No official summary available for this bill.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2822 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 2822
To improve voter access to the ballot box through automatic voter
registration, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 16, 2025
Ms. Klobuchar (for herself, Mr. Padilla, Ms. Alsobrooks, Mr.
Blumenthal, Mr. Booker, Mr. Durbin, Mrs. Gillibrand, Ms. Hirono, Mr.
Kaine, Mr. Kim, Mr. Markey, Mr. Schiff, Ms. Warren, and Mr. Wyden)
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
Committee on Rules and Administration
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To improve voter access to the ballot box through automatic voter
registration, 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 ``Register America to Vote Act of
2025''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.
(a) Findings and Purpose.--
(1) Findings.--Congress finds that--
(A) the right to vote is a fundamental right of
citizens of the United States;
(B) it is the responsibility of Federal and State
governments to ensure that every eligible citizen is
registered to vote;
(C) existing voter registration systems can be
inaccurate, costly, inaccessible, and confusing, with
damaging effects on voter participation in elections
for Federal office and disproportionate impacts on
young people, individuals with disabilities, and racial
and ethnic minorities; and
(D) voter registration systems must be updated with
21st century technologies and procedures to maintain
their security.
(2) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this Act--
(A) to establish that it is the responsibility of
government to ensure that all eligible citizens are
registered to vote in elections for Federal office;
(B) to enable the State governments to register all
eligible citizens to vote with accurate, cost-
efficient, and up-to-date procedures;
(C) to modernize voter registration and list
maintenance procedures with electronic and internet
capabilities; and
(D) to protect and enhance the integrity, accuracy,
efficiency, and accessibility of the electoral process
for all eligible citizens.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act, the following definitions apply:
(1) The term ``chief State election official'' means, with
respect to a State, the individual designated by the State
under section 10 of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993
(52 U.S.C. 20509) to be responsible for coordination of the
responsibilities under that Act.
(2) The term ``State'' means each of the several States,
the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the
United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
SEC. 4. AUTOMATIC REGISTRATION OF INDIVIDUALS TURNING 18 YEARS OF AGE.
(a) Requirement.--Except as provided in subsection (b), the chief
State election official of each State shall establish and operate a
system of automatic registration for the registration of any eligible
individual on the date on which the individual turns 18 in order that
the individual may vote in elections for Federal office in the State.
(b) Exception.--The requirement under subsection (a) shall not
apply to a State in which, under a State law in effect continuously on
and after the date of the enactment of this section, there is no voter
registration requirement for individuals in the State with respect to
elections for Federal office.
SEC. 5. AUTOMATIC REGISTRATION OF ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS.
(a) In General.--The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (52
U.S.C. 20501 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 5 the
following new section:
``SEC. 5A. AUTOMATIC REGISTRATION BY STATE MOTOR VEHICLE AUTHORITY.
``(a) Definitions.--In this section--
``(1) Applicable agency.--The term `applicable agency'
means, with respect to a State, the State motor vehicle
authority responsible for motor vehicle driver's licenses under
State law.
``(2) Applicable transaction.--The term `applicable
transaction' means--
``(A) an application to an applicable agency for a
motor vehicle driver's license; and
``(B) any other service or assistance (including
for a change of address) provided by an applicable
agency.
``(3) Automatic registration.--The term `automatic
registration' means a system that registers an individual to
vote and updates existing voter registration in elections for
Federal office in a State, if eligible, by electronically
transferring the information necessary for registration from
the applicable agency to election officials of the State in
order that, unless the individual affirmatively declines to be
registered or to update any voter registration, the individual
will be registered to vote in those elections.
``(4) Eligible individual.--The term `eligible individual'
means, with respect to an election for Federal office, an
individual who is otherwise qualified to vote in that election.
``(5) Register to vote.--The term `register to vote'
includes updating the existing voter registration of an
individual.
``(b) Establishment.--
``(1) In general.--The chief State election official of
each State shall establish and operate a system of automatic
registration for the registration of eligible individuals to
vote for elections for Federal office in the State, in
accordance with the provisions of this section.
``(2) Registration of voters based on new agency records.--
``(A) In general.--The chief State election
official shall--
``(i) subject to subparagraph (B), ensure
that each eligible individual who completes an
applicable transaction and does not decline to
register to vote is registered to vote--
``(I) in the next election for
Federal office (and subsequent
elections for Federal office), if an
applicable agency transmits information
under subsection (c)(1)(E) with respect
to the individual not later than the
applicable date; and
``(II) in subsequent elections for
Federal office, if an applicable agency
transmits information under subsection
(c)(1)(E) with respect to the
individual after the applicable date;
and
``(ii) not later than 60 days after the
receipt of information described in subsection
(c)(1)(E) with respect to an individual, send
written notice to the individual, in addition
to other means of notice established under this
section, of the voter registration status of
the individual.
