[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 66 (Thursday, May 21, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H3744-H3755]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               AMENDMENTS

  Under clause 6 of rule XXIII, proposed amendments were submitted as 
follows:

                               H.R. 2183

                Offered By: Mr. Peterson of Pennsylvania

       Amendment No. 18: Insert after title III the following new 
     title (and redesignate the succeeding provisions 
     accordingly):
            TITLE IV--VOTER ELIGIBILITY CONFIRMATION PROGRAM

     SEC. 401. VOTER ELIGIBILITY PILOT CONFIRMATION PROGRAM.

       (a) In General.--The Attorney General, in consultation with 
     the Commissioner of Social Security, shall establish a pilot 
     program to test a confirmation system through which they--
       (1) respond to inquiries, made by State and local officials 
     (including voting registrars) with responsibility for 
     determining an individual's qualification to vote in a 
     Federal, State, or local election, to verify the citizenship 
     of an individual who has submitted a voter registration 
     application, and
       (2) maintain such records of the inquiries made and 
     verifications provided as may be necessary for pilot program 
     evaluation.

     In order to make an inquiry through the pilot program with 
     respect to an individual, an election official shall provide 
     the name, date of birth, and social security account number 
     of the individual.
       (b) Initial Response.--The pilot program shall provide for 
     a confirmation or a tentative nonconfirmation of an 
     individual's

[[Page H3745]]

     citizenship by the Commissioner of Social Security as soon as 
     practicable after an initial inquiry to the Commissioner.
       (c) Secondary Verification Process in Case of Tentative 
     Nonconfirmation.--In cases of tentative nonconfirmation, the 
     Attorney General shall specify, in consultation with the 
     Commissioner of Social Security and the Commissioner of the 
     Immigration and Naturalization Service, an available 
     secondary verification process to confirm the validity of 
     information provided and to provide a final confirmation or 
     nonconfirmation as soon as practicable after the date of the 
     tentative nonconfirmation.
       (d) Design and Operation of Pilot Program.--
       (1) In general.--The pilot program shall be designed and 
     operated--
       (A) to apply in, at a minimum, the States of California, 
     New York, Texas, Florida, and Illinois;
       (B) to be used on a voluntary basis, as a supplementary 
     information source, by State and local election officials for 
     the purpose of assessing, through citizenship verification, 
     the eligibility of an individual to vote in Federal, State, 
     or local elections;
       (C) to respond to an inquiry concerning citizenship only in 
     a case where determining whether an individual is a citizen 
     is--
       (i) necessary for determining whether the individual is 
     eligible to vote in an election for Federal, State, or local 
     office; and
       (ii) part of a program or activity to protect the integrity 
     of the electoral process that is uniform, nondiscriminatory, 
     and in compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (42 
     U.S.C. 1973 et seq.);
       (D) to maximize its reliability and ease of use, consistent 
     with insulating and protecting the privacy and security of 
     the underlying information;
       (E) to permit inquiries to be made to the pilot program 
     through a toll-free telephone line or other toll-free 
     electronic media;
       (F) subject to subparagraph (I), to respond to all 
     inquiries made by authorized persons and to register all 
     times when the pilot program is not responding to inquiries 
     because of a malfunction;
       (G) with appropriate administrative, technical, and 
     physical safeguards to prevent unauthorized disclosure of 
     personal information, including violations of the 
     requirements of section 205(c)(2)(C)(viii) of the Social 
     Security Act;
       (H) to have reasonable safeguards against the pilot 
     program's resulting in unlawful discriminatory practices 
     based on national origin or citizenship status, including the 
     selective or unauthorized use of the pilot program.
       (2) Use of employment eligibility confirmation system.--To 
     the extent practicable, in establishing the confirmation 
     system under this section, the Attorney General, in 
     consultation with the Commissioner of Social Security, shall 
     use the employment eligibility confirmation system 
     established under section 404 of the Illegal Immigration 
     Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (Public Law 
     104-208; 110 Stat. 3009-664).
       (e) Responsibilities of the Commissioner of Social 
     Security.--As part of the pilot program, the Commissioner of 
     Social Security shall establish a reliable, secure method 
     which compares the name, date of birth, and social security 
     account number provided in an inquiry against such 
     information maintained by the Commissioner, in order to 
     confirm (or not confirm) the correspondence of the name, date 
     of birth, and number provided and whether the individual is 
     shown as a citizen of the United States on the records 
     maintained by the Commissioner (including whether such 
     records show that the individual was born in the United 
     States). The Commissioner shall not disclose or release 
     social security information (other than such confirmation or 
     nonconfirmation).
       (f) Responsibilities of the Commissioner of the Immigration 
     and Naturalization Service.--As part of the pilot program, 
     the Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization 
     Service shall establish a reliable, secure method which 
     compares the name and date of birth which are provided in an 
     inquiry against information maintained by the Commissioner in 
     order to confirm (or not confirm) the validity of the 
     information provided, the correspondence of the name and date 
     of birth, and whether the individual is a citizen of the 
     United States.
       (g) Updating Information.--The Commissioner of Social 
     Security and the Commissioner of the Immigration and 
     Naturalization Service shall update their information in a 
     manner that promotes the maximum accuracy and shall provide a 
     process for the prompt correction of erroneous information, 
     including instances in which it is brought to their attention 
     in the secondary verification process described in subsection 
     (c) or in any action by an individual to use the process 
     provided under this subsection upon receipt of notification 
     from an election official under subsection (i).
       (h) Limitation on Use of the Pilot Program and Any Related 
     Systems.--
       (1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
     law, nothing in this section shall be construed to permit or 
     allow any department, bureau, or other agency of the United 
     States Government to utilize any information, data base, or 
     other records assembled under this section for any other 
     purpose other than as provided for under this section.
       (2) No national identification card.--Nothing in this 
     section shall be construed to authorize, directly or 
     indirectly, the issuance or use of national identification 
     cards or the establishment of a national identification card.
       (3) No new data bases.--Nothing in this section shall be 
     construed to authorize, directly or indirectly, the Attorney 
     General and the Commissioner of Social Security to create any 
     joint computer data base that is not in existence on the date 
     of the enactment of this Act.
       (i) Actions by Election Officials Unable to Confirm 
     Citizenship.--
       (1) In general.--If an election official receives a notice 
     of final nonconfirmation under subsection (c) with respect to 
     an individual, the official--
       (A) shall notify the individual in writing; and
       (B) shall inform the individual in writing of the 
     individual's right to use--
       (i) the process provided under subsection (g) for the 
     prompt correction of erroneous information in the pilot 
     program; or
       (ii) any other process for establishing eligibility to vote 
     provided under State or Federal law.
       (2) Registration applicants.--In the case of an individual 
     who is an applicant for voter registration, and who receives 
     a notice from an official under paragraph (1), the official 
     may (subject to, and in a manner consistent with, State law) 
     reject the application (subject to the right to reapply), but 
     only if the following conditions have been satisfied:
       (A) The 30-day period beginning on the date the notice was 
     mailed or otherwise provided to the individual has elapsed.
       (B) During such 30-day period, the official did not receive 
     adequate confirmation of the citizenship of the individual 
     from--
       (i) a source other than the pilot program established under 
     this section; or
       (ii) such pilot program, pursuant to a new inquiry to the 
     pilot program made by the official upon receipt of 
     information (from the individual or through any other 
     reliable source) that erroneous or incomplete material 
     information previously in the pilot program has been updated, 
     supplemented, or corrected.
       (3) Ineligible voter removal programs.--In the case of an 
     individual who is registered to vote, and who receives a 
     notice from an official under paragraph (1) in connection 
     with a program to remove the names of ineligible voters from 
     an official list of eligible voters, the official may 
     (subject to, and in a manner consistent with, State law) 
     remove the name of the individual from the list (subject to 
     the right to submit another voter registration application), 
     but only if the following conditions have been satisfied:
       (A) The 30-day period beginning on the date the notice was 
     mailed or otherwise provided to the individual has elapsed.
       (B) During such 30-day period, the official did not receive 
     adequate confirmation of the citizenship of the individual 
     from a source described in clause (i) or (ii) of paragraph 
     (2)(B).
       (j) Authority To Use Social Security Account Numbers.--Any 
     State (or political subdivision thereof) may, for the purpose 
     of making inquiries under the pilot program in the 
     administration of any voter registration law within its 
     jurisdiction, use the social security account numbers issued 
     by the Commissioner of Social Security, and may, for such 
     purpose, require any individual who is or appears to be 
     affected by a voter registration law of such State (or 
     political subdivision thereof) to furnish to such State (or 
     political subdivision thereof) or any agency thereof having 
     administrative responsibility for such law, the social 
     security account number (or numbers, if the individual has 
     more than one such number) issued to the individual by the 
     Commissioner.
       (k) Termination and Report.--The pilot program shall 
     terminate September 30, 2001. The Attorney General and the 
     Commissioner of Social Security shall each submit to the 
     Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Ways and 
     Means of the House of Representatives and to the Committee on 
     the Judiciary and the Committee on Finance of the Senate 
     reports on the pilot program not later than December 31, 
     2001. Such reports shall--
       (1) assess the degree of fraudulent attesting of United 
     States citizenship in jurisdictions covered by the pilot 
     program;
       (2) assess the appropriate staffing and funding levels 
     which would be required for full, permanent, and nationwide 
     implementation of the pilot program, including the estimated 
     total cost for national implementation per individual record;
       (3) include an assessment by the Commissioner of Social 
     Security of the advisability and ramifications of disclosure 
     of social security account numbers to the extent provided for 
     under the pilot program and upon full, permanent, and 
     nationwide implementation of the pilot program;
       (4) assess the degree to which the records maintained by 
     the Commissioner of Social Security and the Commissioner of 
     the Immigration and Naturalization Service are able to be 
     used to reliably determine the citizenship of individuals who 
     have submitted voter registration applications;
       (5) assess the effectiveness of the pilot program's 
     safeguards against unlawful discriminatory practices;
       (6) include recommendations on whether or not the pilot 
     program should be continued or modified; and
       (7) include such other information as the Attorney General 
     or the Commissioner of Social Security may determine to be 
     relevant.

