Service providers must allow users to grant, deny, or withdraw approval at any time. The bill prohibits providers from conditioning service on a user's agreement to waive privacy rights.

Ex Input:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ''Coastal Services and Performance
Evaluation Act of 2003''.

SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS.

The table of contents for this Act is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title.
Sec. 2. Table of contents.
Sec. 3. Amendment of Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972.
Sec. 4. Policy.
Sec. 5. Coastal Zone Management Fund.
Sec. 6. Coastal services.
Sec. 7. Review of performance.
Sec. 8. Amendments relating to Walter B. Jones Awards for Excellence in
Coastal Zone Management.
Sec. 9. Reports.
Sec. 10. Authorization of appropriations.
Sec. 11. Technical corrections.
Sec. 12. Coastal zone management outcome indicators and monitoring and
performance evaluation system.

SEC. 3. AMENDMENT OF COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT ACT OF 1972.

Except as otherwise expressly provided, whenever in this Act an
amendment or repeal is expressed in terms of an amendment to, or repeal
of, a section or other provision, the reference shall be considered to
be made to a section or other provision of the Coastal Zone Management
Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1451 et seq.).

SEC. 4. POLICY.

Section 303 (16 U.S.C. 1452) is amended in paragraph (2)(J) by
striking ''State'' the second place it appears and inserting ''State
and Federal fish''.

SEC. 5. COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT FUND.

Section 308 (16 U.S.C. 1456a) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a) by striking paragraph (2) and
inserting the following:
''(2) Loan repayments made pursuant to this subsection--
''(A) shall be retained by the Secretary and
deposited into the Coastal Zone Management Fund
established under subsection (b); and
''(B) subject to amounts provided in appropriation
Acts, shall be available to the Secretary for purposes
of this title and transferred to the Operations,
Research, and Facilities account to offset the costs of
implementing this title.''; and
(2) in subsection (b)--
(A) by striking paragraphs (2) and (3); and
(B) by striking ''(b)(1)'' and inserting ''(b)''.

SEC. 6. COASTAL SERVICES.

Section 310 (16 U.S.C. 1456c) is amended--
(1) by striking so much as precedes subsection (b) and
inserting the following:

''coastal services, training, education, and technical support

''Sec. 310. (a)(1) The Secretary shall conduct a program of
training, education, technical assistance, technology transfer,
management-oriented research, and other services to support--
''(A) State coastal management programs and national
estuarine reserves designated under this title; and
''(B) other Federal agencies, local governments, Indian
tribes, other persons, and international cooperative efforts
relating to the comprehensive planning, conservation, and
management of ocean and coastal resources.
''(2) The Secretary may, in implementing this program, take into
consideration the need to address regional or local concerns, including
the unique needs of island States and territories, in order to provide
effective and efficient support and develop expertise.
''(3) The Secretary shall coordinate the technical assistance,
studies, management-oriented research, and other activities under this
section with any other relevant activities conducted by or subject to
the authority of the Secretary.'';
(2) in subsection (b) by inserting ''Coordination and
Consultation.--'' after ''(b)''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
''(c) Assistance From Other Agencies and Persons.--(1) Each
department, agency, and instrumentality of the executive branch of the
Federal Government may assist the Secretary, on a reimbursable basis or
otherwise, in carrying out the purposes of this section, including the
furnishing of information to the extent permitted by law, the transfer
of personnel with their consent and without prejudice to their position
and rating, and the performance of any research, study, and technical
assistance that does not interfere with the performance of the primary
duties of such department, agency, or instrumentality.
''(2) The Secretary may enter into contracts or other arrangements
with other Federal agencies and any other qualified person for the
purposes of carrying out this section.''.

SEC. 7. REVIEW OF PERFORMANCE.

