Restoring Important Voter Eligibility Requirements to States Act of 2013 - Amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require an applicant for voter registration for federal elections to state affirmatively in the application form provided along with an application for a motor vehicle driver's license (as well as in other voter registration forms) that the applicant meets the eligibility requirements for voting in such elections as a condition of the application's acceptance.
Requires all such forms to include a statement specifying the penalty for perjury in an application for voter registration.
Prohibits states from registering an individual to vote in federal elections unless they verify that the information provided in the individual's application is correct.
Requires the head of an office of the federal government, upon request, to enter into an agreement with the chief state election official to enable the official to verify the eligibility of such an applicant.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2829 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2829
To amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require an
applicant for voter registration for elections for Federal office to
affirmatively state that the applicant meets the eligibility
requirements for voting in such elections as a condition of completing
the application, to require States to verify that an applicant for
registering to vote in such elections meets the eligibility
requirements for voting in such elections prior to registering the
applicant to vote, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 25, 2013
Mr. Culberson (for himself and Mr. Rokita) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration, and
in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, 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 the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require an
applicant for voter registration for elections for Federal office to
affirmatively state that the applicant meets the eligibility
requirements for voting in such elections as a condition of completing
the application, to require States to verify that an applicant for
registering to vote in such elections meets the eligibility
requirements for voting in such elections prior to registering the
applicant to vote, 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 ``Restoring Important Voter
Eligibility Requirements to States Act of 2013''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSE.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds as follows:
(1) Congress enacted the National Voter Registration Act of
1993 (42 U.S.C. 1973gg et seq.) to promote the rights of
citizens of the United States to exercise the fundamental right
to vote, as set forth in the findings of such Act (42 U.S.C.
1973gg(a)).
(2) While the purposes of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1973gg(b))
include increasing voter registration and voter participation
in elections for Federal office, the language does not refer to
individuals in general but refers exclusively to ``eligible
citizens of the United States''.
(3) An additional purpose of such Act is to ``protect the
integrity of the electoral process'' (42 U.S.C. 1973gg(b)(3)).
(4) Individuals who do not meet the eligibility
requirements for voting in elections for Federal office,
including individuals who are not citizens of the United
States, have been permitted to register to vote in such
elections and are presumably casting ballots in such elections.
(5) The participation of ineligible voters in elections for
Federal office is in direct conflict with the intent of
Congress in enacting the National Voter Registration Act of
1993 and with the purpose of such Act.
(b) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this Act to ensure that the
procedures for registering individuals to vote in elections for Federal
office are consistent with the purposes of the National Voter
Registration Act of 1993.
SEC. 3. EXPANDED REQUIREMENTS FOR CONTENTS OF VOTER REGISTRATION
APPLICATION FORMS.
(a) Requiring Affirmative Statement That Applicant Meets
Eligibility Requirements as Condition of Acceptance.--
(1) Forms provided with application for motor vehicle
driver's license.--Section 5(c)(2)(C)(ii) of the National Voter
Registration Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C. 1973gg-3(c)(2)(C)(ii)) is
amended to read as follows:
``(ii) the applicant must state affirmatively that
the applicant meets each such requirement as a
condition of the acceptance of the application; and''.
(2) Forms provided by other voter registration agencies.--
Section 7(a)(6)(A)(i)(II) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1973gg-
5(a)(6)(A)(i)(II)) is amended to read as follows:
``(II) the applicant must state
affirmatively that the applicant meets each
such requirement as a condition of the
acceptance of the application; and''.
(3) Mail registration forms.--Section 303(b)(4)(A) of the
Help America Vote Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 15483(b)(4)(A)) is
amended--
(A) by redesignating clause (iv) as clause (v); and
(B) by inserting after clause (iii) the following
new clause:
``(iv) The statement `If you do not check
``yes'' in response to both of these questions,
your application will not be accepted.'.''.
(b) Inclusion of Statement Specifying Penalty for Perjury.--
(1) Forms provided with application for motor vehicle
driver's license.--Section 5(c)(2)(D) of the National Voter
Registration Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C. 1973gg-3(c)(2)(D)) is
amended--
(A) by striking ``and'' at the end of clause (ii);
and
(B) by adding at the end the following new clause:
``(iv) a statement that an applicant who knowingly
provides false information in the application commits
perjury, as well as a description of the specific fine
and term of imprisonment that may be imposed on an
applicant who commits perjury by providing such false
information; and''.