[[Page H3746]]

     SEC. 402. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There are authorized to be appropriated to the Department 
     of Justice, for the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 
     for fiscal years beginning on or after October 1, 1998, such 
     sums as are necessary to carry out the provisions of this 
     title.

                               H.R. 2183

                Offered By: Mr. Peterson of Pennsylvania

                (To the Amendment Offered by: Mr. Bass)

       Amendment No. 19: Add at the end the following new title:
           TITLE ____--VOTER ELIGIBILITY CONFIRMATION PROGRAM

     SEC. ____01. VOTER ELIGIBILITY PILOT CONFIRMATION PROGRAM.

       (a) In General.--The Attorney General, in consultation with 
     the Commissioner of Social Security, shall establish a pilot 
     program to test a confirmation system through which they--
       (1) respond to inquiries, made by State and local officials 
     (including voting registrars) with responsibility for 
     determining an individual's qualification to vote in a 
     Federal, State, or local election, to verify the citizenship 
     of an individual who has submitted a voter registration 
     application, and
       (2) maintain such records of the inquiries made and 
     verifications provided as may be necessary for pilot program 
     evaluation.

     In order to make an inquiry through the pilot program with 
     respect to an individual, an election official shall provide 
     the name, date of birth, and social security account number 
     of the individual.
       (b) Initial Response.--The pilot program shall provide for 
     a confirmation or a tentative nonconfirmation of an 
     individual's citizenship by the Commissioner of Social 
     Security as soon as practicable after an initial inquiry to 
     the Commissioner.
       (c) Secondary Verification Process in Case of Tentative 
     Nonconfirmation.--In cases of tentative nonconfirmation, the 
     Attorney General shall specify, in consultation with the 
     Commissioner of Social Security and the Commissioner of the 
     Immigration and Naturalization Service, an available 
     secondary verification process to confirm the validity of 
     information provided and to provide a final confirmation or 
     nonconfirmation as soon as practicable after the date of the 
     tentative nonconfirmation.
       (d) Design and Operation of Pilot Program.--
       (1) In general.--The pilot program shall be designed and 
     operated--
       (A) to apply in, at a minimum, the States of California, 
     New York, Texas, Florida, and Illinois;
       (B) to be used on a voluntary basis, as a supplementary 
     information source, by State and local election officials for 
     the purpose of assessing, through citizenship verification, 
     the eligibility of an individual to vote in Federal, State, 
     or local elections;
       (C) to respond to an inquiry concerning citizenship only in 
     a case where determining whether an individual is a citizen 
     is--
       (i) necessary for determining whether the individual is 
     eligible to vote in an election for Federal, State, or local 
     office; and
       (ii) part of a program or activity to protect the integrity 
     of the electoral process that is uniform, nondiscriminatory, 
     and in compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (42 
     U.S.C. 1973 et seq.);
       (D) to maximize its reliability and ease of use, consistent 
     with insulating and protecting the privacy and security of 
     the underlying information;
       (E) to permit inquiries to be made to the pilot program 
     through a toll-free telephone line or other toll-free 
     electronic media;
       (F) subject to subparagraph (I), to respond to all 
     inquiries made by authorized persons and to register all 
     times when the pilot program is not responding to inquiries 
     because of a malfunction;
       (G) with appropriate administrative, technical, and 
     physical safeguards to prevent unauthorized disclosure of 
     personal information, including violations of the 
     requirements of section 205(c)(2)(C)(viii) of the Social 
     Security Act;
       (H) to have reasonable safeguards against the pilot 
     program's resulting in unlawful discriminatory practices 
     based on national origin or citizenship status, including the 
     selective or unauthorized use of the pilot program.
       (2) Use of employment eligibility confirmation system.--To 
     the extent practicable, in establishing the confirmation 
     system under this section, the Attorney General, in 
     consultation with the Commissioner of Social Security, shall 
     use the employment eligibility confirmation system 
     established under section 404 of the Illegal Immigration 
     Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (Public Law 
     104-208; 110 Stat. 3009-664).
       (e) Responsibilities of the Commissioner of Social 
     Security.--As part of the pilot program, the Commissioner of 
     Social Security shall establish a reliable, secure method 
     which compares the name, date of birth, and social security 
     account number provided in an inquiry against such 
     information maintained by the Commissioner, in order to 
     confirm (or not confirm) the correspondence of the name, date 
     of birth, and number provided and whether the individual is 
     shown as a citizen of the United States on the records 
     maintained by the Commissioner (including whether such 
     records show that the individual was born in the United 
     States). The Commissioner shall not disclose or release 
     social security information (other than such confirmation or 
     nonconfirmation).
       (f) Responsibilities of the Commissioner of the Immigration 
     and Naturalization Service.--As part of the pilot program, 
     the Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization 
     Service shall establish a reliable, secure method which 
     compares the name and date of birth which are provided in an 
     inquiry against information maintained by the Commissioner in 
     order to confirm (or not confirm) the validity of the 
     information provided, the correspondence of the name and date 
     of birth, and whether the individual is a citizen of the 
     United States.
       (g) Updating Information.--The Commissioner of Social 
     Security and the Commissioner of the Immigration and 
     Naturalization Service shall update their information in a 
     manner that promotes the maximum accuracy and shall provide a 
     process for the prompt correction of erroneous information, 
     including instances in which it is brought to their attention 
     in the secondary verification process described in subsection 
     (c) or in any action by an individual to use the process 
     provided under this subsection upon receipt of notification 
     from an election official under subsection (i).
       (h) Limitation on Use of the Pilot Program and Any Related 
     Systems.--
       (1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
     law, nothing in this section shall be construed to permit or 
     allow any department, bureau, or other agency of the United 
     States Government to utilize any information, data base, or 
     other records assembled under this section for any other 
     purpose other than as provided for under this section.
       (2) No national identification card.--Nothing in this 
     section shall be construed to authorize, directly or 
     indirectly, the issuance or use of national identification 
     cards or the establishment of a national identification card.
       (3) No new data bases.--Nothing in this section shall be 
     construed to authorize, directly or indirectly, the Attorney 
     General and the Commissioner of Social Security to create any 
     joint computer data base that is not in existence on the date 
     of the enactment of this Act.
       (i) Actions by Election Officials Unable to Confirm 
     Citizenship.--
       (1) In general.--If an election official receives a notice 
     of final nonconfirmation under subsection (c) with respect to 
     an individual, the official--
       (A) shall notify the individual in writing; and
       (B) shall inform the individual in writing of the 
     individual's right to use--
       (i) the process provided under subsection (g) for the 
     prompt correction of erroneous information in the pilot 
     program; or
       (ii) any other process for establishing eligibility to vote 
     provided under State or Federal law.
       (2) Registration applicants.--In the case of an individual 
     who is an applicant for voter registration, and who receives 
     a notice from an official under paragraph (1), the official 
     may (subject to, and in a manner consistent with, State law) 
     reject the application (subject to the right to reapply), but 
     only if the following conditions have been satisfied:
       (A) The 30-day period beginning on the date the notice was 
     mailed or otherwise provided to the individual has elapsed.
       (B) During such 30-day period, the official did not receive 
     adequate confirmation of the citizenship of the individual 
     from--
       (i) a source other than the pilot program established under 
     this section; or
       (ii) such pilot program, pursuant to a new inquiry to the 
     pilot program made by the official upon receipt of 
     information (from the individual or through any other 
     reliable source) that erroneous or incomplete material 
     information previously in the pilot program has been updated, 
     supplemented, or corrected.
       (3) Ineligible voter removal programs.--In the case of an 
     individual who is registered to vote, and who receives a 
     notice from an official under paragraph (1) in connection 
     with a program to remove the names of ineligible voters from 
     an official list of eligible voters, the official may 
     (subject to, and in a manner consistent with, State law) 
     remove the name of the individual from the list (subject to 
     the right to submit another voter registration application), 
     but only if the following conditions have been satisfied:
       (A) The 30-day period beginning on the date the notice was 
     mailed or otherwise provided to the individual has elapsed.
       (B) During such 30-day period, the official did not receive 
     adequate confirmation of the citizenship of the individual 
     from a source described in clause (i) or (ii) of paragraph 
     (2)(B).
       (j) Authority to Use Social Security Account Numbers.--Any 
     State (or political subdivision thereof) may, for the purpose 
     of making inquiries under the pilot program in the 
     administration of any voter registration law within its 
     jurisdiction, use the social security account numbers issued 
     by the Commissioner of Social Security, and may, for such 
     purpose, require any individual who is or appears to be 
     affected by a voter registration law of such State (or 
     political subdivision thereof) to furnish to such State (or 
     political subdivision thereof) or any agency thereof having 
     administrative responsibility for such law, the social 
     security account number (or numbers, if the individual has 
     more than one such number) issued to the individual by the 
     Commissioner.
       (k) Termination and Report.--The pilot program shall 
     terminate September 30, 2001. The Attorney General and the 
     Commissioner

