119 S5124 IS: Stop Harassment and Intimidations in Elections through Legal Defenses (SHIELD) Our Elections Act
U.S. Senate
2026-07-23
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
1.This Act may be cited as the Stop Harassment and Intimidations in Elections through Legal Defenses (SHIELD) Our Elections Act
.<enum>I</enum><header>Election interference</header><section id="idf5eda65679b6498c933a562e610d998d"><enum>101.</enum><header>Private right of action for Federal interference at election locations</header><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5d24fdc3b4ca4568b260e346bfa82918"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">A person who is aggrieved by a violation of section 592, 593, or 594 of title 18, United States Code, may bring a civil action in the appropriate district court for declaratory or injunctive relief to prevent or halt the violation.</text></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id8aab3f0d5d66415f8e13e1de4ebf17bc"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Attorneys' fees</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">In a civil action under this section, the court may allow the prevailing party (other than the United States) reasonable attorney fees, including litigation expenses and costs.</text></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idc958b44877c84d57a0ea36029777050b"><enum>(c)</enum><header>No inference</header><text>Nothing in this section shall be construed to deny any right otherwise provided under law for relief from any violation of a provision described in subsection (a).</text></subsection></section><section id="id6140828efcd84bdba21fa44d2d455738"><enum>102.</enum><header>Extension of statute of limitations for certain election interference crimes</header><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id9f58ffc236b546459cc539d1485a9f92"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Troops at polls</header><text>Section 592 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:</text><quoted-block style="USC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5ee184bcf1824f0cb2e203dd5b70b5e6"><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idf0e526f8b67047b99b308eb4c903dba6"><enum/><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">No person shall be prosecuted, tried, or punished for any offense under this section unless the indictment is found or the information is instituted not later than 9 years after the date on which the offense was committed.</text></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idf684b5a2a94b4c02a2f0004127788a7a"><enum>(b)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Interference by armed forces</header><text>Section 593 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:</text><quoted-block style="USC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5dfea24be38b451c8e3eaa103382b743"><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id25c374c546454164acf329688c2ab824"><enum/><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">No person shall be prosecuted, tried, or punished for any offense under this section unless the indictment is found or the information is instituted not later than 9 years after the date on which the offense was committed.</text></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id665fd05b46a14d75a0c8e88e5fc759de"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Intimidation of voters</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 594 of title 18, United States Code, is amended—</text><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HA469232C7AFC40E0AD60D610B152C8BD"><enum>(1)</enum><text>by striking <quote>Whoever intimidates</quote> and inserting <quote>(a) <header-in-text style="USC" level="subsection">In general</header-in-text>.—Whoever intimidates</quote>; and</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idcc01fd5788094c859b22a57f36549a67"><enum>(2)</enum><text>by adding at the end the following:</text><quoted-block style="USC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idd2112a90d3bc4473a86a9c7db27bf041"><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id3fac9b12ee2c487e840ba9b5c59b3e99"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Statute of limitations</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">No person shall be prosecuted, tried, or punished for any offense under this section unless the indictment is found or the information is instituted not later than 9 years after the date on which the offense was committed.</text></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id8c112f5f167d46e1ae6eb132e697186c"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Voting Rights Act of 1965</header><text>Section 11 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/52/10307">52 U.S.C. 10307</external-xref>) is amended by adding at the end the following:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id30e134b5bed1425793f629cfc4691f6d"><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id6a09acd05dd146f4af7e3f888293e67b"><enum>(f)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">No person shall be prosecuted, tried, or punished for any offense under this section unless the indictment is found or the information is instituted not later than 9 years after the date on which the offense was committed.</text></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id52a009eef4ee4d889dc8105daf52a146"><enum>(e)</enum><header>National Voter Registration Act of 1993</header><text>Section 12 of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/52/20511">52 U.S.C. 20511</external-xref>) is amended—</text><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idefd187ad7477464283eada1f2b7f118d"><enum>(1)</enum><text>in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking <quote>A person</quote> and inserting <quote>(a) <header-in-text level="subsection" style="OLC">In general</header-in-text>.