[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 753 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 753

    To promote international exchanges on best election practices, 
cultivate more secure democratic institutions around the world, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 24, 2019

   Mr. Castro of Texas (for himself and Mr. Meadows) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To promote international exchanges on best election practices, 
cultivate more secure democratic institutions around the world, 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 ``Global Electoral Exchange Act of 
2019''.

SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) recent elections globally have illustrated the urgent 
        need for the promotion and exchange of international best 
        election practices, particularly in the areas of cybersecurity, 
        results transmission, transparency of electoral data, election 
        dispute resolution, and the elimination of discriminatory 
        registration practices and other electoral irregularities;
            (2) the advancement of democracy worldwide promotes 
        American interests, as stable democracies provide new market 
        opportunities, improve global health outcomes, and promote 
        economic freedom and regional security;
            (3) credible elections are the cornerstone of a healthy 
        democracy and enable all persons to exercise their basic human 
        right to have a say in how they are governed;
            (4) inclusive elections strengthen the credibility and 
        stability of democracies more broadly;
            (5) at the heart of a strong election cycle is the 
        professionalism of the election management body and an 
        empowered civil society;
            (6) the development of local expertise via peer-to-peer 
        learning and exchanges promotes the independence of such bodies 
        from internal and external influence; and
            (7) supporting the efforts of peoples in democratizing 
        societies to build more representative governments in their 
        respective countries is in the national interest of the United 
        States.

SEC. 3. GLOBAL ELECTORAL EXCHANGE.

    (a) Global Electoral Exchange.--The Secretary of State is 
authorized to establish and administer a Global Electoral Exchange 
Program to promote the utilization of sound election administration 
practices around the world.
    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of the Global Electoral Exchange Program 
described in subsection (a) shall include the promotion and exchange of 
international best election practices, including in the areas of--
            (1) cybersecurity;
            (2) results transmission;
            (3) transparency of electoral data;
            (4) election dispute resolution;
            (5) the elimination of discriminatory registration 
        practices and electoral irregularities;
            (6) equitable access to polling places, voter education 
        information, and voting mechanisms (including by persons with 
        disabilities); and
            (7) other sound election administration practices.
    (c) Exchange of Electoral Authorities.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of State may, in 
        consultation, as appropriate, with the United States Agency for 
        International Development, make grants to any United States-
        based organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the 
        Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from tax under section 
        501(a) of such Code with experience in and a primary focus on 
        foreign comparative election systems or subject matter 
        expertise in the administration or integrity of such systems 
        that submits an application in such form, and satisfying such 
        requirements, as the Secretary may require.
            (2) Types of grants.--An organization described in 
        paragraph (1) may receive a grant for one or more of the 
        following purposes:
                    (A) To design and implement programs bringing 
                election administrators and officials, including 
                government officials, poll workers, civil society 
                representatives, members of the judiciary, and others 
                who participate in the organization and administration 
                of public elections in a foreign country that faces 
                challenges to its electoral process to the United 
                States to study election procedures in the United 
                States for educational purposes.
                    (B) To design and implement programs taking the 
                United States or another country's election 
                administrators and officials, including government 
                officials, poll workers, civil society representatives, 
                members of the judiciary, and others who participate in 
                the organization and administration of public elections 
                to study and discuss election procedures for 
                educational purposes.
            (3) Limits on activities.--Activities administered under 
        the Global Electoral Exchange Program may not--
                    (A) include observation of an election for the 
                purposes of assessing the validity or legitimacy of 
                that election;
                    (B) facilitate any advocacy for a certain electoral 
                result by a grantee when participating in the Program; 
                or
                    (C) be carried out without proper consultation with 
                State and local authorities in the United States that 
                administer elections.
            (4) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
        the Secretary of State should establish and maintain a network 
        of Global Electoral Exchange Program alumni, to promote 
        communication and further exchange of information regarding 
        sound election administration practices among current and 
        former program participants.
            (5) Further limits.--A recipient of a grant under the 
        Global Electoral Exchange Program may use such grant for only 
        the purpose for which such grant was awarded, unless otherwise 
        authorized by the Secretary of State.
            (6) Not duplicative.--Grants made under this subsection may 
        not be duplicative of any other grants made under any other 
        provision of law for similar or related purposes.

SEC. 4. CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT.

    Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act 
and in each of the following two years thereafter, the Secretary of 
State shall provide to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a 
briefing on the status of any activities carried out pursuant to this 
Act during the preceding year, which shall include, among other 
information, the following:
            (1) A summary of all exchanges conducted under the Global 
        Electoral Exchange Program, including information regarding 
        grantees, participants, and the locations where program 
        activities were held.
            (2) A description of the criteria used to select grantees 
        under the Global Electoral Exchange Program.
            (3) Any recommendations for the improvement of the Global 
        Electoral Exchange Program, based on the purpose specified in 
        section 3(b).

SEC. 5. NO ADDITIONAL FUNDS AUTHORIZED.

    No additional funds are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
the requirements of this Act. Such requirements shall be carried out 
using amounts otherwise authorized to be appropriated.
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