[[Page H3747]]

     of Social Security shall each submit to the Committee on the 
     Judiciary and the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of 
     Representatives and to the Committee on the Judiciary and the 
     Committee on Finance of the Senate reports on the pilot 
     program not later than December 31, 2001. Such reports 
     shall--
       (1) assess the degree of fraudulent attesting of United 
     States citizenship in jurisdictions covered by the pilot 
     program;
       (2) assess the appropriate staffing and funding levels 
     which would be required for full, permanent, and nationwide 
     implementation of the pilot program, including the estimated 
     total cost for national implementation per individual record;
       (3) include an assessment by the Commissioner of Social 
     Security of the advisability and ramifications of disclosure 
     of social security account numbers to the extent provided for 
     under the pilot program and upon full, permanent, and 
     nationwide implementation of the pilot program;
       (4) assess the degree to which the records maintained by 
     the Commissioner of Social Security and the Commissioner of 
     the Immigration and Naturalization Service are able to be 
     used to reliably determine the citizenship of individuals who 
     have submitted voter registration applications;
       (5) assess the effectiveness of the pilot program's 
     safeguards against unlawful discriminatory practices;
       (6) include recommendations on whether or not the pilot 
     program should be continued or modified; and
       (7) include such other information as the Attorney General 
     or the Commissioner of Social Security may determine to be 
     relevant.

     SEC. ____02. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There are authorized to be appropriated to the Department 
     of Justice, for the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 
     for fiscal years beginning on or after October 1, 1998, such 
     sums as are necessary to carry out the provisions of this 
     title.

                               H.R. 2183

                Offered By: Mr. Peterson of Pennsylvania

              (To the Amendment Offered by: Mr. Campbell)

       Amendment No. 20: Add at the end the following new title:
           TITLE ____--VOTER ELIGIBILITY CONFIRMATION PROGRAM

     SEC. ____01. VOTER ELIGIBILITY PILOT CONFIRMATION PROGRAM.

       (a) In General.--The Attorney General, in consultation with 
     the Commissioner of Social Security, shall establish a pilot 
     program to test a confirmation system through which they--
       (1) respond to inquiries, made by State and local officials 
     (including voting registrars) with responsibility for 
     determining an individual's qualification to vote in a 
     Federal, State, or local election, to verify the citizenship 
     of an individual who has submitted a voter registration 
     application, and
       (2) maintain such records of the inquiries made and 
     verifications provided as may be necessary for pilot program 
     evaluation.

     In order to make an inquiry through the pilot program with 
     respect to an individual, an election official shall provide 
     the name, date of birth, and social security account number 
     of the individual.
       (b) Initial Response.--The pilot program shall provide for 
     a confirmation or a tentative nonconfirmation of an 
     individual's citizenship by the Commissioner of Social 
     Security as soon as practicable after an initial inquiry to 
     the Commissioner.
       (c) Secondary Verification Process in Case of Tentative 
     Nonconfirmation.--In cases of tentative nonconfirmation, the 
     Attorney General shall specify, in consultation with the 
     Commissioner of Social Security and the Commissioner of the 
     Immigration and Naturalization Service, an available 
     secondary verification process to confirm the validity of 
     information provided and to provide a final confirmation or 
     nonconfirmation as soon as practicable after the date of the 
     tentative nonconfirmation.
       (d) Design and Operation of Pilot Program.--
       (1) In general.--The pilot program shall be designed and 
     operated--
       (A) to apply in, at a minimum, the States of California, 
     New York, Texas, Florida, and Illinois;
       (B) to be used on a voluntary basis, as a supplementary 
     information source, by State and local election officials for 
     the purpose of assessing, through citizenship verification, 
     the eligibility of an individual to vote in Federal, State, 
     or local elections;
       (C) to respond to an inquiry concerning citizenship only in 
     a case where determining whether an individual is a citizen 
     is--
       (i) necessary for determining whether the individual is 
     eligible to vote in an election for Federal, State, or local 
     office; and
       (ii) part of a program or activity to protect the integrity 
     of the electoral process that is uniform, nondiscriminatory, 
     and in compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (42 
     U.S.C. 1973 et seq.);
       (D) to maximize its reliability and ease of use, consistent 
     with insulating and protecting the privacy and security of 
     the underlying information;
       (E) to permit inquiries to be made to the pilot program 
     through a toll-free telephone line or other toll-free 
     electronic media;
       (F) subject to subparagraph (I), to respond to all 
     inquiries made by authorized persons and to register all 
     times when the pilot program is not responding to inquiries 
     because of a malfunction;
       (G) with appropriate administrative, technical, and 
     physical safeguards to prevent unauthorized disclosure of 
     personal information, including violations of the 
     requirements of section 205(c)(2)(C)(viii) of the Social 
     Security Act;
       (H) to have reasonable safeguards against the pilot 
     program's resulting in unlawful discriminatory practices 
     based on national origin or citizenship status, including the 
     selective or unauthorized use of the pilot program.
       (2) Use of employment eligibility confirmation system.--To 
     the extent practicable, in establishing the confirmation 
     system under this section, the Attorney General, in 
     consultation with the Commissioner of Social Security, shall 
     use the employment eligibility confirmation system 
     established under section 404 of the Illegal Immigration 
     Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (Public Law 
     104-208; 110 Stat. 3009-664).
       (e) Responsibilities of the Commissioner of Social 
     Security.--As part of the pilot program, the Commissioner of 
     Social Security shall establish a reliable, secure method 
     which compares the name, date of birth, and social security 
     account number provided in an inquiry against such 
     information maintained by the Commissioner, in order to 
     confirm (or not confirm) the correspondence of the name, date 
     of birth, and number provided and whether the individual is 
     shown as a citizen of the United States on the records 
     maintained by the Commissioner (including whether such 
     records show that the individual was born in the United 
     States). The Commissioner shall not disclose or release 
     social security information (other than such confirmation or 
     nonconfirmation).
       (f) Responsibilities of the Commissioner of the Immigration 
     and Naturalization Service.--As part of the pilot program, 
     the Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization 
     Service shall establish a reliable, secure method which 
     compares the name and date of birth which are provided in an 
     inquiry against information maintained by the Commissioner in 
     order to confirm (or not confirm) the validity of the 
     information provided, the correspondence of the name and date 
     of birth, and whether the individual is a citizen of the 
     United States.
       (g) Updating Information.--The Commissioner of Social 
     Security and the Commissioner of the Immigration and 
     Naturalization Service shall update their information in a 
     manner that promotes the maximum accuracy and shall provide a 
     process for the prompt correction of erroneous information, 
     including instances in which it is brought to their attention 
     in the secondary verification process described in subsection 
     (c) or in any action by an individual to use the process 
     provided under this subsection upon receipt of notification 
     from an election official under subsection (i).
       (h) Limitation on Use of the Pilot Program and Any Related 
     Systems.--
       (1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
     law, nothing in this section shall be construed to permit or 
     allow any department, bureau, or other agency of the United 
     States Government to utilize any information, data base, or 
     other records assembled under this section for any other 
     purpose other than as provided for under this section.
       (2) No national identification card.--Nothing in this 
     section shall be construed to authorize, directly or 
     indirectly, the issuance or use of national identification 
     cards or the establishment of a national identification card.
       (3) No new data bases.--Nothing in this section shall be 
     construed to authorize, directly or indirectly, the Attorney 
     General and the Commissioner of Social Security to create any 
     joint computer data base that is not in existence on the date 
     of the enactment of this Act.
       (i) Actions by Election Officials Unable to Confirm 
     Citizenship.--
       (1) In general.--If an election official receives a notice 
     of final nonconfirmation under subsection (c) with respect to 
     an individual, the official--
       (A) shall notify the individual in writing; and
       (B) shall inform the individual in writing of the 
     individual's right to use--
       (i) the process provided under subsection (g) for the 
     prompt correction of erroneous information in the pilot 
     program; or
       (ii) any other process for establishing eligibility to vote 
     provided under State or Federal law.
       (2) Registration applicants.--In the case of an individual 
     who is an applicant for voter registration, and who receives 
     a notice from an official under paragraph (1), the official 
     may (subject to, and in a manner consistent with, State law) 
     reject the application (subject to the right to reapply), but 
     only if the following conditions have been satisfied:
       (A) The 30-day period beginning on the date the notice was 
     mailed or otherwise provided to the individual has elapsed.
       (B) During such 30-day period, the official did not receive 
     adequate confirmation of the citizenship of the individual 
     from--
       (i) a source other than the pilot program established under 
     this section; or
       (ii) such pilot program, pursuant to a new inquiry to the 
     pilot program made by the official upon receipt of 
     information (from the individual or through any other 
     reliable