``(B) Applicable date.--For purposes of this
subsection, the term `applicable date' means, with
respect to any election for Federal office, the later
of--
``(i) the date that is 28 days before the
date of the election; or
``(ii) the last day of the period provided
by State law for voter registration with
respect to such election.
``(C) Clarification.--Nothing in this subsection
shall prevent a chief State election official from
registering an eligible individual to vote in the next
election for Federal office in the State, including if
an applicable agency transmits information under
subsection (c)(1)(E) with respect to the individual
after the applicable date.
``(3) Treatment of individuals under 18 years of age.--
``(A) In general.--Except as provided in
subparagraph (B), a State may not refuse to treat an
individual as an eligible individual for purposes of
this section on the grounds that the individual is less
than 18 years of age on the date on which an applicable
agency receives information with respect to the
individual, provided that the individual is not less
than 16 years of age at that time.
``(B) Exception.--Nothing in subparagraph (A) may
be construed to require a State to permit an individual
who is less than 18 years of age on the date of an
election for Federal office to vote in the election.
``(c) Applicable Agency Responsibilities.--
``(1) Instructions on automatic registration for agencies
collecting citizenship information.--
``(A) In general.--Except as otherwise provided in
this section, in the case of any applicable transaction
for which an applicable agency (in the normal course of
the operations) requests (either directly or as part of
the overall application submitted for the applicable
transaction) that an individual affirm that the
individual is a United States citizen, the applicable
agency shall inform each such individual who is a
citizen of the United States of the following:
``(i) Unless the individual declines to
register to vote, or is found ineligible to
vote--
``(I) the individual will be
registered to vote; or
``(II) if applicable, the voter
registration of the individual will be
updated.
``(ii) With respect to the qualification to
register to vote--
``(I) the substantive
qualifications of an elector in the
State as listed in the mail voter
registration application form for
elections for Federal office prescribed
pursuant to section 9;
``(II) the consequences of false
registration; and
``(III) how the individual should
decline to register to vote if the
individual does not meet requirements
for eligibility to vote in a Federal
election.
``(iii) In the case of a State in which
affiliation or enrollment with a political
party is required in order to participate in an
election for Federal office to select the
candidate of the political party, the
requirement that the individual must, in
registering to vote, affiliate or enroll with a
political party in order to participate in such
an election.
``(iv) With respect to voter registration
by an individual--
``(I) voter registration is
voluntary;
``(II) whether the individual
registers or declines to register to
vote shall not affect the availability
of any service or benefit; and
``(III) information relating to
whether the individual registers or
declines to register to vote may not be
used for other purposes.
``(B) Individuals with limited english
proficiency.--
``(i) Covered individual.--For purposes of
this subparagraph, the term `covered
individual' means an individual conducting an
applicable transaction--
``(I) who is a member of a group
that constitutes not less than 3
percent of the overall population of
the State, as determined by the United
States Census Bureau, served by the
applicable agency; and
``(II) who is limited English
proficient.
``(ii) Requirement.--In providing
information pursuant to subparagraph (A), an
applicable agency shall provide the information
to any covered individual served by the
applicable agency in a language understood by
the covered individual.
``(C) Clarification of procedures for ineligible
voters.--An applicable agency may not provide an
individual who did not affirm United States
citizenship, or for whom the applicable agency has
conclusive documentary evidence obtained through the
normal course of operations of the applicable agency
that the individual is not a United States citizen, the
opportunity to register to vote under subparagraph (A).
``(D) Opportunity to decline registration
required.--
``(i) In general.--Except as otherwise
provided in this section, each applicable
agency shall ensure that each applicable
transaction described in subparagraph (A) may
not be completed unless the individual is given
the opportunity to decline to be registered to
vote.
``(ii) Language requirement.--If an
individual is a covered individual, as defined
in subparagraph (B)(i), the covered individual
shall be given the opportunity to decline to be
registered to vote in a language understood by
the covered individual.
``(E) Information transmittal.--Not later than 10
days after an applicable transaction with an eligible
individual, if the eligible individual did not decline
to be registered to vote, the applicable agency shall
electronically transmit to the appropriate State
election official the following information with
respect to the eligible individual:
``(i) The given name and surname of the
eligible individual.