Section 312 (16 U.S.C. 1458) is amended by striking ''Sec. 312.''
and all that follows through subsection (a) and inserting the
following:
''Sec. 312. (a) Review.--No less than every 5 years, the Secretary
shall conduct a review of the performance of a coastal State's
management program. Each review shall include a written evaluation with
an assessment and detailed findings concerning the extent to which the
State has implemented and enforced the program approved by the
Secretary, addressed the coastal management needs identified in section
303(2)(A) through (K), met any outcome indicators established by the
Secretary under section 12 of the Coastal Services and Performance
Evaluation Act of 2003, and adhered to the terms of any grant, loan, or
cooperative agreement funded under this title.''.

SEC. 8. AMENDMENTS RELATING TO WALTER B. JONES AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE IN
COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT.

Section 314 (16 U.S.C. 1460) is amended--
(1) by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:
''(a) Authorization of Program.--(1) The Secretary may implement a
program to promote excellence in coastal zone management by identifying
and making awards acknowledging outstanding accomplishments in the
field of coastal zone management. An award under this section shall be
known as a 'Walter B. Jones Award'.
''(2) Awards under this section may include, subject to the
availability of appropriations--
''(A) cash awards of not more than $5,000 each;
''(B) research grants; and
''(C) public ceremonies to acknowledge accomplishments in
the field of coastal zone management.'';
(2) in subsection (b) in the matter preceding paragraph
(1), by striking ''shall elect annually'' and inserting ''may
select annually for an award under this section''; and
(3) by repealing subsection (e).

SEC. 9. REPORTS.

Section 316(a) (16 U.S.C. 1462(a)) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) by striking ''to the President for
transmittal''; and
(B) in clause (10) by striking ''and an evaluation
of the effectiveness of financial assistance under
section 308 in dealing with such consequences''; and
(2) by amending subsection (c) to read as follows:
''(c) State of the Coast Report.--Not less than 24 months after the
date of the enactment of this subsection, and not less than every 24
months thereafter, the Secretary shall provide a coastal status report
to the Congress that includes the following:
''(1) An assessment of the ecological status and trends of
United States marine resources.
''(2) An identification and analysis of the changes in
those status and trends since the previous report.
''(3) An identification and assessment of Government
performance measures that track the status and trends of United
States marine resources.
''(4) An evaluation of the adequacy of marine resource
monitoring and assessment programs.''.

SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

Section 318(a) (16 U.S.C. 1464(a)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1) by striking ''and'' after the
semicolon at the end;
(2) in paragraph (2) by striking the period at the end and
inserting ''; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
''(3) to carry out section 310 and for awards under section
314--
''(A) $28,000,000 for fiscal year 2004;
''(B) $29,000,000 for fiscal year 2005; and
''(C) $30,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2006
through 2008.''.

SEC. 11. TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS.

The Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 is amended--
(1) in section 304(5) (16 U.S.C. 1453(5)) by striking the
semicolon and inserting a colon;
(2) in section 306(a), as redesignated by this Act, in
paragraph (10)(A) by inserting a comma after ''development'';
(3) by striking ''coastal state'' each place it appears and
inserting ''coastal State'';
(4) by striking ''coastal states'' each place it appears
and inserting ''coastal States'';
(5) by striking ''coastal state's'' each place it appears
and inserting ''coastal State's'';
(6) by striking the term ''state'' each place it appears in
reference to a State of the United States (other than in the
term ''coastal state'') and inserting ''State'';
(7) by striking the term ''states'' each place it appears
in reference to States of the United States (other than in the
term ''coastal states'') and inserting ''States''; and
(8) by striking the term ''state's'' each place it appears
in reference to a State of the United States (other than in the
term ''coastal state's'') and inserting ''State's''.

SEC. 12. COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT OUTCOME INDICATORS AND MONITORING AND
PERFORMANCE EVALUATION SYSTEM.

