[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1535 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1535

To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to prohibit campaign 
      activities by chief State election administration officials.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 5, 2019

 Mrs. McBath introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                   Committee on House Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to prohibit campaign 
      activities by chief State election administration officials.

    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 ``Election Official Integrity Act of 
2019''.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON CAMPAIGN ACTIVITIES BY CHIEF STATE ELECTION 
              ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS.

    (a) In General.--Title III of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 
1971 (52 U.S.C. 30101 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 
319 the following new section:

 ``campaign activities by chief state election administration officials

    ``Sec. 319A.  (a) Prohibition.--It shall be unlawful for a chief 
State election administration official to take an active part in 
political management or in a political campaign with respect to any 
election for Federal office over which such official has supervisory 
authority.
    ``(b) Chief State Election Administration Official.--The term 
`chief State election administration official' means the highest State 
official with responsibility for the administration of Federal 
elections under State law.
    ``(c) Active Part in Political Management or in a Political 
Campaign.--The term `active part in political management or in a 
political campaign' means--
            ``(1) serving as a member of an authorized committee of a 
        candidate for Federal office;
            ``(2) the use of official authority or influence for the 
        purpose of interfering with or affecting the result of an 
        election for Federal office;
            ``(3) the solicitation, acceptance, or receipt of a 
        contribution from any person on behalf of a candidate for 
        Federal office; and
            ``(4) any other act which would be prohibited under 
        paragraph (2) or (3) of section 7323(b) of title 5, United 
        States Code, if taken by an individual to whom such paragraph 
        applies (other than any prohibition on running for public 
        office).
    ``(d) Exception in Case of Recusal From Administration of Elections 
Involving Official or Immediate Family Member.--
            ``(1) In general.--This section does not apply to a chief 
        State election administration official with respect to an 
        election for Federal office in which the official or an 
        immediate family member of the official is a candidate, but 
        only if--
                    ``(A) such official recuses himself or herself from 
                all of the official's responsibilities for the 
                administration of such election; and
                    ``(B) the official who assumes responsibility for 
                supervising the administration of the election does not 
                report directly to such official.
            ``(2) Immediate family member defined.--In paragraph (1), 
        the term `immediate family member' means, with respect to a 
        candidate, a father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, 
        husband, wife, father-in-law, or mother-in-law.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall 
apply with respect to elections for Federal office held after December 
2019.
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