``(ii) The date of birth of the eligible
individual.
``(iii) The residential address of the
individual.
``(iv) Information showing that the
individual is a citizen of the United States.
``(v) The date on which information
pertaining to the eligible individual was
collected or most recently updated.
``(vi) If available, the signature of the
eligible individual in electronic form.
``(vii) In the case of a State in which
affiliation or enrollment with a political
party is required in order to participate in an
election to select the candidate of the
political party in an election for Federal
office, information relating to the affiliation
or enrollment of the eligible individual with a
political party, if the eligible individual
provides that information.
``(viii) Any additional information listed
in the mail voter registration application form
for elections for Federal office prescribed
pursuant to section 9, including, if the
eligible individual provides such information--
``(I) the valid driver's license
number of the eligible individual; and
``(II) the last 4 digits of the
social security number of the eligible
individual.
``(F) Provision of information relating to
participation in primary elections.--In the case of a
State in which affiliation or enrollment with a
political party is required in order to participate in
an election to select the candidate of a political
party in an election for Federal office, if the
information transmitted under subparagraph (E) with
respect to an eligible individual does not include
information regarding the affiliation or enrollment
with a political party of the eligible individual, the
chief State election official shall--
``(i) notify the eligible individual that
such affiliation or enrollment is required to
participate in any primary election for Federal
office; and
``(ii) provide an opportunity for the
eligible individual to update the registration
of the eligible individual to denote the party
affiliation or enrollment of the eligible
individual.
``(G) Clarification.--Nothing in this section shall
be construed to require an applicable agency to
transmit to an election official the information
described in subparagraph (E) with respect to an
individual who is ineligible to vote in an election for
Federal office in the State, except to the extent
required to pre-register a citizen between 16 and 18
years of age.
``(2) Alternate procedure for certain other applicable
agencies.--With each applicable transaction for which an
applicable agency (in the normal course of the operations of
the applicable agency) does not request an individual to affirm
United States citizenship (either directly or as part of the
overall application for service or assistance), the applicable
agency shall--
``(A) complete the requirements under section 5;
``(B) ensure that each transaction by an individual
with the applicable agency may not be completed unless
the individual indicates whether the individual wishes
to register to vote or declines to register to vote in
elections for Federal office held in the State; and
``(C) for each individual who wishes to register to
vote, transmit the information relating to the
individual described in paragraph (1)(E), unless the
applicable agency has conclusive documentary evidence
obtained through the normal course of operations of the
applicable agency that the individual is not a United
States citizen.
``(3) Required availability of automatic registration
opportunity with each application for service or assistance.--
Each applicable agency shall offer each eligible individual, in
conducting each applicable transaction, the opportunity to
register to vote as prescribed by this section without regard
to whether the individual previously declined an opportunity to
register to vote.
``(d) Voter Protection.--
``(1) Protection of information by applicable agencies.--
Nothing in this section may be construed to authorize an
applicable agency to collect, retain, transmit, or publicly
disclose any of the following, except as necessary to comply
with title III of the Civil Rights Act of 1960 (52 U.S.C. 20701
et seq.):
``(A) The decision of an individual to decline to
register to vote.
``(B) The decision of an individual not to affirm
the citizenship of the individual.
``(C) Any information that an applicable agency
transmits pursuant to subsection (c)(1)(E), except in
carrying out the ordinary course of business of the
applicable agency.
``(2) Protection of information by elections officials.--
``(A) Public disclosure prohibited.--
``(i) In general.--Except as provided in
clause (ii), with respect to any individual
with respect to whom any appropriate State
election official receives information from an
applicable agency, the State election official
shall not publicly disclose--
``(I) any information not necessary
to voter registration;
``(II) any information of the
individual otherwise protected from
disclosure pursuant to section 8(a) or
State law;
``(III) any portion of the social
security number of the individual;
``(IV) any portion of the motor
vehicle driver's license number of the
individual;
``(V) the signature of the
individual;
``(VI) the telephone number of the
individual; or
``(VII) the email address of the
individual.
``(ii) Special rule for individuals
registered to vote.--The prohibition on public
disclosure under clause (i) shall not apply
with respect to the telephone number or email
address of any individual--
``(I) for whom any State election
official receives information from the
applicable agency; and
``(II) who, on the basis of such
information, is registered to vote in
the State under this section.