[[Page H3748]]

     source) that erroneous or incomplete material information 
     previously in the pilot program has been updated, 
     supplemented, or corrected.
       (3) Ineligible voter removal programs.--In the case of an 
     individual who is registered to vote, and who receives a 
     notice from an official under paragraph (1) in connection 
     with a program to remove the names of ineligible voters from 
     an official list of eligible voters, the official may 
     (subject to, and in a manner consistent with, State law) 
     remove the name of the individual from the list (subject to 
     the right to submit another voter registration application), 
     but only if the following conditions have been satisfied:
       (A) The 30-day period beginning on the date the notice was 
     mailed or otherwise provided to the individual has elapsed.
       (B) During such 30-day period, the official did not receive 
     adequate confirmation of the citizenship of the individual 
     from a source described in clause (i) or (ii) of paragraph 
     (2)(B).
       (j) Authority to Use Social Security Account Numbers.--Any 
     State (or political subdivision thereof) may, for the purpose 
     of making inquiries under the pilot program in the 
     administration of any voter registration law within its 
     jurisdiction, use the social security account numbers issued 
     by the Commissioner of Social Security, and may, for such 
     purpose, require any individual who is or appears to be 
     affected by a voter registration law of such State (or 
     political subdivision thereof) to furnish to such State (or 
     political subdivision thereof) or any agency thereof having 
     administrative responsibility for such law, the social 
     security account number (or numbers, if the individual has 
     more than one such number) issued to the individual by the 
     Commissioner.
       (k) Termination and Report.--The pilot program shall 
     terminate September 30, 2001. The Attorney General and the 
     Commissioner of Social Security shall each submit to the 
     Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Ways and 
     Means of the House of Representatives and to the Committee on 
     the Judiciary and the Committee on Finance of the Senate 
     reports on the pilot program not later than December 31, 
     2001. Such reports shall--
       (1) assess the degree of fraudulent attesting of United 
     States citizenship in jurisdictions covered by the pilot 
     program;
       (2) assess the appropriate staffing and funding levels 
     which would be required for full, permanent, and nationwide 
     implementation of the pilot program, including the estimated 
     total cost for national implementation per individual record;
       (3) include an assessment by the Commissioner of Social 
     Security of the advisability and ramifications of disclosure 
     of social security account numbers to the extent provided for 
     under the pilot program and upon full, permanent, and 
     nationwide implementation of the pilot program;
       (4) assess the degree to which the records maintained by 
     the Commissioner of Social Security and the Commissioner of 
     the Immigration and Naturalization Service are able to be 
     used to reliably determine the citizenship of individuals who 
     have submitted voter registration applications;
       (5) assess the effectiveness of the pilot program's 
     safeguards against unlawful discriminatory practices;
       (6) include recommendations on whether or not the pilot 
     program should be continued or modified; and
       (7) include such other information as the Attorney General 
     or the Commissioner of Social Security may determine to be 
     relevant.

     SEC. ____02. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There are authorized to be appropriated to the Department 
     of Justice, for the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 
     for fiscal years beginning on or after October 1, 1998, such 
     sums as are necessary to carry out the provisions of this 
     title.

                               H.R. 2183

                Offered By: Mr. Peterson of Pennsylvania

       (To the Amendments Numbered 3 and 4 Offered by: Mr. Obey)

       Amendment No. 21: Add at the end the following new title:
           TITLE ____--VOTER ELIGIBILITY CONFIRMATION PROGRAM

     SEC. ____01. VOTER ELIGIBILITY PILOT CONFIRMATION PROGRAM.

       (a) In General.--The Attorney General, in consultation with 
     the Commissioner of Social Security, shall establish a pilot 
     program to test a confirmation system through which they--
       (1) respond to inquiries, made by State and local officials 
     (including voting registrars) with responsibility for 
     determining an individual's qualification to vote in a 
     Federal, State, or local election, to verify the citizenship 
     of an individual who has submitted a voter registration 
     application, and
       (2) maintain such records of the inquiries made and 
     verifications provided as may be necessary for pilot program 
     evaluation.

     In order to make an inquiry through the pilot program with 
     respect to an individual, an election official shall provide 
     the name, date of birth, and social security account number 
     of the individual.
       (b) Initial Response.--The pilot program shall provide for 
     a confirmation or a tentative nonconfirmation of an 
     individual's citizenship by the Commissioner of Social 
     Security as soon as practicable after an initial inquiry to 
     the Commissioner.
       (c) Secondary Verification Process in Case of Tentative 
     Nonconfirmation.--In cases of tentative nonconfirmation, the 
     Attorney General shall specify, in consultation with the 
     Commissioner of Social Security and the Commissioner of the 
     Immigration and Naturalization Service, an available 
     secondary verification process to confirm the validity of 
     information provided and to provide a final confirmation or 
     nonconfirmation as soon as practicable after the date of the 
     tentative nonconfirmation.
       (d) Design and Operation of Pilot Program.--
       (1) In general.--The pilot program shall be designed and 
     operated--
       (A) to apply in, at a minimum, the States of California, 
     New York, Texas, Florida, and Illinois;
       (B) to be used on a voluntary basis, as a supplementary 
     information source, by State and local election officials for 
     the purpose of assessing, through citizenship verification, 
     the eligibility of an individual to vote in Federal, State, 
     or local elections;
       (C) to respond to an inquiry concerning citizenship only in 
     a case where determining whether an individual is a citizen 
     is--
       (i) necessary for determining whether the individual is 
     eligible to vote in an election for Federal, State, or local 
     office; and
       (ii) part of a program or activity to protect the integrity 
     of the electoral process that is uniform, nondiscriminatory, 
     and in compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (42 
     U.S.C. 1973 et seq.);
       (D) to maximize its reliability and ease of use, consistent 
     with insulating and protecting the privacy and security of 
     the underlying information;
       (E) to permit inquiries to be made to the pilot program 
     through a toll-free telephone line or other toll-free 
     electronic media;
       (F) subject to subparagraph (I), to respond to all 
     inquiries made by authorized persons and to register all 
     times when the pilot program is not responding to inquiries 
     because of a malfunction;
       (G) with appropriate administrative, technical, and 
     physical safeguards to prevent unauthorized disclosure of 
     personal information, including violations of the 
     requirements of section 205(c)(2)(C)(viii) of the Social 
     Security Act;
       (H) to have reasonable safeguards against the pilot 
     program's resulting in unlawful discriminatory practices 
     based on national origin or citizenship status, including the 
     selective or unauthorized use of the pilot program.
       (2) Use of employment eligibility confirmation system.--To 
     the extent practicable, in establishing the confirmation 
     system under this section, the Attorney General, in 
     consultation with the Commissioner of Social Security, shall 
     use the employment eligibility confirmation system 
     established under section 404 of the Illegal Immigration 
     Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (Public Law 
     104-208; 110 Stat. 3009-664).
       (e) Responsibilities of the Commissioner of Social 
     Security.--As part of the pilot program, the Commissioner of 
     Social Security shall establish a reliable, secure method 
     which compares the name, date of birth, and social security 
     account number provided in an inquiry against such 
     information maintained by the Commissioner, in order to 
     confirm (or not confirm) the correspondence of the name, date 
     of birth, and number provided and whether the individual is 
     shown as a citizen of the United States on the records 
     maintained by the Commissioner (including whether such 
     records show that the individual was born in the United 
     States). The Commissioner shall not disclose or release 
     social security information (other than such confirmation or 
     nonconfirmation).
       (f) Responsibilities of the Commissioner of the Immigration 
     and Naturalization Service.--As part of the pilot program, 
     the Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization 
     Service shall establish a reliable, secure method which 
     compares the name and date of birth which are provided in an 
     inquiry against information maintained by the Commissioner in 
     order to confirm (or not confirm) the validity of the 
     information provided, the correspondence of the name and date 
     of birth, and whether the individual is a citizen of the 
     United States.
       (g) Updating Information.--The Commissioner of Social 
     Security and the Commissioner of the Immigration and 
     Naturalization Service shall update their information in a 
     manner that promotes the maximum accuracy and shall provide a 
     process for the prompt correction of erroneous information, 
     including instances in which it is brought to their attention 
     in the secondary verification process described in subsection 
     (c) or in any action by an individual to use the process 
     provided under this subsection upon receipt of notification 
     from an election official under subsection (i).
       (h) Limitation on Use of the Pilot Program and Any Related 
     Systems.--
       (1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
     law, nothing in this section shall be construed to permit or 
     allow any department, bureau, or other agency of the United 
     States Government to utilize any information, data base, or 
     other records assembled under this section for any other 
     purpose other than as provided for under this section.
       (2) No national identification card.--Nothing in this 
     section shall be construed to authorize, directly or 
     indirectly, the issuance or use of national identification 
     cards or the establishment of a national identification card.

