[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2197 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2197

 To require the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a 
 study of the effectiveness of the Federal Government in carrying out 
its responsibilities under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee 
 Voting Act to promote access to voting for absent uniformed services 
     voters and an analysis of means for improving access to voter 
registration information and assistance for members of the Armed Forces 
           and their family members, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 22, 2023

 Ms. Klobuchar (for herself and Mrs. Fischer) introduced the following 
 bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and 
                             Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To require the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a 
 study of the effectiveness of the Federal Government in carrying out 
its responsibilities under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee 
 Voting Act to promote access to voting for absent uniformed services 
     voters and an analysis of means for improving access to voter 
registration information and assistance for members of the Armed Forces 
           and their family members, 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 ``Supporting Military Voters Act''.

SEC. 2. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE REPORT ON IMPLEMENTATION OF 
              UNIFORMED AND OVERSEAS CITIZENS ABSENTEE VOTING ACT AND 
              IMPROVING ACCESS TO VOTER REGISTRATION INFORMATION AND 
              ASSISTANCE FOR ABSENT UNIFORMED SERVICES VOTERS.

    (a) In General.--The Comptroller General of the United States shall 
conduct--
            (1) an analysis of the effectiveness of the Federal 
        Government in carrying out its responsibilities under the 
        Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (52 U.S.C. 
        20301 et seq.) to promote access to voting for absent uniformed 
        services voters; and
            (2) a study on means for improving access to voter 
        registration information and assistance for members of the 
        Armed Forces and their family members.
    (b) Elements.--
            (1) Analysis.--The analysis required by subsection (a)(1) 
        shall include analysis of the following:
                    (A) Data and information pertaining to the 
                transmission of ballots to absent uniformed services 
                voters.
                    (B) Data and information pertaining to the methods 
                of transmission of voted ballots from absent uniformed 
                services voters, including the efficacy and security of 
                such methods.
                    (C) Data and information pertaining to the 
                treatment by election officials of voted ballots 
                transmitted by absent uniformed services voters, 
                including--
                            (i) the rate at which such ballots are 
                        counted in elections;
                            (ii) the rate at which such ballots are 
                        rejected in elections; and
                            (iii) the reasons for such rejections.
                    (D) An analysis of the effectiveness of the 
                assistance provided to absent uniformed services voters 
                by Voting Assistance Officers of the Federal Voting 
                Assistance Program of the Department of Defense.
                    (E) A review of the extent of coordination between 
                Voting Assistance Officers and State and local election 
                officials.
                    (F) Information regarding such other issues 
                relating to the ability of absent uniformed services 
                voters to register to vote, vote, and have their 
                ballots counted in elections for Federal office.
                    (G) Data and information pertaining to--
                            (i) the awareness of members of the Armed 
                        Forces and their family members of the 
                        requirement under section 1566a of title 10, 
                        United States Code, that the Secretaries of the 
                        military departments provide voter registration 
                        information and assistance; and
                            (ii) whether members of the Armed Forces 
                        and their family members received such 
                        information and assistance at the times 
                        required by subsection (c) of that section.
            (2) Study.--The study required by subsection (a)(2) shall 
        include the following:
                    (A) An assessment of potential actions to be 
                undertaken by the Secretary of each military department 
                to increase access to voter registration information 
                and assistance for members of the Armed Forces and 
                their family members.
                    (B) An estimate of the costs and requirements to 
                fully meet the needs of members of the Armed Forces for 
                access to voter registration information and 
                assistance.
    (c) Methods.--In conducting the analysis and study required by 
subsection (a), the Comptroller General shall, in cooperation and 
consultation with the Secretaries of the military departments--
            (1) use existing information from available government and 
        other public sources; and
            (2) acquire, through the Comptroller General's own 
        investigations, interviews, and analysis, such other 
        information as the Comptroller General requires to conduct the 
        analysis and study.
    (d) Report Required.--Not later than September 30, 2025, the 
Comptroller General shall submit to the Committee on Rules and 
Administration of the Senate and the Committee on House Administration 
of the House of Representatives a report on the analysis and study 
required by subsection (a).
    (e) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Absent uniformed services voter.--The term ``absent 
        uniformed services voter'' has the meaning given that term in 
        section 107 of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee 
        Voting Act (52 U.S.C. 20310).
            (2) Family member.--The term ``family member'', with 
        respect to a member of the Armed Forces, means a spouse and 
        other dependent (as defined in section 1072 of title 10, United 
        States Code) of the member.
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