Disaster Assistance Voting Act of 2009 - Applies certain protections for absent military and overseas voters to individuals evacuated (eligible evacuees) as a result of a major disaster.
Requires any eligible evacuee to be treated in the same manner as an absentee uniformed services voter and overseas voter for purposes of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act. Deems such an individual to be entitled to vote by absentee ballot for purposes of the National Voter Reigistration Act of 1993 and the Help America Vote Act of 2002.
Directs the Election Assistance Commission to make grants to eligible states to: (1) restore and replace supplies, materials, and equipment used in the state election administration which were damaged as a result of a major natural disaster; and (2) conduct outreach and education for voters displaced for the same reason.
Amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require delay for at least three (currently, two) consecutive federal general elections before removal of eligible evacuees from the official list of voters by reason of their not voting or appearing to vote in several consecutive such elections.
Requires each motor vehicle authority and each voter registration agency in a state to take necessary steps to notify individuals to whom their services are provided of the protections afforded by this Act and of the requirements for obtaining them, including submission of an affidavit stating that the individual intends to return to the place of residence where the individual is otherwise qualified to vote.
Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to direct the President to send a similar notice to each individual and household receiving assistance under that Act.
[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3416 Introduced in House (IH)]
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3416
To extend to individuals evacuated from their residences as a result of
a major disaster the right to use the absentee balloting and
registration procedures available to military and overseas voters under
the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, to direct the
Election Assistance Commission to make grants to States to respond to
election administration needs which result from a major disaster, and
for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 30, 2009
Mr. Davis of Alabama introduced the following bill; which was referred
to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, 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 extend to individuals evacuated from their residences as a result of
a major disaster the right to use the absentee balloting and
registration procedures available to military and overseas voters under
the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, to direct the
Election Assistance Commission to make grants to States to respond to
election administration needs which result from a major disaster, and
for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Disaster Assistance Voting Act of
2009''.
SEC. 2. APPLICABILITY OF PROTECTIONS FOR ABSENT MILITARY AND OVERSEAS
VOTERS TO INDIVIDUALS EVACUATED AS A RESULT OF MAJOR
DISASTER.
(a) Right of Evacuees To Use Absentee Balloting and Registration
Procedures Available to Military and Overseas Voters.--In the case of
any individual who is an eligible evacuee--
(1) the individual shall be treated in the same manner as
an absent uniformed services voter and overseas voter for
purposes of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting
Act (42 U.S.C. 1973ff et seq.), other than section 103(b)(1)
(42 U.S.C. 1973ff-2(b)(1)); and
(2) the individual shall be deemed to be an individual who
is entitled to vote by absentee ballot for purposes of the
National Voter Registration Act of 1993 and the Help America
Vote Act of 2002.
(b) Definitions.--For purposes of this section, the following
definitions apply:
(1) The term ``eligible evacuee'' means an individual--
(A) who certifies to the appropriate State election
official that the individual's predisaster primary
residence is rendered uninhabitable or inaccessible as
a result of damage or evacuation caused by a major
disaster; and
(B) who provides the official with an affidavit
stating that the individual intends to return to the
place of residence where the individual is otherwise
qualified to vote after the election or elections
involved.
(2) The term ``major disaster'' has the meaning given such
term under section 102 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster
Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122).
(3) The term ``State'' means each of the several States,
the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico,
American Samoa, Guam, and the United States Virgin Islands.
(c) Effective Date.--This section shall apply with respect to
elections for Federal office held in calendar years beginning with
2010.
SEC. 3. GRANTS TO STATES FOR RESPONDING TO ELECTION ADMINISTRATION
NEEDS RESULTING FROM MAJOR NATURAL DISASTERS.
(a) Authority To Make Grants.--The Election Assistance Commission
shall make a grant to each eligible State, in such amount as the
Commission considers appropriate, for purposes of restoring and
replacing supplies, materials, and equipment used in the administration
of elections in the State which were damaged as a result of a major
natural disaster, and for conducting voter outreach and education for
voters displaced as a result of a major natural disaster, as determined
on the basis of such criteria as the Commission may establish.
(b) Eligibility.--
(1) In general.--A State is eligible to receive a grant
under this section if it submits to the Commission (at such
time and in such form as the Commission may require) a
certification that supplies, materials, and equipment used in
the administration of elections in the State were damaged as a
result of a major natural disaster.
(2) Preference for states using funds for satellite voting
sites.--In determining the eligibility of States for receiving
grants under this section and the amount of the grant awarded
to a State, the Commission shall give preference to States
which will use the grant to operate voting sites for displaced
voters which are located outside of the area which was affected
by the major natural disaster.
(c) Definition.--In this section, the term ``State'' means each of
the several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, and the United States Virgin
Islands.
(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated for fiscal year 2010 and each succeeding fiscal year such
sums as may be necessary to carry out this section, to remain available
until expended.
SEC. 4. DELAY IN REMOVAL OF REGISTRANTS FROM OFFICIAL LIST OF VOTERS ON
GROUNDS OF CHANGE OF RESIDENCE.
Section 8 of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C.
1973gg-6) is amended--
(1) in subsection (b)(2)(B), by inserting after ``2 or
more'' the following: ``(or, in the case of an individual who
at any time after the applicable registrar sends the notice is
an eligible evacuee under the Disaster Assistance Voting Act of
2009, 3 or more)''; and
(2) in subsection (d)(1)(B)(ii), by inserting after ``the
second general election'' the following: ``(or, in the case of
an individual who at any time after the date of the notice is
an eligible evacuee under the Disaster Assistance Voting Act of
2009, the third general election)''.
SEC. 5. NOTIFYING DISPLACED INDIVIDUALS OF AVAILABILITY OF PROTECTIONS.
(a) Individuals Receiving Services at Designated State Voter
Registration Agencies.--Each motor vehicle authority in a State and
each voter registration agency designated in a State under section 7(a)
of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 shall take such steps as
may be necessary to notify individuals to whom services are provided of
the protections provided by section 2 and of the requirements for
obtaining those protections, including the requirement to submit an
affidavit stating that the individual intends to return to the place of
residence where the individual is otherwise qualified to vote.
(b) Applicants for Housing Assistance Under Stafford Act.--
(1) In general.--Section 408(b) of the Robert T. Stafford
Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C.
5174(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following new
paragraph:
``(3) Notification of availability of right to use certain
absentee balloting and registration procedures.--The President
shall notify each individual and household who receives housing
assistance under this section of the protections provided by
section 2 of the Disaster Assistance Voting Act of 2009
(relating to the right to register to vote and vote by absentee
ballot in elections for Federal office) and of the requirements
for obtaining those protections, including the requirement to
submit an affidavit stating that the individual intends to
return to the place of residence where the individual is
otherwise qualified to vote.''.
(2) Effective date.--The amendment made by paragraph (1)
shall apply with respect to assistance received on or after the
date of the enactment of this Act.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to House Administration
Referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, 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.
Referred to House Transportation and Infrastructure
Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management.
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line