[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2510 Introduced in House (IH)]
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2510
To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to reimburse States for the
costs incurred in establishing a program to track and confirm the
receipt of voted absentee ballots in elections for Federal office and
make information on the receipt of such ballots available by means of
online access, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 20, 2009
Mrs. Davis of California (for herself and Mr. McCarthy of California)
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 reimburse States for the
costs incurred in establishing a program to track and confirm the
receipt of voted absentee ballots in elections for Federal office and
make information on the receipt of such ballots available by means of
online access, 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 ``Absentee Ballot Track, Receive, and
Confirm Act''.
SEC. 2. REIMBURSEMENT FOR COSTS INCURRED IN ESTABLISHING PROGRAM TO
TRACK AND CONFIRM RECEIPT OF ABSENTEE BALLOTS.
(a) Reimbursement.--Subtitle D of title II of the Help America Vote
Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 15401 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end
the following new part:
``PART 7--PAYMENTS TO REIMBURSE STATES FOR COSTS INCURRED IN
ESTABLISHING PROGRAM TO TRACK AND CONFIRM RECEIPT OF ABSENTEE BALLOTS
``SEC. 297. PAYMENTS TO STATES.
``(a) Payments For Costs of Establishing Program.--In accordance
with this section, the Commission shall make a payment to a State to
reimburse the State for the costs incurred in establishing, if the
State so chooses to establish, an absentee ballot tracking program with
respect to elections for Federal office held in the State (including
costs incurred prior to the date of the enactment of this part).
``(b) Absentee Ballot Tracking Program Described.--
``(1) Program described.--
``(A) In general.--In this part, an `absentee
ballot tracking program' is a program to track and
confirm the receipt of absentee ballots in an election
for Federal office under which the State or local
election official responsible for the receipt of voted
absentee ballots in the election carries out procedures
to track and confirm the receipt of such ballots, and
makes information on the receipt of such ballots
available to the individual who cast the ballot, by
means of online access using the Internet site of the
official's office.
``(B) Information on whether vote was counted.--The
information referred to under subparagraph (A) with
respect to the receipt of an absentee ballot shall
include information regarding whether the vote cast on
the ballot was counted, and, in the case of a vote
which was not counted, the reasons therefor.
``(2) Use of toll-free telephone number by officials
without internet site.--A program established by a State or
local election official whose office does not have an Internet
site may meet the description of a program under paragraph (1)
if the official has established a toll-free telephone number
that may be used by an individual who cast an absentee ballot
to obtain the information on the receipt of the voted absentee
ballot as provided under such paragraph.
``(c) Certification of Compliance and Costs.--
``(1) Certification required.--In order to receive a
payment under this section, a State shall submit to the
Commission a statement containing--
``(A) a certification that the State has
established an absentee ballot tracking program with
respect to elections for Federal office held in the
State; and
``(B) a statement of the costs incurred by the
State in establishing the program.
``(2) Amount of payment.--The amount of a payment made to a
State under this section shall be equal to the costs incurred
by the State in establishing the absentee ballot tracking
program, as set forth in the statement submitted under
paragraph (1), except that such amount may not exceed the
product of--
``(A) the number of jurisdictions in the State
which are responsible for operating the program; and
``(B) $3,000.
``(3) Limit on number of payments received.--A State may
not receive more than one payment under this part.
``SEC. 297A. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
``(a) Authorization.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Commission for fiscal year 2010 and each succeeding fiscal year
such sums as may be necessary for payments under this part.
``(b) Continuing Availability of Funds.--Any amounts appropriated
pursuant to the authorization under this section shall remain available
until expended.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents of such Act is
amended by adding at the end of the items relating to subtitle D of
title II the following:
``Part 7--Payments To Reimburse States for Costs Incurred in
Establishing Program To Track and Confirm Receipt of Absentee Ballots
``Sec. 297. Payments to States.
``Sec. 297A. Authorization of appropriations.''.
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