[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2398 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2398

   To establish a grant program to provide assistance to States for 
modernizing and enhancing voting procedures and administration, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 28, 2001

 Ms. McCarthy of Missouri (for herself and Mr. Dreier) introduced the 
     following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House 
                             Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To establish a grant program to provide assistance to States for 
modernizing and enhancing voting procedures and administration, 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 ``State Voting Procedures and 
Administration Modernization Act of 2001''.

SEC. 2. GRANTS TO STATES FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO VOTING PROCEDURES AND 
              ELECTION ADMINISTRATION.

    (a) Establishment of Program.--There is established a program under 
which the Office of Election Administration of the Federal Election 
Commission (hereafter in this Act referred to as the ``Office'') shall 
make grants to eligible States during the first 5 fiscal years which 
begin after the date of the enactment of this Act for carrying out any 
of the activities described in subsection (b).
    (b) Activities Carried Out With Grant Funds.--The activities 
described in this subsection are as follows:
            (1) Improving election technologies, systems, and designs.
            (2) Facilitating voter registration and improving the 
        verification and maintenance of the rolls of eligible and 
        registered voters.
            (3) Improving the accuracy and security of election 
        procedures and vote counts.
            (4) Promoting greater understanding among the public of the 
        system of government and election procedures.
            (5) Providing greater access to voter registration sites 
        and polling places for individuals with disabilities, 
        individuals residing in rural areas, and others.
            (6) Providing training and related education for poll 
        workers and other election personnel.
    (c) Amount of Grant.--
            (1) In general.--Subsection to paragraph (2) and subsection 
        (e)(1), the amount of a grant made to a State under the program 
        under this Act for a fiscal year shall be equal to the product 
        of--
                    (A) the total amount of funds appropriated for 
                grants under the program for the fiscal year; and
                    (B) the allotment percentage for the State (as 
                defined in paragraph (2)) or \1/2\ of 1 percent, 
                whichever is greater.
            (2) Allotment percentage defined.--In paragraph (1)(B), the 
        ``allotment percentage'' for a State is an amount (expressed as 
        a percentage) equal to the quotient of--
                    (A) the population of the State, and
                    (B) the total population of all States receiving 
                grants under the program under this Act for the year.
    (d) Eligibility of States.--A State is eligible to receive a grant 
under the program under this Act for a fiscal year if it submits to the 
Office (at such time prior to the beginning of the fiscal year as the 
Office may require) an application containing such information and 
assurances as the Office may require, including assurances that the 
State will give priority in distributing funds under the grant to those 
jurisdictions with the greatest need to improve voting systems and 
procedures.
    (e) Other Requirements for States Receiving Grants.--
            (1) Matching.--The amount of a grant provided to a State 
        under the program under this Act may not exceed 75 percent of 
        the total cost of carrying out the activities funded with the 
        grant.
            (2) Reports.--Not later than 6 months after the end of any 
        fiscal year for which a State received a grant under the 
        program under this Act, the State shall submit a report to the 
        Office describing the activities carried out during the year 
        with the funds provided under the grant, and shall make such 
        report available to any person who requests it.
            (3) Audit.--Each State receiving a grant under the program 
        under this Act for a fiscal year shall arrange for an 
        independent auditor to conduct an audit of the activities 
        carried out with the funds provided under the grant.
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this Act $500,000,000 for each of the first 5 
fiscal years which begin after the date of the enactment of this Act.
    (g) Termination of Program.--No grants may be made under the 
program under this Act after the expiration of the 5th fiscal year 
which begins after the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 3. STATE DEFINED.

    In this Act, the term ``State'' means each of the several States 
and the District of Columbia.
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