``(e) Miscellaneous Provisions.--
``(1) Accessibility of registration services.--Each
applicable agency shall ensure that the voter registration
services the applicable agency provides under this section are
made available to individuals with disabilities to the same
extent as services are made available to all other individuals.
``(2) Transmission through secure third party permitted.--
Nothing in the Register America to Vote Act of 2025 or this
section shall be construed to prevent an applicable agency from
contracting with a third party to assist the applicable agency
in meeting the information transmittal requirements under this
section, provided that the information transmittal complies
with the applicable requirements of this section, including
provisions relating privacy and security.
``(3) Nonpartisan, nondiscriminatory provision of
services.--The services made available by applicable agencies
under this section shall be made in a manner consistent with
paragraphs (4), (5), and (6)(C) of section 7(a).
``(4) Notices.--
``(A) Electronic notices.--Each State may send
notices under this section via electronic mail if the
individual has provided an electronic mail address and
consented to electronic mail communications for
election-related materials.
``(B) Response.--Any notice sent pursuant to this
section that requires a response shall offer the
individual to whom the notice is sent the opportunity
to respond to the notice at no cost to the individual.
``(5) Registration at other state offices permitted.--
Nothing in this section may be construed to prohibit a State
from offering voter registration services described in this
section at offices of the State other than the State motor
vehicle authority.
``(f) Applicability.--
``(1) In general.--This section shall not apply to an
exempt State.
``(2) Exempt state.--The term `exempt State' means a State
that, under law that is in effect on or after the date of
enactment of this Act, either--
``(A) has no voter registration requirement for any
voter in the State with respect to a Federal election;
or
``(B) operates a system of automatic registration
(as defined in subsection (a))--
``(i) at the motor vehicle authority of the
State; or
``(ii) a Permanent Dividend Fund of the
State under which an individual is provided the
opportunity to decline to register to vote--
``(I) during the transaction; or
``(II) by notice sent by mail or
electronically after the
transaction.''.
(b) Conforming Amendments.--
(1) Section 4(a) of the National Voter Registration Act of
1993 (52 U.S.C. 20503(a)) is amended by--
(A) redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as
paragraphs (3) and (4), respectively; and
(B) inserting after paragraph (1) the following:
``(2) by application made simultaneously with an
application for a motor vehicle driver's license pursuant to
section 5A;''.
(2) Section 4(b) of the National Voter Registration Act of
1993 (52 U.S.C. 20503(b)) is amended--
(A) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as
subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively, and indenting
appropriately;
(B) by striking ``States.--This Act'' and inserting
``States.--
``(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2),
this Act''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following new
paragraph:
``(2) Application of automatic registration requirements.--
Section 5A shall apply to a State described in paragraph (1),
unless the State is an exempt State as defined in subsection
(f)(2) of that section.''.
(3) Section 8(a)(1) of the National Voter Registration Act
of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20507(a)(1)) is amended by redesignating
subparagraphs (B), (C), and (D) as subparagraphs (C), (D), and
(E), respectively, and by inserting after subparagraph (A) the
following:
``(B) in the case of registration under section 5A,
within the period provided in section 5A(b)(2);''.
SEC. 6. VOTER PROTECTION AND SECURITY IN AUTOMATIC REGISTRATION.
(a) Protections for Errors in Registration.--An individual shall
not be prosecuted under any Federal or State law, adversely affected in
any civil adjudication concerning immigration status or naturalization,
or subject to an allegation in any legal proceeding that the individual
is not a citizen of the United States for any of the following reasons:
(1) The individual notifies an election office of the
individual's automatic registration to vote.
(2) The individual is not eligible to vote in elections for
Federal office but was automatically registered to vote due to
individual or applicable agency error.
(3) The individual was automatically registered to vote at
an address that is not the correct residential address of the
individual.
(4) The individual declined the opportunity to register to
vote or did not make an affirmation of citizenship when
registering to vote, including through automatic registration.
(b) Limits on Use of Automatic Registration.--The automatic
registration (as defined in section 5A of the National Voter
Registration Act of 1993) of any individual, or the fact that an
individual declined the opportunity to register to vote or did not make
an affirmation of citizenship (including through automatic
registration), may not be used as evidence against that individual in
any State or Federal law enforcement proceeding or any civil
adjudication concerning immigration status or naturalization, and the
lack of knowledge or willfulness of the individual in such registration
may be demonstrated by the testimony of the individual alone.