[[Page H3749]]

       (3) No new data bases.--Nothing in this section shall be 
     construed to authorize, directly or indirectly, the Attorney 
     General and the Commissioner of Social Security to create any 
     joint computer data base that is not in existence on the date 
     of the enactment of this Act.
       (i) Actions by Election Officials Unable to Confirm 
     Citizenship.--
       (1) In general.--If an election official receives a notice 
     of final nonconfirmation under subsection (c) with respect to 
     an individual, the official--
       (A) shall notify the individual in writing; and
       (B) shall inform the individual in writing of the 
     individual's right to use--
       (i) the process provided under subsection (g) for the 
     prompt correction of erroneous information in the pilot 
     program; or
       (ii) any other process for establishing eligibility to vote 
     provided under State or Federal law.
       (2) Registration applicants.--In the case of an individual 
     who is an applicant for voter registration, and who receives 
     a notice from an official under paragraph (1), the official 
     may (subject to, and in a manner consistent with, State law) 
     reject the application (subject to the right to reapply), but 
     only if the following conditions have been satisfied:
       (A) The 30-day period beginning on the date the notice was 
     mailed or otherwise provided to the individual has elapsed.
       (B) During such 30-day period, the official did not receive 
     adequate confirmation of the citizenship of the individual 
     from--
       (i) a source other than the pilot program established under 
     this section; or
       (ii) such pilot program, pursuant to a new inquiry to the 
     pilot program made by the official upon receipt of 
     information (from the individual or through any other 
     reliable source) that erroneous or incomplete material 
     information previously in the pilot program has been updated, 
     supplemented, or corrected.
       (3) Ineligible voter removal programs.--In the case of an 
     individual who is registered to vote, and who receives a 
     notice from an official under paragraph (1) in connection 
     with a program to remove the names of ineligible voters from 
     an official list of eligible voters, the official may 
     (subject to, and in a manner consistent with, State law) 
     remove the name of the individual from the list (subject to 
     the right to submit another voter registration application), 
     but only if the following conditions have been satisfied:
       (A) The 30-day period beginning on the date the notice was 
     mailed or otherwise provided to the individual has elapsed.
       (B) During such 30-day period, the official did not receive 
     adequate confirmation of the citizenship of the individual 
     from a source described in clause (i) or (ii) of paragraph 
     (2)(B).
       (j) Authority to Use Social Security Account Numbers.--Any 
     State (or political subdivision thereof) may, for the purpose 
     of making inquiries under the pilot program in the 
     administration of any voter registration law within its 
     jurisdiction, use the social security account numbers issued 
     by the Commissioner of Social Security, and may, for such 
     purpose, require any individual who is or appears to be 
     affected by a voter registration law of such State (or 
     political subdivision thereof) to furnish to such State (or 
     political subdivision thereof) or any agency thereof having 
     administrative responsibility for such law, the social 
     security account number (or numbers, if the individual has 
     more than one such number) issued to the individual by the 
     Commissioner.
       (k) Termination and Report.--The pilot program shall 
     terminate September 30, 2001. The Attorney General and the 
     Commissioner of Social Security shall each submit to the 
     Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Ways and 
     Means of the House of Representatives and to the Committee on 
     the Judiciary and the Committee on Finance of the Senate 
     reports on the pilot program not later than December 31, 
     2001. Such reports shall--
       (1) assess the degree of fraudulent attesting of United 
     States citizenship in jurisdictions covered by the pilot 
     program;
       (2) assess the appropriate staffing and funding levels 
     which would be required for full, permanent, and nationwide 
     implementation of the pilot program, including the estimated 
     total cost for national implementation per individual record;
       (3) include an assessment by the Commissioner of Social 
     Security of the advisability and ramifications of disclosure 
     of social security account numbers to the extent provided for 
     under the pilot program and upon full, permanent, and 
     nationwide implementation of the pilot program;
       (4) assess the degree to which the records maintained by 
     the Commissioner of Social Security and the Commissioner of 
     the Immigration and Naturalization Service are able to be 
     used to reliably determine the citizenship of individuals who 
     have submitted voter registration applications;
       (5) assess the effectiveness of the pilot program's 
     safeguards against unlawful discriminatory practices;
       (6) include recommendations on whether or not the pilot 
     program should be continued or modified; and
       (7) include such other information as the Attorney General 
     or the Commissioner of Social Security may determine to be 
     relevant.

     SEC. ____02. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There are authorized to be appropriated to the Department 
     of Justice, for the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 
     for fiscal years beginning on or after October 1, 1998, such 
     sums as are necessary to carry out the provisions of this 
     title.

                               H.R. 2183

           Amendment Offered By: Mr. Peterson of Pennsylvania

          (To the Amendment Offered by: Mr. Farr of California

       Amendment No. 22. Add at the end the following new title:
           TITLE ____--VOTER ELIGIBILITY CONFIRMATION PROGRAM

     SEC. ____01. VOTER ELIGIBILITY PILOT CONFIRMATION PROGRAM.

       (a) In General.--The Attorney General, in consultation with 
     the Commissioner of Social Security, shall establish a pilot 
     program to test a confirmation system through which they--
       (1) respond to inquiries, made by State and local officials 
     (including voting registrars) with responsibility for 
     determining an individual's qualification to vote in a 
     Federal, State, or local election, to verify the citizenship 
     of an individual who has submitted a voter registration 
     application, and
       (2) maintain such records of the inquiries made and 
     verifications provided as may be necessary for pilot program 
     evaluation.

     In order to make an inquiry through the pilot program with 
     respect to an individual, an election official shall provide 
     the name, date of birth, and social security account number 
     of the individual.
       (b) Initial Response.--The pilot program shall provide for 
     a confirmation or a tentative nonconfirmation of an 
     individual's citizenship by the Commissioner of Social 
     Security as soon as practicable after an initial inquiry to 
     the Commissioner.
       (c) Secondary Verification Process in Case of Tentative 
     Nonconfirmation.--In cases of tentative nonconfirmation, the 
     Attorney General shall specify, in consultation with the 
     Commissioner of Social Security and the Commissioner of the 
     Immigration and Naturalization Service, an available 
     secondary verification process to confirm the validity of 
     information provided and to provide a final confirmation or 
     nonconfirmation as soon as practicable after the date of the 
     tentative nonconfirmation.
       (d) Design and Operation of Pilot Program.--
       (1) In general.--The pilot program shall be designed and 
     operated--
       (A) to apply in, at a minimum, the States of California, 
     New York, Texas, Florida, and Illinois;
       (B) to be used on a voluntary basis, as a supplementary 
     information source, by State and local election officials for 
     the purpose of assessing, through citizenship verification, 
     the eligibility of an individual to vote in Federal, State, 
     or local elections;
       (C) to respond to an inquiry concerning citizenship only in 
     a case where determining whether an individual is a citizen 
     is--
       (i) necessary for determining whether the individual is 
     eligible to vote in an election for Federal, State, or local 
     office; and
       (ii) part of a program or activity to protect the integrity 
     of the electoral process that is uniform, nondiscriminatory, 
     and in compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (42 
     U.S.C. 1973 et seq.);
       (D) to maximize its reliability and ease of use, consistent 
     with insulating and protecting the privacy and security of 
     the underlying information;
       (E) to permit inquiries to be made to the pilot program 
     through a toll-free telephone line or other toll-free 
     electronic media;
       (F) subject to subparagraph (I), to respond to all 
     inquiries made by authorized persons and to register all 
     times when the pilot program is not responding to inquiries 
     because of a malfunction;
       (G) with appropriate administrative, technical, and 
     physical safeguards to prevent unauthorized disclosure of 
     personal information, including violations of the 
     requirements of section 205(c)(2)(C)(viii) of the Social 
     Security Act;
       (H) to have reasonable safeguards against the pilot 
     program's resulting in unlawful discriminatory practices 
     based on national origin or citizenship status, including the 
     selective or unauthorized use of the pilot program.
       (2) Use of employment eligibility confirmation system.--To 
     the extent practicable, in establishing the confirmation 
     system under this section, the Attorney General, in 
     consultation with the Commissioner of Social Security, shall 
     use the employment eligibility confirmation system 
     established under section 404 of the Illegal Immigration 
     Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (Public Law 
     104-208; 110 Stat. 3009-664).
       (e) Responsibilities of the Commissioner of Social 
     Security.--As part of the pilot program, the Commissioner of 
     Social Security shall establish a reliable, secure method 
     which compares the name, date of birth, and social security 
     account number provided in an inquiry against such 
     information maintained by the Commissioner, in order to 
     confirm (or not confirm) the correspondence of the name, date 
     of birth, and number provided and whether the individual is 
     shown as a citizen of the United States on the records 
     maintained by the Commissioner (including whether such 
     records show that the individual was born in the United 
     States). The Commissioner shall not disclose or release 
     social security information (other than such confirmation or 
     nonconfirmation).

