[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 568 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 568

  To secure the voting rights of former felons who have been released 
                          from incarceration.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 4, 1997

 Mr. Conyers introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                       Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To secure the voting rights of former felons who have been released 
                          from incarceration.

    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 ``Voting Rights of Former Offenders 
Act''.

SEC. 2. RIGHTS OF CITIZENS.

    The right of a citizen of the United States, who otherwise is 
qualified, to vote in any election for Federal office shall not be 
denied or abridged because he has committed a criminal offense unless 
such citizen is imprisoned in a correctional institution or facility at 
the time of such election.

SEC. 3. STATE REQUIREMENTS.

    Nothing in this Act shall be construed to prohibit the States from 
establishing requirements for the holding of State or local elective 
office; nor from enacting any State law which affords the right to vote 
in any election for Federal office on terms less restrictive than those 
established by this Act.

SEC. 4. OFFENSE.

    Whoever intentionally denies or attempts to deny any person any 
right secured by this Act shall be fined under title 18, United States 
Code, or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.

SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.

    For purposes of this Act--
            (1) the term ``correctional institution or facility'' means 
        any prison, penitentiary, jail, or other institution or 
        facility for the confinement of individuals convicted of 
        criminal offenses, except that such term does not include any 
        residential community treatment center (or similar public or 
        private facility);
            (2) the term ``election'' means (A) a general, special, 
        primary, or runoff election, (B) a convention or caucus of a 
        political party held to nominate a candidate, (C) a primary 
        election held for the selection of delegates to a national 
        nominating convention of a political party, or (D) a primary 
        election held for the expression of a preference for the 
        nomination of persons for election to the office of President; 
        and
            (3) the term ``Federal office'' means the office of 
        President or Vice President of the United States, or of Senator 
        or Representative in, or Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, 
        the Congress of the United States.
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