[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2076 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2076

  To amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to repeal the 
 requirement that States provide for voter registration by mail and to 
require applicants for voter registration to provide a Social Security 
  number and actual proof of United States citizenship, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 26, 1997

Mr. Goodlatte 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 repeal the 
 requirement that States provide for voter registration by mail and to 
require applicants for voter registration to provide a Social Security 
  number and actual proof of United States citizenship, 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. REPEAL OF REQUIREMENT FOR STATES TO PROVIDE FOR VOTER 
              REGISTRATION BY MAIL.

    (a) In General.--Section 4(a) of the National Voter Registration 
Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C. 1973gg-2) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), by adding ``and'' at the end;
            (2) by striking paragraph (2); and
            (3) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (2).
    (b) Conforming Amendments Relating to Uniform Mail Voter 
Registration Form.--(1) The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (42 
U.S.C. 1973gg et seq.) is amended by striking section 9.
    (2) Section 7(a)(6)(A) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1973gg-5(a)(6)(A)) is 
amended by striking ``assistance--'' and all that follows and inserting 
the following: ``assistance a voter registration application form which 
meets the requirements described in section 5(c)(2) (other than 
subparagraph (A)), unless the applicant, in writing, declines to 
register to vote;''.
    (c) Other Conforming Amendments.--(1) The National Voter 
Registration Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C. 1973gg et seq.) is amended by 
striking section 6.
    (2) Section 8(a)(5) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1973gg-6(a)(5)) is 
amended by striking ``5, 6, and 7'' and inserting ``5 and 7''.

SEC. 2. REQUIRING APPLICANTS REGISTERING TO VOTE TO PROVIDE CERTAIN 
              ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.

    (a) Social Security Number.--
            (1) In general.--Section 5(c)(2) of the National Voter 
        Registration Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C. 1973gg-3(c)(2)) is 
        amended--
                    (A) by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph 
                (D);
                    (B) by striking the period at the end of 
                subparagraph (E) and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following new 
                subparagraph:
                    ``(F) shall require the applicant to provide the 
                applicant's Social Security number.''.
            (2) Conforming amendment.--Section 5(c)(2)(A) of such Act 
        (42 U.S.C. 1973gg-3(c)(2)(A)) is amended by inserting after 
        ``subparagraph (C)'' the following: ``, or the information 
        described in subparagraph (F)''.
            (3) Effective date.--The amendments made by this section 
        shall take effect January 1, 1998, and shall apply with respect 
        to applicants registering to vote in elections for Federal 
        office on or after such date.
    (b) Actual Proof of Citizenship.--
            (1) Registration with application for driver's license.--
        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.''.
            (2) 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.''.
            (3) 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. REMOVAL OF CERTAIN REGISTRANTS FROM OFFICIAL LIST OF ELIGIBLE 
              VOTERS.

    (a) In General.--Section 8(d) of the National Voter Registration 
Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C. 1973gg-6(d)) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (4); and
            (2) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following new 
        paragraph:
    ``(3)(A) At the option of the State, a State may remove the name of 
a registrant from the official list of eligible voters in elections for 
Federal office on the ground that the registrant has changed residence 
if--
            ``(i) the registrant has not voted or appeared to vote 
        (and, if necessary, correct the registrar's record of the 
        registrant's address) in an election during the period 
        beginning on the day after the date of the second previous 
        general election for Federal office held prior to the date the 
        confirmation notice described in subparagraph (B) is sent and 
        ending on the date of such notice;
            ``(ii) the registrant has not voted or appeared to vote 
        (and, if necessary, correct the registrar's record of the 
        registrant's address) in any of the first two general elections 
        for Federal office held after the confirmation notice described 
        in subparagraph (B) is sent; and
            ``(iii) during the period beginning on the date the 
        confirmation notice described in subparagraph (B) is sent and 
        ending on the date of the second general election for Federal 
        office held after the date such notice is sent, the registrant 
        has failed to notify the State in response to the notice that 
        the registrant did not change his or her residence, or changed 
        residence but remained in the registrar's jurisdiction.
    ``(B) A confirmation notice described in this subparagraph is a 
postage prepaid and pre-addressed return card, sent by forwardable 
mail, on which a registrant may state his or her current address, 
together with information concerning how the registrant can continue to 
be eligible to vote if the registrant has changed residence to a place 
outside the registrar's jurisdiction and a statement that the 
registrant may be removed from the official list of eligible voters if 
the registrant does not respond to the notice (during the period 
described in subparagraph (A)(iii)) by stating that the registrant did 
not change his or her residence, or changed residence but remained in 
the registrar's jurisdiction.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 8(i)(2) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
1973gg-6(d)) is amended by inserting ``or subsection (d)(3)'' after 
``subsection (d)(2)''.

SEC. 4. PERMITTING STATE TO REQUIRE VOTERS TO PRODUCE ADDITIONAL 
              INFORMATION PRIOR TO VOTING.

    (a) 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:
    ``(j) 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.''.
    (b) Signature.--Section 8 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1973gg-6), as 
amended by subsection (a), is further amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsection (k) as subsection (l); and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (j) the following new 
        subsection:
    ``(k) Permitting States To Require Voters To Provide Signature.--A 
State may require an individual to provide the individual's signature 
(in the presence of an election official at the polling place) before 
receiving a ballot for voting in an election for Federal office, other 
than an individual who is unable to provide a signature because of 
illiteracy or disability.''.

SEC. 5. REPEAL OF REQUIREMENT THAT STATES PERMIT REGISTRANTS CHANGING 
              RESIDENCE TO VOTE AT POLLING PLACE FOR FORMER ADDRESS.

    Section 8(e)(2) of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (42 
U.S.C. 1973gg-6(e)(2)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``(2)(A)'' and inserting ``(2)''; and
            (2) by striking ``election, at the option of the 
        registrant--'' and all that follows and inserting the 
        following: ``election shall be permitted to correct the voting 
        records for purposes of voting in future elections at the 
        appropriate polling place for the current address and, if 
        permitted by State law, shall be permitted to vote in the 
        present election, upon confirmation by the registrant of the 
        new address by such means as are required by law.''.

SEC. 6. 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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