[[Page H3750]]

       (f) Responsibilities of the Commissioner of the Immigration 
     and Naturalization Service.--As part of the pilot program, 
     the Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization 
     Service shall establish a reliable, secure method which 
     compares the name and date of birth which are provided in an 
     inquiry against information maintained by the Commissioner in 
     order to confirm (or not confirm) the validity of the 
     information provided, the correspondence of the name and date 
     of birth, and whether the individual is a citizen of the 
     United States.
       (g) Updating Information.--The Commissioner of Social 
     Security and the Commissioner of the Immigration and 
     Naturalization Service shall update their information in a 
     manner that promotes the maximum accuracy and shall provide a 
     process for the prompt correction of erroneous information, 
     including instances in which it is brought to their attention 
     in the secondary verification process described in subsection 
     (c) or in any action by an individual to use the process 
     provided under this subsection upon receipt of notification 
     from an election official under subsection (i).
       (h) Limitation on Use of the Pilot Program and Any Related 
     Systems.--
       (1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
     law, nothing in this section shall be construed to permit or 
     allow any department, bureau, or other agency of the United 
     States Government to utilize any information, data base, or 
     other records assembled under this section for any other 
     purpose other than as provided for under this section.
       (2) No national identification card.--Nothing in this 
     section shall be construed to authorize, directly or 
     indirectly, the issuance or use of national identification 
     cards or the establishment of a national identification card.
       (3) No new data bases.--Nothing in this section shall be 
     construed to authorize, directly or indirectly, the Attorney 
     General and the Commissioner of Social Security to create any 
     joint computer data base that is not in existence on the date 
     of the enactment of this Act.
       (i) Actions by Election Officials Unable to Confirm 
     Citizenship.--
       (1) In general.--If an election official receives a notice 
     of final nonconfirmation under subsection (c) with respect to 
     an individual, the official--
       (A) shall notify the individual in writing; and
       (B) shall inform the individual in writing of the 
     individual's right to use--
       (i) the process provided under subsection (g) for the 
     prompt correction of erroneous information in the pilot 
     program; or
       (ii) any other process for establishing eligibility to vote 
     provided under State or Federal law.
       (2) Registration applicants.--In the case of an individual 
     who is an applicant for voter registration, and who receives 
     a notice from an official under paragraph (1), the official 
     may (subject to, and in a manner consistent with, State law) 
     reject the application (subject to the right to reapply), but 
     only if the following conditions have been satisfied:
       (A) The 30-day period beginning on the date the notice was 
     mailed or otherwise provided to the individual has elapsed.
       (B) During such 30-day period, the official did not receive 
     adequate confirmation of the citizenship of the individual 
     from--
       (i) a source other than the pilot program established under 
     this section; or
       (ii) such pilot program, pursuant to a new inquiry to the 
     pilot program made by the official upon receipt of 
     information (from the individual or through any other 
     reliable source) that erroneous or incomplete material 
     information previously in the pilot program has been updated, 
     supplemented, or corrected.
       (3) Ineligible voter removal programs.--In the case of an 
     individual who is registered to vote, and who receives a 
     notice from an official under paragraph (1) in connection 
     with a program to remove the names of ineligible voters from 
     an official list of eligible voters, the official may 
     (subject to, and in a manner consistent with, State law) 
     remove the name of the individual from the list (subject to 
     the right to submit another voter registration application), 
     but only if the following conditions have been satisfied:
       (A) The 30-day period beginning on the date the notice was 
     mailed or otherwise provided to the individual has elapsed.
       (B) During such 30-day period, the official did not receive 
     adequate confirmation of the citizenship of the individual 
     from a source described in clause (i) or (ii) of paragraph 
     (2)(B).
       (j) Authority to Use Social Security Account Numbers.--Any 
     State (or political subdivision thereof) may, for the purpose 
     of making inquiries under the pilot program in the 
     administration of any voter registration law within its 
     jurisdiction, use the social security account numbers issued 
     by the Commissioner of Social Security, and may, for such 
     purpose, require any individual who is or appears to be 
     affected by a voter registration law of such State (or 
     political subdivision thereof) to furnish to such State (or 
     political subdivision thereof) or any agency thereof having 
     administrative responsibility for such law, the social 
     security account number (or numbers, if the individual has 
     more than one such number) issued to the individual by the 
     Commissioner.
       (k) Termination and Report.--The pilot program shall 
     terminate September 30, 2001. The Attorney General and the 
     Commissioner of Social Security shall each submit to the 
     Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Ways and 
     Means of the House of Representatives and to the Committee on 
     the Judiciary and the Committee on Finance of the Senate 
     reports on the pilot program not later than December 31, 
     2001. Such reports shall--
       (1) assess the degree of fraudulent attesting of United 
     States citizenship in jurisdictions covered by the pilot 
     program;
       (2) assess the appropriate staffing and funding levels 
     which would be required for full, permanent, and nationwide 
     implementation of the pilot program, including the estimated 
     total cost for national implementation per individual record;
       (3) include an assessment by the Commissioner of Social 
     Security of the advisability and ramifications of disclosure 
     of social security account numbers to the extent provided for 
     under the pilot program and upon full, permanent, and 
     nationwide implementation of the pilot program;
       (4) assess the degree to which the records maintained by 
     the Commissioner of Social Security and the Commissioner of 
     the Immigration and Naturalization Service are able to be 
     used to reliably determine the citizenship of individuals who 
     have submitted voter registration applications;
       (5) assess the effectiveness of the pilot program's 
     safeguards against unlawful discriminatory practices;
       (6) include recommendations on whether or not the pilot 
     program should be continued or modified; and
       (7) include such other information as the Attorney General 
     or the Commissioner of Social Security may determine to be 
     relevant.

     SEC. ____02. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There are authorized to be appropriated to the Department 
     of Justice, for the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 
     for fiscal years beginning on or after October 1, 1998, such 
     sums as are necessary to carry out the provisions of this 
     title.

                               H.R. 2183

                Offered By: Mr. Peterson of Pennsylvania

             (To the Amendment Offered by: Mr. Hutchinson)

       Amendment No. 23: Add at the end the following new title:
           TITLE ____--VOTER ELIGIBILITY CONFIRMATION PROGRAM

     SEC. ____01. VOTER ELIGIBILITY PILOT CONFIRMATION PROGRAM.

       (a) In General.--The Attorney General, in consultation with 
     the Commissioner of Social Security, shall establish a pilot 
     program to test a confirmation system through which they--
       (1) respond to inquiries, made by State and local officials 
     (including voting registrars) with responsibility for 
     determining an individual's qualification to vote in a 
     Federal, State, or local election, to verify the citizenship 
     of an individual who has submitted a voter registration 
     application, and
       (2) maintain such records of the inquiries made and 
     verifications provided as may be necessary for pilot program 
     evaluation.