(2) Forms provided by other voter registration agencies.--
Section 7(a)(6)(A)(i) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1973gg-
5(a)(6)(A)(i)) is amended--
(A) by striking ``and'' at the end of subclause
(II);
(B) by striking ``or'' at the end of subclause
(III) and inserting ``and''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following new
subclause:
``(IV) describes how an applicant who
knowingly provides false information in the
application commits perjury, as well as a
description of the specific fine and term of
imprisonment that may be imposed on an
applicant who commits perjury by providing such
false information; or''.
(3) Mail registration forms.--Section 303(b)(4)(A) of the
Help America Vote Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 15483(b)(4)(A)), as
amended by subsection (a)(3), is amended--
(A) by redesignating clause (v) as clause (vi); and
(B) by inserting after clause (iv) the following
new clause:
``(v) A statement informing the individual
that an individual who knowingly provides a
false answer to either of these questions
commits perjury, as well as a description of
the specific fine and term of imprisonment that
may be imposed on an individual who commits
perjury by providing such a false answer.''.
(4) Rule of construction.--Nothing in the amendments made
by this subsection shall be construed to prohibit the Election
Assistance Commission or any State or local election official
from including on a voter registration form any information
regarding any of the sanctions that may be imposed upon an
individual as a result of information the individual provides
on the form.
SEC. 4. VERIFICATION OF INFORMATION PROVIDED BY APPLICANTS FOR VOTER
REGISTRATION.
(a) Requiring States To Verify Information.--Section 8 of the
National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C. 1973gg-6) is
amended--
(1) by redesignating subsection (j) as subsection (k); and
(2) by inserting after subsection (i) the following new
subsection:
``(j) Verification of Information Provided by Applicants.--
``(1) Verification required.--A State may not register an
individual to vote in elections for Federal office in the
State, including an individual who submits the mail voter
registration application form prescribed by the Election
Assistance Commission pursuant to section 9(a)(2), unless the
State verifies that the information provided by the individual
in the individual's application for voter registration is
correct.
``(2) Methods of verification.--For purposes of paragraph
(1), a State may verify the information provided by an
applicant for voter registration through such methods as the
State considers appropriate, including requiring the applicant
to provide (at the time of submitting a voter registration
application with an application for a motor vehicle driver's
license under section 5 or at the time of submitting any other
application form under this Act) documentary evidence that the
applicant meets the eligibility requirements for voting in
elections for Federal office in the State, including the
requirement that the applicant is a United States citizen.''.
(b) Requiring Federal Officials To Provide Information.--
(1) In general.--Section 9 of the National Voter
Registration Act (42 U.S.C. 1973gg-7) is amended by adding at
the end the following new subsection:
``(c) Assisting Election Officials With Verification of Applicant
Information.--
``(1) Requiring agreements upon request.--At the request of
the chief State election official, the head of an office of the
Federal government shall enter into an agreement with the
official for the purpose of enabling the official to verify
information regarding the eligibility of an applicant for voter
registration in the State to vote in elections for Federal
office in the State.
``(2) Deadline for entering into agreement.--The head of an
office of the Federal government who receives a request from a
chief State election official to enter into an agreement under
paragraph (1) shall enter into such an agreement with the
official not later than 30 days after receiving the request.
``(3) No effect on other requirements.--Nothing in
paragraph (1) shall be construed to affect the requirements of
section 8(g) (relating to information provided by a United
States attorney regarding offenders) or section 205(r) of the
Social Security Act (relating to agreements with the
Commissioner of Social Security for the purpose of verifying
certain information).''.
(2) Clarification of information provided by commissioner
of social security under existing authority.--Section
205(r)(8)(D)(i)(I) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
405(r)(8)(D)(i)(I)) is amended by striking ``the date of
birth'' and inserting ``the location and date of birth''.
SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE.
The amendments made by this Act shall apply with respect to
elections occurring after the expiration of the 1-year period which
begins on the date of the enactment of this Act.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, 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 the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, 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.
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