EAC Reauthorization Act of 2017
This bill amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to: (1) reauthorize the Election Assistance Commission through FY2022, (2) authorize funding to states for FY2018 for security upgrades to voter registration lists and processes and waive the 5% match requirement for these funds, (3) require each state to furnish to the commission such information as the commission may request for the purposes of conducting any post-election surveys of the states with respect to the administration of a regularly scheduled general election, and (4) require the National Institute of Standards and Technology to report on its use of funds transferred from the commission.
The commission shall carry out an assessment: (1) of whether the voting systems available for use in the elections for federal office to be held in 2018 are adequate to meet the demands of such elections, and (2) of the security and effectiveness of the commission's information technology systems.
The commission shall carry out a review of the effectiveness and efficiency of the state-based administrative complaint procedures established and maintained under such Act for the investigation and resolution of allegations of violations.
[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 794 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
115th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 794
To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to reauthorize and improve
the operation of the Election Assistance Commission, to provide funds
to States to make security upgrades to voter registration lists and
processes, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 1, 2017
Mr. Brady of Pennsylvania (for himself, Mr. Hoyer, Ms. Lofgren, and Mr.
Raskin) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on
Science, Space, and Technology, 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 Help America Vote Act of 2002 to reauthorize and improve
the operation of the Election Assistance Commission, to provide funds
to States to make security upgrades to voter registration lists and
processes, 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; FINDINGS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``EAC
Reauthorization Act of 2017''.
(b) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) The elections for Federal office which were held in
November 2016 were plagued with a number of problems,
including--
(A) foreign interference, as confirmed by the
United States intelligence community;
(B) a worsening voting machine infrastructure that
will continue to deteriorate without congressional
action; and
(C) a lack of resources at the State and local
level that will make election administration more
challenging.
(2) The Election Assistance Commission is the only Federal
agency charged with making elections more fair, accurate,
accessible, and efficient by providing best practices,
information, and voting machine certifications to States.
(3) The Election Assistance Commission should be equipped
with the tools necessary to undertake its nonpartisan mission
of helping State and local election officials administer their
elections and ensuring the accuracy, integrity, and security of
our elections.
SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION OF ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION.
Section 210 of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 20930)
is amended by striking ``for each of the fiscal years 2003 through
2005'' and inserting ``for each of the fiscal years 2017 through
2022''.
SEC. 3. ASSISTANCE TO STATES FOR SECURITY UPGRADES TO VOTER
REGISTRATION LISTS AND PROCESSES.
(a) Authorization of Funding.--Section 257(a) of the Help America
Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21007(a)) is amended by adding at the end
the following new paragraph:
``(5) For fiscal year 2018, such sums as may be necessary
for such payments, except that a State may use a requirement
payment made with funds authorized under this paragraph solely
to upgrade the security of the State's voter registration lists
and voter registration processes and to carry out other
activities necessary to meet the requirements of section
303(a)(3) (relating to the technological security of the
State's computerized voter registration list).''.
(b) Waiver of 5-Percent Match Requirement.--Section 253(b)(5) of
such Act (52 U.S.C. 21003(b)(5)) is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``subparagraph (B)''
and inserting ``subparagraphs (B) and (C)''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
``(C) Subparagraph (A) shall not apply for purposes of
determining the eligibility of a State to receive a
requirements payment appropriated pursuant to the authorization
provided under section 257(a)(5) of this title for fiscal year
2018.''.
SEC. 4. ASSESSMENT OF ADEQUACY OF VOTING SYSTEMS AND MACHINES.
(a) Assessment.--In consultation with the election officials of
each State, the Election Assistance Commission shall carry out an
assessment of whether the voting systems, including the voting
machines, available for use in the elections for Federal office to be
held in 2018 are adequate to meet the demands of such elections.
(b) Plan for Replacement of Outdated and Inadequate Machines.--Not
later than December 31, 2017, the Commission shall submit to Congress
and the States a report on the assessment carried out under subsection
(a), and shall include in the report a plan for replacing voting
machines which the Commission determines, on the basis of such
assessment, are outdated or otherwise not capable of meeting the
demands of the elections for Federal office to be held in 2018.
(c) Definition.--In this section, the term ``State'' has the
meaning given such term in section 901 of the Help America Vote Act of
2002 (52 U.S.C. 21141).
SEC. 5. REQUIRING STATES TO PARTICIPATE IN POST-GENERAL ELECTION
SURVEYS.
(a) Requirement.--Title III of the Help America Vote Act of 2002
(52 U.S.C. 21081 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 303 the
following new section:
``SEC. 303A. REQUIRING PARTICIPATION IN POST-GENERAL ELECTION SURVEYS.
``(a) Requirement.--Each State shall furnish to the Commission such
information as the Commission may request for purposes of conducting
any post-election survey of the States with respect to the
administration of a regularly scheduled general election for Federal
office.
``(b) Effective Date.--This section shall apply with respect to the
regularly scheduled general election for Federal office held in
November 2018 and any succeeding election.''.
(b) Conforming Amendment Relating to Enforcement.--Section 401 of
such Act (52 U.S.C. 21111) is amended by striking ``and 303'' and
inserting ``303, and 303A''.
(c) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents of such Act is
amended by inserting after the item relating to section 303 the
following new item:
``Sec. 303A. Requiring participation in post-general election
surveys.''.
SEC. 6. REPORTS BY NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY ON
USE OF FUNDS TRANSFERRED FROM ELECTION ASSISTANCE
COMMISSION.
(a) Requiring Reports on Use Funds as Condition of Receipt.--
Section 231 of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 20971) is
amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
``(e) Report on Use of Funds Transferred From Commission.--To the
extent that funds are transferred from the Commission to the Director
of the National Institute of Standards and Technology for purposes of
carrying out this section during any fiscal year, the Director may not
use such funds unless the Director certifies at the time of transfer
that the Director will submit a report to the Commission not later than
90 days after the end of the fiscal year detailing how the Director
used such funds during the year.''.
(b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall
apply with respect to fiscal year 2018 and each succeeding fiscal year.
SEC. 7. RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE OPERATIONS OF ELECTION ASSISTANCE
COMMISSION.
(a) Assessment of Information Technology and Cybersecurity.--Not
later than December 31, 2017, the Election Assistance Commission shall
carry out an assessment of the security and effectiveness of the
Commission's information technology systems, including the
cybersecurity of such systems.
(b) Improvements to Administrative Complaint Procedures.--
(1) Review of procedures.--The Election Assistance
Commission shall carry out a review of the effectiveness and
efficiency of the State-based administrative complaint
procedures established and maintained under section 402 of the
Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21112) for the
investigation and resolution of allegations of violations of
title III of such Act.
(2) Recommendations to streamline procedures.--Not later
than December 31, 2017, the Commission shall submit to Congress
a report on the review carried out under paragraph (1), and
shall include in the report such recommendations as the
Commission considers appropriate to streamline and improve the
procedures which are the subject of the review.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, 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 Science, Space, and Technology, 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 Science, Space, and Technology, 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 Subcommittee on Research and Technology.
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