     In order to make an inquiry through the pilot program with 
     respect to an individual, an election official shall provide 
     the name, date of birth, and social security account number 
     of the individual.
       (b) Initial Response.--The pilot program shall provide for 
     a confirmation or a tentative nonconfirmation of an 
     individual's citizenship by the Commissioner of Social 
     Security as soon as practicable after an initial inquiry to 
     the Commissioner.
       (c) Secondary Verification Process in Case of Tentative 
     Nonconfirmation.--In cases of tentative nonconfirmation, the 
     Attorney General shall specify, in consultation with the 
     Commissioner of Social Security and the Commissioner of the 
     Immigration and Naturalization Service, an available 
     secondary verification process to confirm the validity of 
     information provided and to provide a final confirmation or 
     nonconfirmation as soon as practicable after the date of the 
     tentative nonconfirmation.
       (d) Design and Operation of Pilot Program.--
       (1) In general.--The pilot program shall be designed and 
     operated--
       (A) to apply in, at a minimum, the States of California, 
     New York, Texas, Florida, and Illinois;
       (B) to be used on a voluntary basis, as a supplementary 
     information source, by State and local election officials for 
     the purpose of assessing, through citizenship verification, 
     the eligibility of an individual to vote in Federal, State, 
     or local elections;
       (C) to respond to an inquiry concerning citizenship only in 
     a case where determining whether an individual is a citizen 
     is--
       (i) necessary for determining whether the individual is 
     eligible to vote in an election for Federal, State, or local 
     office; and
       (ii) part of a program or activity to protect the integrity 
     of the electoral process that is uniform, nondiscriminatory, 
     and in compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (42 
     U.S.C. 1973 et seq.);
       (D) to maximize its reliability and ease of use, consistent 
     with insulating and protecting the privacy and security of 
     the underlying information;
       (E) to permit inquiries to be made to the pilot program 
     through a toll-free telephone line or other toll-free 
     electronic media;

[[Page H3751]]

       (F) subject to subparagraph (I), to respond to all 
     inquiries made by authorized persons and to register all 
     times when the pilot program is not responding to inquiries 
     because of a malfunction;
       (G) with appropriate administrative, technical, and 
     physical safeguards to prevent unauthorized disclosure of 
     personal information, including violations of the 
     requirements of section 205(c)(2)(C)(viii) of the Social 
     Security Act;
       (H) to have reasonable safeguards against the pilot 
     program's resulting in unlawful discriminatory practices 
     based on national origin or citizenship status, including the 
     selective or unauthorized use of the pilot program.
       (2) Use of employment eligibility confirmation system.--To 
     the extent practicable, in establishing the confirmation 
     system under this section, the Attorney General, in 
     consultation with the Commissioner of Social Security, shall 
     use the employment eligibility confirmation system 
     established under section 404 of the Illegal Immigration 
     Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (Public Law 
     104-208; 110 Stat. 3009-664).
       (e) Responsibilities of the Commissioner of Social 
     Security.--As part of the pilot program, the Commissioner of 
     Social Security shall establish a reliable, secure method 
     which compares the name, date of birth, and social security 
     account number provided in an inquiry against such 
     information maintained by the Commissioner, in order to 
     confirm (or not confirm) the correspondence of the name, date 
     of birth, and number provided and whether the individual is 
     shown as a citizen of the United States on the records 
     maintained by the Commissioner (including whether such 
     records show that the individual was born in the United 
     States). The Commissioner shall not disclose or release 
     social security information (other than such confirmation or 
     nonconfirmation).
       (f) Responsibilities of the Commissioner of the Immigration 
     and Naturalization Service.--As part of the pilot program, 
     the Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization 
     Service shall establish a reliable, secure method which 
     compares the name and date of birth which are provided in an 
     inquiry against information maintained by the Commissioner in 
     order to confirm (or not confirm) the validity of the 
     information provided, the correspondence of the name and date 
     of birth, and whether the individual is a citizen of the 
     United States.
       (g) Updating Information.--The Commissioner of Social 
     Security and the Commissioner of the Immigration and 
     Naturalization Service shall update their information in a 
     manner that promotes the maximum accuracy and shall provide a 
     process for the prompt correction of erroneous information, 
     including instances in which it is brought to their attention 
     in the secondary verification process described in subsection 
     (c) or in any action by an individual to use the process 
     provided under this subsection upon receipt of notification 
     from an election official under subsection (i).
       (h) Limitation on Use of the Pilot Program and Any Related 
     Systems.--
       (1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
     law, nothing in this section shall be construed to permit or 
     allow any department, bureau, or other agency of the United 
     States Government to utilize any information, data base, or 
     other records assembled under this section for any other 
     purpose other than as provided for under this section.
       (2) No national identification card.--Nothing in this 
     section shall be construed to authorize, directly or 
     indirectly, the issuance or use of national identification 
     cards or the establishment of a national identification card.
       (3) No new data bases.--Nothing in this section shall be 
     construed to authorize, directly or indirectly, the Attorney 
     General and the Commissioner of Social Security to create any 
     joint computer data base that is not in existence on the date 
     of the enactment of this Act.
       (i) Actions by Election Officials Unable to Confirm 
     Citizenship.--
       (1) In general.--If an election official receives a notice 
     of final nonconfirmation under subsection (c) with respect to 
     an individual, the official--
       (A) shall notify the individual in writing; and
       (B) shall inform the individual in writing of the 
     individual's right to use--
       (i) the process provided under subsection (g) for the 
     prompt correction of erroneous information in the pilot 
     program; or
       (ii) any other process for establishing eligibility to vote 
     provided under State or Federal law.
       (2) Registration applicants.--In the case of an individual 
     who is an applicant for voter registration, and who receives 
     a notice from an official under paragraph (1), the official 
     may (subject to, and in a manner consistent with, State law) 
     reject the application (subject to the right to reapply), but 
     only if the following conditions have been satisfied:
       (A) The 30-day period beginning on the date the notice was 
     mailed or otherwise provided to the individual has elapsed.
       (B) During such 30-day period, the official did not receive 
     adequate confirmation of the citizenship of the individual 
     from--
       (i) a source other than the pilot program established under 
     this section; or
       (ii) such pilot program, pursuant to a new inquiry to the 
     pilot program made by the official upon receipt of 
     information (from the individual or through any other 
     reliable source) that erroneous or incomplete material 
     information previously in the pilot program has been updated, 
     supplemented, or corrected.
       (3) Ineligible voter removal programs.--In the case of an 
     individual who is registered to vote, and who receives a 
     notice from an official under paragraph (1) in connection 
     with a program to remove the names of ineligible voters from 
     an official list of eligible voters, the official may 
     (subject to, and in a manner consistent with, State law) 
     remove the name of the individual from the list (subject to 
     the right to submit another voter registration application), 
     but only if the following conditions have been satisfied:
       (A) The 30-day period beginning on the date the notice was 
     mailed or otherwise provided to the individual has elapsed.
       (B) During such 30-day period, the official did not receive 
     adequate confirmation of the citizenship of the individual 
     from a source described in clause (i) or (ii) of paragraph 
     (2)(B).
       (j) Authority to Use Social Security Account Numbers.--Any 
     State (or political subdivision thereof) may, for the purpose 
     of making inquiries under the pilot program in the 
     administration of any voter registration law within its 
     jurisdiction, use the social security account numbers issued 
     by the Commissioner of Social Security, and may, for such 
     purpose, require any individual who is or appears to be 
     affected by a voter registration law of such State (or 
     political subdivision thereof) to furnish to such State (or 
     political subdivision thereof) or any agency thereof having 
     administrative responsibility for such law, the social 
     security account number (or numbers, if the individual has 
     more than one such number) issued to the individual by the 
     Commissioner.
       (k) Termination and Report.--The pilot program shall 
     terminate September 30, 2001. The Attorney General and the 
     Commissioner of Social Security shall each submit to the 
     Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Ways and 
     Means of the House of Representatives and to the Committee on 
     the Judiciary and the Committee on Finance of the Senate 
     reports on the pilot program not later than December 31, 
     2001. Such reports shall--
       (1) assess the degree of fraudulent attesting of United 
     States citizenship in jurisdictions covered by the pilot 
     program;
       (2) assess the appropriate staffing and funding levels 
     which would be required for full, permanent, and nationwide 
     implementation of the pilot program, including the estimated 
     total cost for national implementation per individual record;
       (3) include an assessment by the Commissioner of Social 
     Security of the advisability and ramifications of disclosure 
     of social security account numbers to the extent provided for 
     under the pilot program and upon full, permanent, and 
     nationwide implementation of the pilot program;
       (4) assess the degree to which the records maintained by 
     the Commissioner of Social Security and the Commissioner of 
     the Immigration and Naturalization Service are able to be 
     used to reliably determine the citizenship of individuals who 
     have submitted voter registration applications;
       (5) assess the effectiveness of the pilot program's 
     safeguards against unlawful discriminatory practices;
       (6) include recommendations on whether or not the pilot 
     program should be continued or modified; and
       (7) include such other information as the Attorney General 
     or the Commissioner of Social Security may determine to be 
     relevant.

     SEC. ____02. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There are authorized to be appropriated to the Department 
     of Justice, for the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 
     for fiscal years beginning on or after October 1, 1998, such 
     sums as are necessary to carry out the provisions of this 
     title.

                               H.R. 2183

                Offered By: Mr. Peterson of Pennsylvania

        (To the Amendment Offered by: Mr. Peterson of Minnesota)

       Amendment No. 24: Add at the end the following new title:
           TITLE ____--VOTER ELIGIBILITY CONFIRMATION PROGRAM

     SEC. ____01. VOTER ELIGIBILITY PILOT CONFIRMATION PROGRAM.