(c) Protection of Election Integrity.--Nothing in subsection (a) or
(b) shall be construed to prohibit or restrict any action under color
of law against an individual who--
(1) knowingly and willfully makes a false statement to
effectuate or perpetuate automatic voter registration by any
individual; or
(2) casts a ballot knowingly and willfully in violation of
State law or the laws of the United States.
(d) Protection of Information by Elections Officials.--
(1) Voter record changes.--Each State shall maintain for
not fewer than 2 years, and shall make available for public
inspection (and, where available, photocopying at a reasonable
cost), including in electronic form and through electronic
methods, all records of changes to voter records, including
removals, the reasons for removals, and updates.
(2) Database management standards.--Not later than 1 year
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director of the
National Institute of Standards and Technology, in consultation
with State and local election officials representing geographic
and socio-economic diversity, and the Election Assistance
Commission, shall, after providing the public with notice and
the opportunity to comment--
(A) establish standards governing the comparison of
data for voter registration list maintenance purposes,
identifying as part of those standards the specific
data elements, the matching rules used, and how a State
may use the data to determine and deem that an
individual is ineligible under State law to vote in an
election, or to deem a record to be a duplicate or
outdated;
(B) ensure that the standards developed under this
paragraph are uniform and nondiscriminatory and are
applied in a uniform and nondiscriminatory manner;
(C) not later than 45 days after the deadline for
public notice and comment;
(i) publish the standards developed under
this paragraph on the website of the National
Institute of Standards and Technology; and
(ii) make the standards developed under
this paragraph available in written form upon
request; and
(D) ensure that the standards developed under this
paragraph are maintained and updated in a manner that
reflects innovations and best practices in the security
of database management.
(3) Security policy.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Director of the
National Institute of Standards and Technology shall,
after providing the public with notice and the
opportunity to comment, publish privacy and security
standards for voter registration information not later
than 45 days after the deadline for public notice and
comment.
(B) Requirement.--The standards developed under
this paragraph shall require the chief State election
official of each State to adopt a policy that shall
specify--
(i) each class of users who have authorized
access to the computerized statewide voter
registration list--
(I) specifying for each class the
permission and levels of access to be
granted; and
(II) setting forth other safeguards
to protect the privacy, security, and
accuracy of the information on voter
registration lists; and
(ii) security safeguards to protect
personal information transmitted through--
(I) the information transmittal
processes of section 5A(b) of the
National Voter Registration Act of
1993;
(II) any telephone interface;
(III) the maintenance of the voter
registration database; and
(IV) any audit procedure to track
access to the system.
(C) Maintenance and updating.--The Director of the
National Institute of Standards and Technology shall
ensure that the standards developed under this
paragraph are maintained and updated in a manner that
reflects innovations and best practices in the privacy
and security of voter registration information.
(4) State compliance with national standards.--
(A) Certification.--Each chief State election
official of the State shall annually file with the
Election Assistance Commission a statement certifying
to the Director of the National Institute of Standards
and Technology that the State is in compliance with the
standards developed under paragraphs (2) and (3), which
requirement may be met if the chief State election
official submits to the Election Assistance Commission
a statement that states, ``_____ hereby certifies that
_____ is in compliance with the standards referred to
in paragraphs (2) and (3) of section 6(d) of the
Register America to Vote Act of 2025.'', with the blank
spaces to be completed with the name of the relevant
State.
(B) Publication of policies and procedures.--The
chief State election official of a State shall--
(i) publish on the website of the chief
State election official the policies and
procedures established under this section; and
(ii) make those policies and procedures
available in written form upon public request.
(C) Funding dependent on certification.--If a State
does not timely file the certification required under
subparagraph (A), it shall not receive any payment
under this Act for the upcoming fiscal year in which
the State fails to make such certification.
(D) Compliance of states that require changes to
state law.--In the case of a State that requires State
legislation to carry out an activity covered by any
certification submitted under this paragraph--
(i) for a period of not more than 2 years,
the State shall be permitted to make the
certification notwithstanding that the
legislation has not been enacted on the date on
which the State submits the certification; and
(ii) the State shall submit an additional
certification once such legislation is enacted.
(e) Restrictions on Use of Information.--No person acting under
color of law may discriminate against any individual based on, or use
for any purpose other than voter registration, election administration,
juror selection, or enforcement relating to an election crime, any of
the following:
(1) Voter registration records.
(2) The declination of an individual to register to vote or
complete an affirmation of citizenship under section 5A of the
National Voter Registration Act of 1993.
(3) The voter registration status of an individual.
