[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5680 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5680

 To require the Federal Election Commission to study voting procedures 
 in Federal elections, award Voting Improvement Grants to States, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 15, 2000

Mr. Nadler (for himself and Mr. Sherman) introduced the following bill; 
      which was referred to the Committee on House Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To require the Federal Election Commission to study voting procedures 
 in Federal elections, award Voting Improvement Grants to States, 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 ``21st Century Electoral Reform Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) With few exceptions, Americans use antiquated methods 
        to vote and tabulate the results in Federal elections. In the 
        era of the microchip, Federal elections are still conducted 
        using punch cards, paper ballots, and voting machines that were 
        invented in the 19th century and are no longer even 
        manufactured.
            (2) Our failure to modernize our system for voting and 
        administering elections has led to a variety of damaging 
        effects.
            (3) First, voters experience unnecessary delay, confusion, 
        and inconvenience when voting.
            (4) Second, our outdated voting system may produce 
        incomplete or inaccurate results, such as when machines 
        tabulating votes misread ballots, or when decades-old voting 
        machines break down on election day.
            (5) Third, the problems inherent in our current system of 
        voting play a role in depressing voter turnout, which has 
        declined by nearly 20 percent in only 40 years.
            (6) In addition, voters in rural areas of the United States 
        face unique difficulties in reaching polling places and in 
        funding the acquisition of new technology to administer 
        elections.
            (7) Recently, States have begun experimenting with new and 
        innovative ways of voting and tabulating results. For example, 
        Oregon conducts elections by mail, Delaware voters use 
        computerized voting terminals, and Arizona has conducted a 
        presidential primary election via the Internet.
            (8) During the past decade, the Federal Election Commission 
        has studied ways to update our voting system. The Commission's 
        National Clearinghouse on Election Administration has issued 
        several reports analyzing, among other topics, early voting, 
        all mail elections, and the simplification of election forms 
        and materials.
            (9) The Federal Election Commission's past efforts to study 
        innovations in election administration, as well as its overall 
        experience in election law and practice, make it well-suited to 
        conduct a thorough and definitive examination of new means of 
        voting and tabulation, and to determine which alternate methods 
        of voting promise greater accuracy, convenience, and 
        accessibility.

SEC. 3. FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION STUDY.

    (a) Authorization of Study.--The Federal Election Commission 
(referred to in this Act as the ``Commission'') shall perform a study 
of the feasibility and advisability of alternate means and instruments 
of voting in Federal elections.
    (b) Issues To Be Studied.--The means and instruments studied under 
subsection (a) shall include, but not be limited to--
            (1) computerized and other types of voting machines;
            (2) voting by mail;
            (3) Internet voting;
            (4) redesigned ballots;
            (5) expanding or changing the hours and places in which 
        voting occurs; and
            (6) means and instruments particularly relevant to voting 
        in rural or urban areas.
    (c) Recommendations.--The Commission shall make recommendations 
based on the study under subsection (a) regarding which alternate means 
and instruments of voting, if any, are more convenient and accessible 
to voters or yield more accurate and expeditious results.
    (d) Procedure.--The Commission may hold public hearings, take 
testimony, and receive evidence as necessary to complete the study 
under this section. The number, time, and place of hearings to be held 
by the Commission shall be determined by the Commission.
    (e) Report.--Not later than December 31, 2001, the Commission shall 
complete the study under subsection (a) and make public a report 
setting forth the results of the study.
    (f) Authorization of Appropriation.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Commission $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2002 to 
carry out the provisions of this section.

SEC. 4. VOTING IMPROVEMENT GRANTS.

    (a) Authorization of Voting Improvement Grants.--Within 60 days of 
completing and making public the study required under section 3, the 
Commission shall develop and make public a plan to award and disburse 
Voting Improvement Grants to States to facilitate the adoption by 
States of the recommendations of the Commission for alternate means and 
instruments of voting made under section 3(c).
    (b) Criteria for Voting Improvement Grants.--The plan under 
subsection (a) shall include criteria for awarding Voting Improvement 
Grants, including the ability of a State to effectively implement, on a 
permanent or trial basis, the recommendations of the Commission for 
alternate means and instruments of voting made under section 3(c).
    (c) Application for Voting Improvement Grants.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 60 days after the plan 
        under subsection (a) is made public, a State may submit an 
        application to the Commission for a Voting Improvement Grant, 
        in such manner and containing such information as the 
        Commission requires.
            (2) Approval.--Not later than 60 days after the date on 
        which applications are required to be submitted, the Commission 
        shall approve or reject such applications and commence 
        disbursement of awards.
    (d) Matching Funds.--The Commission shall ensure that any State 
receiving a grant under this section shall expend State funds in an 
amount equal to not less than 25 percent of the amount of the grant for 
any project for which the grant was awarded.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Commission $250,000,000 for fiscal year 2002 for 
grants and administrative costs under this section.

SEC. 5. RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER LAWS.

    Nothing in this Act shall be construed to supersede or conflict 
with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 1973aa et seq.) or the 
National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C. 1973gg et seq.).
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