(a) In General.--
(1) Performance guidelines and evaluation.--The Secretary
of Commerce shall, by not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, submit to the Committee on Resources of
the House of Representatives a report identifying a common set
of measurable outcome indicators to evaluate the performance of
State coastal zone management programs in furthering the goals
and objectives identified in the States' approved coastal
management programs, and in the achievement of the national
policy declared in section 303 of the Coastal Zone Management
Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1452).
(2) Assessment of coastal and marine monitoring,
assessment, and other information.--The Secretary shall, by not
later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act,
submit to the Committee on Resources of the House of
Representatives a report providing--
(A) an assessment of the adequacy of coastal and
marine monitoring, assessment, and other information
necessary to establish a coastal zone management
outcome monitoring and performance evaluation system;
and
(B) recommendations for improving the availability
of such information, including funding needs.
(3) Outcome monitoring and performance evaluation system.--
The Secretary shall, by not later than 3 years after the date
of the enactment of this Act, establish a national coastal zone
management outcome monitoring and performance evaluation system
that uses the common set of indicators identified in the report
under paragraph (1).
(b) Consultation.--
(1) State consultation.--In preparing each of the reports
under subsection (a), the Secretary shall consult with and
provide a copy of the draft report to each coastal State,
through the Governor of the State or the head of the State
agency designated by such Governor pursuant to section
310(d)(6) of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C.
1455(d)(6)).
(2) Public comment and participation.--The Secretary shall
also implement a public process to solicit the views and
comments of Federal agencies, local governments, regional
organizations, port authorities, and other interested public
and private persons regarding such reports, and shall make
available to such persons copies of each draft of such reports
for review and comment.
(3) Response to comments.--The Secretary shall include in
each final report under subsection (a)--
(A) any comments on each draft of the report
received from a Governor or the head of such a
designated State agency, and the Secretary's responses
to such comments; and
(B) a summary of other public comments regarding
the report, and the Secretary's response to those
comments.
(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this section,
there are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary $1,000,000 for
each of the fiscal years 2004, 2005, and 2006.

Ex Output:
Coastal Services and Performance Evaluation Act of 2003 - Amends Federal law to make loan repayments deposited in the Coastal Zone Management Fund available to offset costs of implementing coastal zone management programs.Requires the Secretary of Commerce to provide training, education, and technical assistance for coastal zone management. Authorizes Federal agencies and instrumentalities to assist the Secretary on a reimbursable basis.Revises review requirements for coastal State management programs to change the frequency of review from continuing to every five years.Makes the Walter B. Jones Excellence in Coastal Zone Management Awards program discretionary instead of mandatory.Requires the Secretary to establish a national coastal zone management outcome indicators monitoring and performance evaluation system that provides for public comment and participation and uses a common set of measurable outcome indicators to evaluate the performance of State coastal zone management programs.

Ex Input:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ''Democracy Restoration Act of 2008''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

The Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The right to vote is the most basic constitutive act of
citizenship. Regaining the right to vote reintegrates offenders
into free society, helping to enhance public safety.
(2) Article I, section 4 of the Constitution of the United
States grants Congress ultimate supervisory power over Federal
elections, an authority which has repeatedly been upheld by the
Supreme Court.
(3) Basic constitutional principles of fairness and equal
protection require an equal opportunity for Americans to vote
in Federal elections. The right to vote may not be abridged or
denied by the United States or by any State on account of race,
color, gender or previous condition of servitude. The 14th and
15th Amendments to the Constitution empower Congress to enact
measures to protect the right to vote in Federal elections.
(4) There are three areas where discrepancies in State laws
regarding felony convictions lead to unfairness in Federal
elections: (A) there is no uniform standard for voting in
Federal elections which leads to an unfair disparity and
unequal participation in Federal elections based solely on
where a person lives; (B) laws governing the restoration of
voting rights after a felony conviction are unequal throughout
the country and persons in some States can easily regain their
voting rights while in other States persons effectively lose
their right to vote permanently; and (C) State
disenfranchisement laws disproportionately impact racial ethnic
minorities.
(5) Disenfranchisement results from varying State laws that
restrict voting while under some form of criminal justice
supervision or after the completion of a felony sentence in
some States. Two States do not disenfranchise felons at all
(Maine and Vermont). Forty-eight States and the District of
Columbia have disenfranchisement laws that deprive convicted
offenders of the right to vote while they are in prison. In
thirty-five States, convicted offenders may not vote while they
are on parole and thirty of these States disenfranchise felony
probationers as well. In ten States, a conviction can result in
lifetime disenfranchisement.
(6) An estimated 5,300,000 Americans, or about one in
forty-one adults, currently cannot vote as a result of a felony
conviction. Nearly 4,000,000 (74 percent) of the 5,300,000
disqualified voters are not in prison, but are on probation or
parole, or are ex-offenders. Approximately 2,000,000 of those
individuals are individuals who have completed their entire
sentence, including probation and parole, yet remain
disenfranchised.
(7) In those States that disenfranchise ex-offenders, the
right to vote can be regained in theory, but in practice this
possibility is often illusory. Offenders must either obtain a
pardon or order from the Governor or action by the parole or
pardon board, depending on the offense and State. Offenders
convicted of a Federal offense often have additional barriers
to regaining voting rights.
(8) In at least 16 States, Federal offenders cannot use the
State procedure for restoring their civil rights. The only
method provided by Federal law for restoring voting rights to
ex-offenders is a Presidential pardon. Few persons who seek to
have their right to vote restored have the financial and
political resources needed to succeed.
(9) State disenfranchisement laws disproportionately impact
ethnic minorities. Thirteen percent of the African American
adult male population, or 1,400,000 African American men, are
disenfranchised. Given current rates of incarceration, three in
ten of the next generation of black men will be disenfranchised
at some point during their lifetime. Hispanic citizens are also
disproportionately disenfranchised since they are
disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system.
(10) Disenfranchising citizens who have been convicted of a
felony offense and who are living and working in the community
serves no compelling State interest and hinders their
rehabilitation and reintegration into society.
(11) State disenfranchisement laws suppress electoral
participation among eligible voters and damage the integrity of
the electoral process. State disenfranchisement laws
significantly impact the rate of electoral participation among
the children of disenfranchised parents.
(12) The United States in the only Western democracy that
permits the permanent denial of voting rights to individuals
with felony convictions.

SEC. 3. RIGHTS OF CITIZENS.

The right of an individual who is a citizen of the United States to
vote in any election for Federal office shall not be denied or abridged
because that individual has been convicted of a criminal offense unless
such individual is serving a felony sentence in a correctional
institution or facility at the time of the election.

SEC. 4. ENFORCEMENT.

(a) Attorney General.--The Attorney General may, in a civil action,
obtain such declaratory or injunctive relief as is necessary to remedy
a violation of this Act.
(b) Private Right of Action.--
(1) A person who is aggrieved by a violation of this Act
may provide written notice of the violation to the chief
election official of the State involved.
(2) Except as provided in paragraph (3), if the violation
is not corrected within 90 days after receipt of a notice under
paragraph (1), or within 20 days after receipt of the notice if
the violation occurred within 120 days before the date of an
election for Federal office, the aggrieved person may, in a
civil action obtain declaratory or injunctive relief with
respect to the violation.
(3) If the violation occurred within 30 days before the
date of an election for Federal office, the aggrieved person
need not provide notice to the chief election official of the
State under paragraph (1) before bringing a civil action to
obtain declaratory or injunctive relief with respect to the
violation.

SEC. 5. NOTIFICATION OF RESTORATION OF VOTING RIGHTS.

(a) State Notification.--
(1) Notification.--On the date determined under paragraph
(2), each State shall notify in writing any individual who has
been convicted of a criminal offense under the law of that
State that such individual has the right to vote in an election
for Federal office pursuant to the Democracy Restoration Act
and may register to vote in any such election.
(2) Date of notification.--
(A) Felony conviction.--In the case of such an
individual who has been convicted of a felony, the
notification required under paragraph (1) shall be
given on the date on which the individual--
(i) is sentenced to serve only a term of
probation; or
(ii) is released from the custody of that
State (other than to the custody of another
State or the Federal Government to serve a term
of imprisonment for a felony conviction).
(B) Misdemeanor conviction.--In the case of such an
individual who has been convicted of a misdemeanor, the
notification required under paragraph (1) shall be
given on the date on which such individual is sentenced
by a State court.
(b) Federal Notification.--
(1) Notification.--On the date determined under paragraph
(2), the Director of the Bureau of Prisons shall notify in
writing any individual who has been convicted of a criminal
offense under Federal law that such individual has the right to
vote in an election for Federal office pursuant to the
Democracy Restoration Act and may register to vote in any such
election.
(2) Date of notification.--
(A) Felony conviction.--In the case of such an
individual who has been convicted of a felony, the
notification required under paragraph (1) shall be
given on the date on which the individual--
(i) is sentenced to serve only a term of
probation by a court established by an Act of
Congress; or
(ii) is released from the custody of the
Bureau of Prisons (other than to the custody of
a State to serve a term of imprisonment for a
felony conviction).
(B) Misdemeanor conviction.--In the case of such an
individual who has been convicted of a misdemeanor, the
notification required under paragraph (1) shall be
given on the date on which such individual is sentenced
by a State court.

SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS.

For purposes of this Act:
(1) Correctional institution or facility.--The term
''correctional institution or facility'' means any prison,
penitentiary, jail, or other institution or facility for the
confinement of individuals convicted of criminal offenses,
whether publicly or privately operated, except that such term
does not include any residential community treatment center (or
similar public or private facility).
(2) Election.--The term ''election'' means--
(A) a general, special, primary, or runoff
election;
(B) a convention or caucus of a political party
held to nominate a candidate;
(C) a primary election held for the selection of
delegates to a national nominating convention of a
political party; or
(D) a primary election held for the expression of a
preference for the nomination of persons for election
to the office of President.
(3) Federal office.--The term ''Federal office'' means the
office of President or Vice President of the United States, or
of Senator or Representative in, or Delegate or Resident
Commissioner to, the Congress of the United States.
(4) Probation.--The term ''probation'' means probation,
imposed by a Federal, State, or local court, with or without a
condition on the individual involved concerning--
(A) the individual's freedom of movement;
(B) the payment of damages by the individual;
(C) periodic reporting by the individual to an
officer of the court; or
(D) supervision of the individual by an officer of
the court.

SEC. 7. RELATION TO OTHER LAWS.

(a) State Laws Relating to Voting Rights.--Nothing in this Act
shall be construed to prohibit the States enacting any State law which
affords the right to vote in any election for Federal office on terms
less restrictive than those established by this Act.
(b) Certain Federal Acts.--The rights and remedies established by
this Act are in addition to all other rights and remedies provided by
law, and neither rights and remedies established by this Act shall
supersede, restrict, or limit the application of the Voting Rights Act
of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 1973 et seq.) or the National Voter Registration Act
(42 U.S.C. 1973-gg).

SEC. 8. FEDERAL PRISON FUNDS.

No State, unit of local government, or other person may receive or
use, to construct or otherwise improve a prison, jail, or other place
of incarceration, any Federal grant amounts unless that person has in
effect a program under which each individual incarcerated in that
person's jurisdiction who is a citizen of the United States is
notified, upon release from such incarceration, of that individual's
rights under section 3.

SEC. 9. EFFECTIVE DATE.

This Act shall apply to citizens of the United States voting in any
election for Federal office held after the date of the enactment of
this Act.

Ex Output:
Democracy Restoration Act of 2008 - Declares that the right of a U.S. citizen to vote in any election for federal office shall not be denied or abridged because that individual has been convicted of a criminal offense unless, at the time of the election, such individual is serving a felony sentence in a correctional institution or facility. Provides for enforcement and remedies for violations of this Act.

Specifies that: (1) nothing in this Act shall be construed to prohibit a state from enacting any state law that affords the right to vote in any election for federal office on terms less restrictive than those terms established by this Act; and (2) the rights and remedies established by this Act shall be in addition to all other rights and remedies provided by law, and shall not supersede, restrict, or limit the application of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 or the National Voter Registration Act of 1993. Prohibits any state, unit of local government, or other person from receiving or using any federal grant amounts to construct or improve a place of incarceration unless that person has a program to notify each U.S. citizen incarcerated in that person's jurisdiction, on release from such incarceration, of that individual's rights under this Act.