[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7147 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7147

 To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to prohibit State election 
officials from accepting a challenge to an individual's eligibility to 
  register to vote in an election for Federal office or to vote in an 
 election for Federal office in a jurisdiction on the grounds that the 
individual resides in a household in the jurisdiction which is subject 
   to foreclosure proceedings or that the jurisdiction was adversely 
    affected by a hurricane or other major disaster, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 26, 2008

 Mr. Jackson of Illinois (for himself, Mr. Brady of Pennsylvania, Mr. 
     Scott of Virginia, Mr. Watt, Mr. Conyers, Ms. Zoe Lofgren of 
California, Mr. Capuano, Mr. Gonzalez, Mr. Davis of Alabama, Mrs. Davis 
of California, Ms. Lee, and Mr. Nadler) introduced the following bill; 
      which was referred to the Committee on House Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to prohibit State election 
officials from accepting a challenge to an individual's eligibility to 
  register to vote in an election for Federal office or to vote in an 
 election for Federal office in a jurisdiction on the grounds that the 
individual resides in a household in the jurisdiction which is subject 
   to foreclosure proceedings or that the jurisdiction was adversely 
    affected by a hurricane or other major disaster, 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. PROHIBITING ACCEPTANCE OF CHALLENGES TO ELIGIBILITY TO 
              REGISTER OR VOTE IN FEDERAL ELECTIONS NOT BASED ON GOOD 
              CAUSE OR BASED ON RESIDENCE IN PROPERTY SUBJECT TO 
              FORECLOSURE PROCEEDINGS OR IN AREA DAMAGED BY HURRICANE 
              OR OTHER MAJOR DISASTER.

    (a) In General.--Subtitle A of title III of the Help America Vote 
Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 15481 et seq.) is amended by inserting after 
section 303 the following new section:

``SEC. 303A. PROHIBITING ACCEPTANCE OF CHALLENGES TO ELIGIBILITY TO 
              REGISTER OR ELIGIBILITY TO VOTE IN FEDERAL ELECTIONS NOT 
              BASED ON GOOD CAUSE.

    ``(a) In General.--A State or local election official may not 
accept a challenge to an individual's eligibility to register to vote 
in an election for Federal office in a jurisdiction or to vote in an 
election for Federal office in a jurisdiction which is not based on 
good cause.
    ``(b) Challenges Based on Certain Grounds Not Considered Good 
Cause.--For purposes of subsection (a), a challenge to an individual's 
eligibility to register to vote in an election for Federal office in a 
jurisdiction or to vote in an election for Federal office in a 
jurisdiction is not based on good cause if the challenge is based on 
any of the following grounds:
            ``(1) The individual resides in a household in the 
        jurisdiction which is subject to foreclosure proceedings.
            ``(2) The jurisdiction is included in a geographic area 
        which was adversely affected by a hurricane or other major 
        disaster declared by the President under section 401 of the 
        Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act 
        (42 U.S.C. 5170).
    ``(c) Effective Date.--This section shall apply with respect to the 
regularly scheduled general election for Federal office held in 
November 2008 and each subsequent election for Federal office.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment Relating to Enforcement.--Section 401 of 
such Act (42 U.S.C. 15511) is amended by striking ``and 303'' and 
inserting ``303, and 303A''.
    (c) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents of the Help America 
Vote Act of 2002 is amended by inserting after the item relating to 
section 303 the following new item:

``Sec. 303A. Prohibiting acceptance of challenges to eligibility to 
                            register or eligibility to vote in Federal 
                            elections not based on good cause.''.
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