[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1139 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1139

    To amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require 
   individuals applying to register to vote in elections for Federal 
 office to produce actual proof of citizenship and to permit States to 
 require individuals to produce a photographic identification in order 
               to vote in an election for Federal office.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 20, 1997

  Mr. Tauzin introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on House Oversight

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require 
   individuals applying to register to vote in elections for Federal 
 office to produce actual proof of citizenship and to permit States to 
 require individuals to produce a photographic identification in order 
               to vote in an election for Federal office.

    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 ``Ballot Security Act of 1997''.

SEC. 2. REQUIRING ACTUAL PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP FOR INDIVIDUALS APPLYING 
              TO REGISTER TO VOTE.

    (a) Registration With Motor Vehicle Driver's License Application.--
Section 5(c) of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C. 
1973gg-3(c)) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph:
    ``(3) The voter registration portion of an application for a State 
motor vehicle driver's license shall not be considered to be completed 
unless the applicant provides to the appropriate State motor vehicle 
authority proof that the applicant is a citizen of the United 
States.''.
    (b) Registration With Voter Registration Agencies.--Section 7(a) of 
such Act (42 U.S.C. 1973gg-5(a)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following new paragraph:
    ``(8) A voter registration application received by a voter 
registration agency shall not be considered to be completed unless the 
applicant provides to the agency proof that the applicant is a citizen 
of the United States.''.
    (c) Mail Registration.--Section 9(b) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1973gg-
7(b)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (3);
            (2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (4) and 
        inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(5) shall include a statement that the registration shall 
        not be accepted unless the applicant provides proof that the 
        applicant is a citizen of the United States.''.
    (d) Conforming Amendment.--Section 8(a)(5)(A) of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 1973gg-6(a)(5)(A)) is amended by striking the semicolon and 
inserting the following: ``, including the requirement that the 
applicant provide proof of citizenship;''.

SEC. 3. PERMITTING STATE TO REQUIRE VOTERS TO PRODUCE PHOTOGRAPHIC 
              IDENTIFICATION.

    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:
    ``(i) Permitting States to Require Voters to Produce Photo 
Identification.--A State may require an individual to produce a valid 
photographic identification before receiving a ballot for voting in an 
election for Federal office.''.

SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The amendments made by this Act shall apply with respect to 
elections for Federal office occurring after December 1997.
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