—A person</quote>; and</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id02d2f69795924106a42c61c7540f44f5"><enum>(2)</enum><text>by adding at the end the following:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id8af33a279526409781acef31ce658b50"><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id44b4fd74347a467dacc4fe113be28ccf"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Statute of limitations</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">No person shall be prosecuted, tried, or punished for any offense under this section unless the indictment is found or the information is instituted not later than 9 years after the date on which the offense was committed.</text></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph></subsection></section><enum>II</enum><header>Election records</header><section id="id0be767c30dc341c2939aa4f35d30c13d"><enum>201.</enum><header>Restrictions on seizure of ballots</header><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idc4f314fb08e84875ad4298017567190a"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Title III of the Civil Rights Act of 1960 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/52/20701">52 U.S.C. 20701 et seq.</external-xref>) is amended by redesignating sections 305 and 306 as sections 306 and 307, respectively, and by inserting after section 304 the following new section:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ide37ae8a93cf341ee9e4ef528b1f50e41"><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" section-type="subsequent-section" id="ida3c971e336b94a358ddca6a7f94554d8"><enum>305.</enum><header>Restrictions on seizure of ballots</header><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ida0734ee23eac41ce82c07c4de5757666"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Restriction</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idf403bbae4d4441fa9242dc6a859f860a"><enum>(1)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">No record or paper to which section 301 applies, and no election equipment used in an election described in such section, may be seized by State or Federal law enforcement before the time at which any recount, audit, or legal challenge to the results of the election to which such record or paper relate, or in which such equipment is used, has been conclusively resolved.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ide9de655fa16b41cca3300258fe4affb9"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Exception</header><text>Paragraph (1) shall not apply if an appropriate judge in the United States district court in which the record, paper, or equipment is located determines, pursuant to an action brought in such court, that there is clear and convincing evidence that such record, paper, or equipment is at risk of being destroyed. In any case in which records, papers, or equipment are seized under this paragraph, such records, papers, or equipment may be removed but shall remain in the joint custody of the person authorized by the court to remove such records or papers and an election officer designated by the court.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idb3bab27bf8b64e0d96aa44c4b24c66d3"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Chain of custody</header><text>In any case in which records, papers, or election equipment described in subsection (a) are seized, the person controlling such records, papers, or equipment shall—</text><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id940d1271ce184a12a7c2132907ae088f"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">maintain a record of the chain of custody of such records, papers, or equipment; and</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id4b17636f172f4f87bc507d037385a932"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">allow the election official from whom the records, papers, or equipment were seized access to such records, papers, or equipment.</text></paragraph></subsection></section><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id58c2a359d3fc45789657e6277b2e6b3f"><enum>(b)</enum><header>No inference</header><text>Nothing in this section or the amendments made by this section shall be construed to limit the application of any other provision of law which otherwise restricts the seizure of records or papers relating to an election for Federal office or of any equipment used in such an election.</text></subsection></section><enum>III</enum><header>Ballot materials tracking program</header><section id="H8320F999E3B14B078C290165F704F5DB"><enum>301.</enum><header>Grants to establish State ballot materials tracking program</header><subsection id="HB45517C002F840F1BC78D8F08C728335"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Subtitle D of title II of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/52/21001">52 U.S.C. 21001 et seq.</external-xref>) is amended by adding at the end the following new part:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id3285e8dba3064e3f9526ce7ab7b41703"><part commented="no" id="id1e38be0996ab4482be83eeacc0efdd5a"><enum>7</enum><header>Balloting materials tracking programs</header><section commented="no" id="idbf76949b1c114d54bc24917b2180a5dd"><enum>297.</enum><header>Grants for qualifying balloting materials tracking programs</header><subsection commented="no" id="id6bb30f55e33748d5a0fe09550f57919c"> <enum>(a)</enum> <header>Payments for costs of program</header> <text>The Commission is authorized to make grants to States to cover costs incurred in establishing and administering qualifying balloting materials tracking programs.</text>
</subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id6a8927a2bb53431589af00bf3e982868"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Qualifying absentee ballot tracking program</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id9929be6e63874ad4b1fc3457ac9c86d6"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">For purposes of this section, the term <term>qualifying absentee ballot tracking program</term> means a program established in a State—</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idceda64278a904c71a13c32d3abc67a1c"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">under which the State or local election official responsible for the receipt of voted mail-in ballots and absentee ballots in an election for Federal office—</text><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idaf1cb29fa8a94274b3e1baee8caf42f4"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">tracks and confirms the receipt of such ballots; and</text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id9af7a4eedd644b1c9b9650d0632bcda5"><enum>(ii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">makes information on the receipt of such ballots available to the individual who cast the ballot; and</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idf863e2eca35b4418a00ebc85d9bf36df"><enum>(B)</enum><text>which meets the requirements of paragraphs (2), (3), and (4).</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5b5fdd48c0f54a2ca68a7e8cc12ec1bc"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Information requirements</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">A program meets the requirements of this paragraph if such program provides to a voter the following information with respect to that voter:</text><subparagraph id="id8deeb4d0dbea4148acc9ce3fb81c0f08"><enum>(A)</enum><text>The date on which any request by the voter for an application for voter registration or an absentee ballot was received.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id7b5a901dde8c4fb1b40e8baa0020d1ad"><enum>(B)</enum><text>The date on which any such requested application was sent to the voter.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id69f67b8c450a4cee9d464785f3f6593c"><enum>(C)</enum><text>The date on which any such completed application was received from the voter and the status of such application.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id84431024d505451db8011015f8c45c7e"><enum>(D)</enum><text>The date on which any mail-in ballot or absentee ballot was sent to the voter.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" id="idc1cf941f66b14fdb989a953fb7abc1b0"><enum>(E)</enum><text>The date on which any mail-in ballot or absentee ballot was out for delivery to the voter.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="ide2f0a69ab3bf441ca7a5846a8056d779"><enum>(F)</enum><text>Whether such ballot was accepted and counted, and in the case of any ballot not counted, the reason why the ballot was not counted.</text></subparagraph><continuation-text commented="no" continuation-text-level="paragraph">The information described in subparagraph (F) shall be available not later than 1 day after a determination is made on whether or not to accept and count the ballot.</continuation-text></paragraph><paragraph id="ide4936fa965524225978e8ff420a214f6"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Public availability requirements</header><text>A program meets the requirements of this paragraph if the information described in subparagraphs (D) and (F) of paragraph (2) is made available to political parties and voter registration organizations, at cost to cover the expense of providing such information, for use, in accordance with State guidelines and procedures, in helping to return or cure mail-in ballots during any period in which mail-in ballots may be returned.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="ide23c3e0b3262418186811a944238bccb"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Accessibility of information</header><subparagraph id="id3274a14a480e486fbeee161ee2973c9e"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Except as provided under subparagraph (B), a program meets the requirements of this paragraph if the information provided under the program is available by means of online access using the internet site of the State or local election office.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idac6fd32ffae54df383def047716df3ee"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Use of toll-free telephone number by officials without internet site</header><text>In the case of a State or local election official whose office does not have an internet site, the program meets the requirements of this paragraph if the official establishes a toll-free telephone number that may be used by an individual who cast an absentee ballot to obtain the information required under paragraph (2).</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" id="ide80620fe1d2f4ea19532787cfb68f45c"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Authorization of appropriations</header><paragraph commented="no" id="ide913db6b5faa46b5a254d4f13a65043f"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Authorization</header><text>There are authorized to be appropriated $50,000,000 to the Commission for fiscal year 2027 for payments under this section.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" id="iddbf882ef1e50492ea3afa87afbac7386"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Continuing availability of funds</header><text>Any amounts appropriated pursuant to the authorization under this section shall remain available until expended.</text></paragraph></subsection></section></part><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection><subsection commented="no" id="H794AC925FAD841E494A64685994ACC16"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Clerical amendment</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The table of contents of such Act is amended by adding at the end of the items relating to subtitle D of title II the following:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" id="id1e9b31b5-9f3d-4c52-a91b-82fff217050b"><toc><toc-entry level="part" idref="id1e38be0996ab4482be83eeacc0efdd5a">PART 7—Balloting materials tracking programs</toc-entry><toc-entry level="section" idref="idbf76949b1c114d54bc24917b2180a5dd">Sec. 297. Grants for qualifying balloting materials tracking programs.</toc-entry></toc><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection></section>