[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6625 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

  2d Session
                                H. R. 6625


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

           September 22 (legislative day, September 17), 2008

                                Received

            October 2 (legislative day, September 17), 2008

  Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
 To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to permit facilities of 
     the Department of Veterans Affairs to be designated as voter 
             registration agencies, 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 ``Veteran Voting Support Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Veterans serving in foreign wars have performed a great 
        service to, and risked the greatest sacrifice in the name of, 
        our country, and should be supported by the people and the 
        Government of the United States.
            (2) Veterans are especially qualified to understand issues 
        of war, foreign policy, and government support for veterans, 
        and they should have the opportunity to voice that 
        understanding through voting.
            (3) The Department of Veterans Affairs should assist 
        veterans in meeting their medical, social, and civic needs, 
        including the full participation of veterans in our democracy.
            (4) The Department of Veterans Affairs should make every 
        effort to assist veterans to register to vote and to vote.

SEC. 3. USE OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS FACILITIES AS VOTER 
              REGISTRATION AGENCIES.

    The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall permit a State to designate 
facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs located in such State 
as voter registration agencies under section 7 of the National Voter 
Registration Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C. 1973gg-5) solely for the purposes 
of providing voter registration services under such section to 
individuals receiving services or assistance from the facility (or 
applying to receive services or assistance from the facility).

SEC. 4. ASSISTANCE WITH ABSENTEE BALLOTS.

    In addition to the services required to be provided under section 7 
of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C. 1973gg-5), 
any facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs which is designated 
as a voter registration agency under section 3 shall, with respect to 
the individuals for whom the facility is required to provide such 
services--
            (1) provide information relating to the opportunity to 
        request an absentee ballot;
            (2) make available absentee ballot applications and, upon 
        request, assistance in completing such applications and 
        absentee ballots, except that nothing in this paragraph may be 
        construed to waive any requirement under State or local law 
        regarding an individual's eligibility to receive an absentee 
        ballot or vote by absentee ballot in any election; and
            (3) work with local election officials to ensure the proper 
        delivery of absentee ballot applications and absentee ballots.

SEC. 5. INFORMATION PROVIDED BY NONPARTISAN ORGANIZATIONS.

    The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall permit a meaningful 
opportunity, including reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions, 
for nonpartisan organizations to provide voter registration information 
and assistance at facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

SEC. 6. ASSISTANCE PROVIDED BY ELECTION OFFICIALS AT DEPARTMENT OF 
              VETERANS AFFAIRS FACILITIES.

    (a) Distribution of Information.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
        not prohibit any election administration official, whether 
        State or local, party-affiliated or non-party affiliated, or 
        elected or appointed, from providing voting information to 
        veterans at any facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
            (2) Voting information.--In this subsection, the term 
        ``voting information'' means nonpartisan information intended 
        for the public about voting, including information about voter 
        registration, voting systems, absentee balloting, polling 
        locations, and other important resources for voters.
    (b) Voter Registration Services.--The Secretary shall provide 
reasonable access to facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs 
to State and local election officials for the purpose of providing 
nonpartisan voter registration services to individuals.
    (c) Coordination to Minimize Disruption of Regular Activities.--Any 
election official providing nonpartisan voting information or 
nonpartisan voter registration services under this section at a 
facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs shall coordinate the 
provision of the information or services with the Secretary to ensure 
that the information or services are provided in a manner which 
minimizes the disruption of the regular activities of the facility.

SEC. 7. ANNUAL REPORT ON COMPLIANCE.

    The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to Congress an 
annual report on how the Secretary has complied with the requirements 
of this Act.

            Passed the House of Representatives September 17, 2008.

            Attest:

                                            LORRAINE C. MILLER,

                                                                 Clerk.