[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1971 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1971

To amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require States 
    to give notice and an opportunity for review prior to removing 
individuals from the official list of eligible voters in elections for 
    Federal office by reason of criminal conviction, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 23, 2001

Mrs. Meek of Florida introduced the following bill; which was referred 
                to the Committee on House Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require States 
    to give notice and an opportunity for review prior to removing 
individuals from the official list of eligible voters in elections for 
    Federal office by reason of criminal conviction, 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 ``Voting Rights Protection Act of 
2001''.

SEC. 2. REQUIRING STATES TO GIVE NOTICE AND OPPORTUNITY FOR REVIEW 
              PRIOR TO REMOVING INDIVIDUALS FROM VOTING ROLLS BY REASON 
              OF CRIMINAL CONVICTION.

    (a) In General.--The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (42 
U.S.C. 1973gg et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 8 the 
following new section:

``SEC. 8A. NOTICE AND REVIEW REQUIREMENTS FOR REMOVAL OF INDIVIDUALS 
              FROM VOTING ROLLS FOR CRIMINAL CONVICTION.

    ``(a) Notice of Removal.--
            ``(1) In general.--A State may not remove a registrant from 
        the official list of eligible voters for elections for Federal 
        office by reason of criminal conviction unless the State 
        provides the registrant with a notice of removal containing the 
        information required under paragraph (2)--
                    ``(A) not later than 60 days before the date of the 
                first election for Federal office which occurs after 
                the date on which the registrant is convicted; or
                    ``(B) if the first election for Federal office 
                occurs fewer than 60 days after the date on which the 
                registrant is convicted, not later than 60 days before 
                the date of the second such election which occurs after 
                the registrant is convicted.
            ``(2) Contents of notice.--The notice of removal required 
        under this subsection shall include the following:
                    ``(A) A statement that the State intends to remove 
                the registrant from the official list of eligible 
                voters for elections for Federal office.
                    ``(B) A description of the reasons for removal, 
                including sufficient identifying information on the 
                criminal conviction alleged to be the basis for removal 
                to enable the registrant to determine whether the 
                registrant was convicted of the offense cited in the 
                notice.
                    ``(C) A statement that the registrant may obtain a 
                review of the removal from an appropriate election 
                official of the State in accordance with subsection 
                (b).
    ``(b) Review.--
            ``(1) In general.--A registrant who receives a notice of 
        removal under subsection (a) may submit a written request to an 
        appropriate election official of the State to withdraw the 
        notice and retain the registrant on the official list of 
        eligible voters, and may include in the request such 
        information and evidence as the registrant considers 
        appropriate to show that the registrant was not convicted of 
        the criminal offense cited in the notice or is otherwise not 
        subject to removal from the list under State law.
            ``(2) Response by state.--If a registrant submits a written 
        request under paragraph (1), the State shall review the 
        information and evidence included and accept or reject the 
        request not later than 10 days after receipt, and shall notify 
        the registrant in writing of its decision.
            ``(3) Stay of removal if request submitted within 30 
        days.--If a registrant submits a written request under 
        paragraph (1) within the 30-day period which begins on the date 
        the registrant receives the notice of removal under subsection 
        (a), the State may not remove the registrant from the official 
        list of eligible voters until it has completed its review of 
        the request under this subsection and notified the registrant 
        of its decision. Nothing in this paragraph may be construed to 
        permit a State to refuse to consider a written request 
        submitted under paragraph (1) by a registrant after the 30-day 
        period referred to in the previous sentence, or to limit any 
        other rights provided to the registrant under the laws of the 
        State to challenge the proposed removal of the registrant from 
        the official list of eligible voters.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 8(a)(3)(B) of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 1973gg-6(a)(3)(B)) is amended by inserting after ``criminal 
conviction'' the following: ``(subject to the requirements of section 
8A)''.

SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The amendments made by this Act shall apply with respect to 
elections occurring after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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