[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1546 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1546

   To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to establish a minimum 
        period for early voting in elections for Federal office.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 5, 2019

Ms. Wild (for herself, Mr. Soto, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Rouda, Mr. 
 Lujan, Ms. Sewell of Alabama, Mr. Cooper, Mr. Delgado, Ms. Wasserman 
 Schultz, Ms. Titus, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, and Ms. Norton) 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 establish a minimum 
        period for early voting in elections for Federal office.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. EARLY VOTING.

    (a) Requirements.--Subtitle A of title III of the Help America Vote 
Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21081 et seq.) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating sections 304 and 305 as sections 305 
        and 306; and
            (2) by inserting after section 303 the following new 
        section:

``SEC. 304. EARLY VOTING.

    ``(a) Requiring Voting Prior to Date of Election.--
            ``(1) In general.--Each State shall allow individuals to 
        vote in an election for Federal office during an early voting 
        period which occurs prior to the date of the election, in the 
        same manner as voting is allowed on such date.
            ``(2) Length of period.--The early voting period required 
        under this subsection with respect to an election shall consist 
        of a period of consecutive days (including weekends) which 
        begins on the 15th day before the date of the election (or, at 
        the option of the State, on a day prior to the 15th day before 
        the date of the election) and ends on the date of the election.
    ``(b) Minimum Early Voting Requirements.--Each polling place which 
allows voting during an early voting period under subsection (a) 
shall--
            ``(1) allow such voting for no less than 4 hours on each 
        day, except that the polling place may allow such voting for 
        fewer than 4 hours on Sundays; and
            ``(2) have uniform hours each day for which such voting 
        occurs.
    ``(c) Location of Polling Places Near Public Transportation.--To 
the greatest extent practicable, a State shall ensure that each polling 
place which allows voting during an early voting period under 
subsection (a) is located within walking distance of a stop on a public 
transportation route.
    ``(d) Standards.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Commission shall issue standards for 
        the administration of voting prior to the day scheduled for a 
        Federal election. Such standards shall include the 
        nondiscriminatory geographic placement of polling places at 
        which such voting occurs.
            ``(2) Deviation.--The standards described in paragraph (1) 
        shall permit States, upon providing adequate public notice, to 
        deviate from any requirement in the case of unforeseen 
        circumstances, such as a natural disaster, terrorist attack, or 
        a change in voter turnout.
    ``(e) Effective Date.--This section shall apply with respect to 
elections held on or after January 1, 2020.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment Relating to Issuance of Voluntary Guidance 
by Election Assistance Commission.--Section 311(b) of such Act (52 
U.S.C. 21101(b)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (2);
            (2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (3) and 
        inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(4) in the case of the recommendations with respect to 
        section 304, June 30, 2020.''.
    (c) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents of such Act, is 
amended--
            (1) by redesignating the items relating to sections 304 and 
        305 as relating to sections 305 and 306; and
            (2) by inserting after the item relating to section 303 the 
        following new item:

``Sec. 304. Early voting.''.
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