(f) Prohibition on the Use of Voter Registration Information for
Commercial Purposes.--
(1) In general.--Information collected under this Act or
the amendments made by this Act shall not be used for
commercial purposes.
(2) Dissemination for political purposes.--Nothing in this
subsection shall be construed to prohibit the transmission,
exchange, or dissemination of information for political
purposes, including the support of campaigns for election for
Federal, State, or local public office or the activities of
political committees (including committees of political
parties) under the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (52
U.S.C. 30101 et seq.).
SEC. 7. PAYMENTS AND GRANTS.
(a) In General.--The Election Assistance Commission shall make
grants to each eligible State under subsection (b) to assist the State
in implementing the requirements of this Act and the amendments made by
this Act (or, in the case of an exempt State, in implementing the
existing automatic voter registration program of the exempt State or
expanding the automatic voter registration program of the State in a
manner consistent with the requirements of this Act) with respect to
the offices of the State motor vehicle authority and any other offices
of the State at which the State offers voter registration services as
described in this Act and the amendments made by this Act.
(b) Eligibility; Application.--A State is eligible to receive a
grant under this section if the State submits to the Election
Assistance Commission, at such time and in such form as the Election
Assistance Commission may require, an application containing--
(1) a description of the activities the State will carry
out with the grant;
(2) an assurance that the State shall carry out such
activities without partisan bias and without promoting any
particular point of view regarding any issue; and
(3) any other information and assurances as the Election
Assistance Commission may require.
(c) Amount of Grant; Priorities.--
(1) Amount.--The Commission shall determine the amount of a
grant made to an eligible State under this section.
(2) Priorities.--In determining the amount of a grant, the
Election Assistance Commission shall give priority to providing
funds for those activities that are most likely to accelerate
compliance with the requirements of this Act (or, in the case
of an exempt State, that are most likely to enhance the ability
of the exempt State to automatically register individuals to
vote through the existing automatic voter registration program
of the exempt State), including--
(A) investments supporting electronic information
transfer, including electronic collection and transfer
of signatures, between applicable agencies (as defined
in section 5A of the National Voter Registration Act of
1993) and the appropriate State election officials;
(B) updates to online or electronic voter
registration systems already operating as of the date
of the enactment of this Act;
(C) introduction of online voter registration
systems in jurisdictions in which those systems did not
previously exist; and
(D) public education on the availability of new
methods of registering to vote, updating registration,
and correcting registration.
(d) Exempt State.--For purposes of this section, the term ``exempt
State''--
(1) has the meaning given that term under section 5A(f)(2)
of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993; and
(2) includes a State in which, under law in effect on or
after the date of the enactment of the National Voter
Registration Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20501 et seq.), there is no
voter registration requirement for any voter in the State with
respect to an election for Federal office.
(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--
(1) Authorization.--There are authorized to be appropriated
to carry out this section--
(A) $3,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2026; and
(B) such sums as may be necessary for each
succeeding fiscal year.
(2) Continuing availability of funds.--Any amounts
appropriated pursuant to this subsection shall remain available
without fiscal year limitation until expended.
SEC. 8. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS.
(a) Enforcement.--Section 11 of the National Voter Registration Act
of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20510), relating to civil enforcement and the
availability of private rights of action, shall apply with respect to
this Act in the same manner as such section applies to the National
Voter Registration Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20501 et seq.).
(b) Relation to Other Laws.--Except as provided, nothing in this
Act or the amendments made by this Act may be construed to authorize or
require conduct prohibited under, or to supersede, restrict, or limit
the application of any of the following:
(1) The Voting Rights Act of 1965 (52 U.S.C. 10301 et
seq.).
(2) The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act
(52 U.S.C. 20301 et seq.).
(3) Except as provided by the amendment made under section
5 of this Act, the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (52
U.S.C. 20501 et seq.).
(4) The Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 20901 et
seq.).
(5) The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C.
12101 et seq.).
SEC. 9. EFFECTIVE DATE.
(a) In General.--Except as provided in subsection (b), this Act and
the amendments made by this Act shall apply on and after January 1,
2026.
(b) Waiver.--If a State certifies to the Elections Assistance
Commission not later than January 1, 2026, that the State will not meet
the deadline described in subsection (a) because it would be
impracticable to do so and includes in the certification the reasons
for the failure to meet that deadline, subsection (a) shall apply to
the State as if the reference in such subsection to ``January 1, 2026''
were a reference to ``January 1, 2028''.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration.
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