[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1556 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1556

 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.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             August 3, 2009

 Mrs. Feinstein (for herself, Mr. Kerry, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Leahy, and Ms. 
   Mikulski) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
             referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 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 of 
2009''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Veterans 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 to register to vote and to vote.

SEC. 3. VOTER REGISTRATION AND ASSISTANCE.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs (in this section 
referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall provide a mail voter 
registration application form to each veteran--
            (1) who seeks to enroll in the Department of Veterans 
        Affairs health care system (including enrollment in a medical 
        center, a community living center, a community-based outpatient 
        center, or a domiciliary of the Department of Veterans Affairs 
        health care system), at the time of such enrollment; and
            (2) who is enrolled in such health care system--
                    (A) at any time when there is a change in the 
                enrollment status of the veteran; and
                    (B) at any time when there is a change in the 
                address of the veteran.
    (b) Providing Voter Registration Information and Assistance.--The 
Secretary shall provide to each veteran described in subsection (a) the 
same degree of information and assistance with voter registration as is 
provided by the Veterans Administration with regard to the completion 
of its own forms, unless the applicant refuses such assistance.
    (c) Transmittal of Voter Registration Application Forms.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall accept completed voter 
        registration application forms for transmittal to the 
        appropriate State election official.
            (2) Transmittal deadline.--
                    (A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (B), a 
                completed voter registration application form accepted 
                at a medical center, community living center, 
                community-based outpatient center, or domiciliary of 
                the Department of Veterans Affairs shall be transmitted 
                to the appropriate State election official not later 
                than 10 days after the date of acceptance.
                    (B) Exception.--If a completed voter registration 
                application form is accepted within 5 days before the 
                last day for registration to vote in an election, the 
                application shall be transmitted to the appropriate 
                State election official not later than 5 days after the 
                date of acceptance.
    (d) Requirements of Voter Registration Information and 
Assistance.--The Secretary shall ensure that the information and 
assistance with voter registration that is provided under subsection 
(b) will not--
            (1) seek to influence an applicant's political preference 
        or party registration;
            (2) display any such political preference or party 
        allegiance;
            (3) make any statement to an applicant or take any action 
        the purpose or effect of which is to discourage the applicant 
        from registering to vote; or
            (4) make any statement to an applicant or take any action 
        the purpose or effect of which is to lead the applicant to 
        believe that a decision to register or not register has any 
        bearing on the availability of services or benefits.
    (e) Limitation on Use of Information.--No information relating to 
registering to vote, or a declination to register to vote, under this 
section may be used for any purpose other than voter registration.
    (f) Enforcement.--
            (1) Notice.--
                    (A) Notice to the facility director or the 
                secretary.--A person who is aggrieved by a violation of 
                this section or section 4 may provide written notice of 
                the violation to the Director of the facility of the 
                Department of Veterans Affairs health care system 
                involved or to the Secretary. The Director or the 
                Secretary shall respond to a written notice provided 
                under the preceding sentence within 20 days of receipt 
                of such written notice.
                    (B) Notice to the attorney general and the election 
                assistance commission.--If the violation is not 
                corrected within 90 days after receipt of a notice 
                under subparagraph (A), the aggrieved person may 
                provide written notice of the violation to the Attorney 
                General and the Election Assistance Commission.
            (2) Attorney general.--The Attorney General may bring a 
        civil action in an appropriate district court for such 
        declaratory or injunctive relief as is necessary to carry out 
        this section or section 4.

SEC. 4. ASSISTANCE WITH ABSENTEE BALLOTS.

    (a) In General.--Consistent with State and local laws, each 
director of a community living center, a domiciliary, or a medical 
center of the Department of Veterans Affairs health care system shall 
provide assistance in voting by absentee ballot to veterans residing in 
the community living center or domiciliary or who are inpatients of the 
medical center, as the case may be.
    (b) Assistance Provided.--The assistance provided under subsection 
(a) shall include--
            (1) providing information relating to the opportunity to 
        request an absentee ballot;
            (2) making available absentee ballot applications upon 
        request, as well as assisting in completing such applications 
        and ballots; and
            (3) working with local election administration officials to 
        ensure proper transmission of absentee ballot applications and 
        absentee ballots.

SEC. 5. INFORMATION PROVIDED BY NONPARTISAN ORGANIZATIONS.

    The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall permit nonpartisan 
organizations to provide voter registration information and assistance 
at facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs health care system, 
subject to reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions, including 
limiting activities to regular business hours and requiring advance 
notice.

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

    (a) Distribution of Information.--
            (1) In general.--Subject to reasonable time, place, and 
        manner restrictions, 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 of Veterans Affairs 
shall provide reasonable access to facilities of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs health care system to State and local election 
officials for the purpose of providing nonpartisan voter registration 
services to individuals, subject to reasonable time, place, and manner 
restrictions, including limiting activities to regular business hours 
and requiring advance notice.

SEC. 7. ANNUAL REPORT ON COMPLIANCE.

    The Secretary of Veterans Affairs (in this section referred to as 
the ``Secretary'') shall submit to Congress an annual report on how the 
Secretary has complied with the requirements of this Act. Such report 
shall include the following information with respect to the preceding 
year:
            (1) The number of veterans who were served by facilities of 
        the Department of Veterans Affairs health care system.
            (2) The number of such veterans who requested information 
        on or assistance with voter registration.
            (3) The number of such veterans who received information on 
        or assistance with voter registration.
            (4) Information with respect to written notices submitted 
        under section 3(f), including information with respect to the 
        resolution of the violations alleged in such written notices.

SEC. 8. RULES OF CONSTRUCTION.

    (a) No Individual Benefit.--Nothing in this Act may be construed to 
convey a benefit to an individual veteran.
    (b) No Effect on Other Laws.--Nothing in this Act may be construed 
to authorize or require conduct prohibited under any of the following 
laws, or to supersede, restrict, or limit the application of such laws:
            (1) The Voting Rights Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 1973 et seq.).
            (2) The Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and 
        Handicapped Act (42 U.S.C. 1973ee et seq.).
            (3) The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act 
        (42 U.S.C. 1973ff et seq.).
            (4) The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C. 
        1973gg et seq.).
            (5) The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 
        12101 et seq.).
            (6) The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 701 et seq.).
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