       (a) In General.--The Attorney General, in consultation with 
     the Commissioner of Social Security, shall establish a pilot 
     program to test a confirmation system through which they--
       (1) respond to inquiries, made by State and local officials 
     (including voting registrars) with responsibility for 
     determining an individual's qualification to vote in a 
     Federal, State, or local election, to verify the citizenship 
     of an individual who has submitted a voter registration 
     application, and
       (2) maintain such records of the inquiries made and 
     verifications provided as may be necessary for pilot program 
     evaluation.

     In order to make an inquiry through the pilot program with 
     respect to an individual, an election official shall provide 
     the name, date of birth, and social security account number 
     of the individual.
       (b) Initial Response.--The pilot program shall provide for 
     a confirmation or a tentative nonconfirmation of an 
     individual's citizenship by the Commissioner of Social 
     Security as soon as practicable after an initial inquiry to 
     the Commissioner.

[[Page H3752]]

       (c) Secondary Verification Process in Case of Tentative 
     Nonconfirmation.--In cases of tentative nonconfirmation, the 
     Attorney General shall specify, in consultation with the 
     Commissioner of Social Security and the Commissioner of the 
     Immigration and Naturalization Service, an available 
     secondary verification process to confirm the validity of 
     information provided and to provide a final confirmation or 
     nonconfirmation as soon as practicable after the date of the 
     tentative nonconfirmation.
       (d) Design and Operation of Pilot Program.--
       (1) In general.--The pilot program shall be designed and 
     operated--
       (A) to apply in, at a minimum, the States of California, 
     New York, Texas, Florida, and Illinois;
       (B) to be used on a voluntary basis, as a supplementary 
     information source, by State and local election officials for 
     the purpose of assessing, through citizenship verification, 
     the eligibility of an individual to vote in Federal, State, 
     or local elections;
       (C) to respond to an inquiry concerning citizenship only in 
     a case where determining whether an individual is a citizen 
     is--
       (i) necessary for determining whether the individual is 
     eligible to vote in an election for Federal, State, or local 
     office; and
       (ii) part of a program or activity to protect the integrity 
     of the electoral process that is uniform, nondiscriminatory, 
     and in compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (42 
     U.S.C. 1973 et seq.);
       (D) to maximize its reliability and ease of use, consistent 
     with insulating and protecting the privacy and security of 
     the underlying information;
       (E) to permit inquiries to be made to the pilot program 
     through a toll-free telephone line or other toll-free 
     electronic media;
       (F) subject to subparagraph (I), to respond to all 
     inquiries made by authorized persons and to register all 
     times when the pilot program is not responding to inquiries 
     because of a malfunction;
       (G) with appropriate administrative, technical, and 
     physical safeguards to prevent unauthorized disclosure of 
     personal information, including violations of the 
     requirements of section 205(c)(2)(C)(viii) of the Social 
     Security Act;
       (H) to have reasonable safeguards against the pilot 
     program's resulting in unlawful discriminatory practices 
     based on national origin or citizenship status, including the 
     selective or unauthorized use of the pilot program.
       (2) Use of employment eligibility confirmation system.--To 
     the extent practicable, in establishing the confirmation 
     system under this section, the Attorney General, in 
     consultation with the Commissioner of Social Security, shall 
     use the employment eligibility confirmation system 
     established under section 404 of the Illegal Immigration 
     Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (Public Law 
     104-208; 110 Stat. 3009-664).
       (e) Responsibilities of the Commissioner of Social 
     Security.--As part of the pilot program, the Commissioner of 
     Social Security shall establish a reliable, secure method 
     which compares the name, date of birth, and social security 
     account number provided in an inquiry against such 
     information maintained by the Commissioner, in order to 
     confirm (or not confirm) the correspondence of the name, date 
     of birth, and number provided and whether the individual is 
     shown as a citizen of the United States on the records 
     maintained by the Commissioner (including whether such 
     records show that the individual was born in the United 
     States). The Commissioner shall not disclose or release 
     social security information (other than such confirmation or 
     nonconfirmation).
       (f) Responsibilities of the Commissioner of the Immigration 
     and Naturalization Service.--As part of the pilot program, 
     the Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization 
     Service shall establish a reliable, secure method which 
     compares the name and date of birth which are provided in an 
     inquiry against information maintained by the Commissioner in 
     order to confirm (or not confirm) the validity of the 
     information provided, the correspondence of the name and date 
     of birth, and whether the individual is a citizen of the 
     United States.
       (g) Updating Information.--The Commissioner of Social 
     Security and the Commissioner of the Immigration and 
     Naturalization Service shall update their information in a 
     manner that promotes the maximum accuracy and shall provide a 
     process for the prompt correction of erroneous information, 
     including instances in which it is brought to their attention 
     in the secondary verification process described in subsection 
     (c) or in any action by an individual to use the process 
     provided under this subsection upon receipt of notification 
     from an election official under subsection (i).
       (h) Limitation on Use of the Pilot Program and Any Related 
     Systems.--
       (1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
     law, nothing in this section shall be construed to permit or 
     allow any department, bureau, or other agency of the United 
     States Government to utilize any information, data base, or 
     other records assembled under this section for any other 
     purpose other than as provided for under this section.
       (2) No national identification card.--Nothing in this 
     section shall be construed to authorize, directly or 
     indirectly, the issuance or use of national identification 
     cards or the establishment of a national identification card.
       (3) No new data bases.--Nothing in this section shall be 
     construed to authorize, directly or indirectly, the Attorney 
     General and the Commissioner of Social Security to create any 
     joint computer data base that is not in existence on the date 
     of the enactment of this Act.
       (i) Actions by Election Officials Unable to Confirm 
     Citizenship.--
       (1) In general.--If an election official receives a notice 
     of final nonconfirmation under subsection (c) with respect to 
     an individual, the official--
       (A) shall notify the individual in writing; and
       (B) shall inform the individual in writing of the 
     individual's right to use--
       (i) the process provided under subsection (g) for the 
     prompt correction of erroneous information in the pilot 
     program; or
       (ii) any other process for establishing eligibility to vote 
     provided under State or Federal law.
       (2) Registration applicants.--In the case of an individual 
     who is an applicant for voter registration, and who receives 
     a notice from an official under paragraph (1), the official 
     may (subject to, and in a manner consistent with, State law) 
     reject the application (subject to the right to reapply), but 
     only if the following conditions have been satisfied:
       (A) The 30-day period beginning on the date the notice was 
     mailed or otherwise provided to the individual has elapsed.
       (B) During such 30-day period, the official did not receive 
     adequate confirmation of the citizenship of the individual 
     from--
       (i) a source other than the pilot program established under 
     this section; or
       (ii) such pilot program, pursuant to a new inquiry to the 
     pilot program made by the official upon receipt of 
     information (from the individual or through any other 
     reliable source) that erroneous or incomplete material 
     information previously in the pilot program has been updated, 
     supplemented, or corrected.
       (3) Ineligible voter removal programs.--In the case of an 
     individual who is registered to vote, and who receives a 
     notice from an official under paragraph (1) in connection 
     with a program to remove the names of ineligible voters from 
     an official list of eligible voters, the official may 
     (subject to, and in a manner consistent with, State law) 
     remove the name of the individual from the list (subject to 
     the right to submit another voter registration application), 
     but only if the following conditions have been satisfied:
       (A) The 30-day period beginning on the date the notice was 
     mailed or otherwise provided to the individual has elapsed.
       (B) During such 30-day period, the official did not receive 
     adequate confirmation of the citizenship of the individual 
     from a source described in clause (i) or (ii) of paragraph 
     (2)(B).
       (j) Authority to Use Social Security Account Numbers.--Any 
     State (or political subdivision thereof) may, for the purpose 
     of making inquiries under the pilot program in the 
     administration of any voter registration law within its 
     jurisdiction, use the social security account numbers issued 
     by the Commissioner of Social Security, and may, for such 
     purpose, require any individual who is or appears to be 
     affected by a voter registration law of such State (or 
     political subdivision thereof) to furnish to such State (or 
     political subdivision thereof) or any agency thereof having 
     administrative responsibility for such law, the social 
     security account number (or numbers, if the individual has 
     more than one such number) issued to the individual by the 
     Commissioner.
       (k) Termination and Report.--The pilot program shall 
     terminate September 30, 2001. The Attorney General and the 
     Commissioner of Social Security shall each submit to the 
     Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Ways and 
     Means of the House of Representatives and to the Committee on 
     the Judiciary and the Committee on Finance of the Senate 
     reports on the pilot program not later than December 31, 
     2001. Such reports shall--
       (1) assess the degree of fraudulent attesting of United 
     States citizenship in jurisdictions covered by the pilot 
     program;
       (2) assess the appropriate staffing and funding levels 
     which would be required for full, permanent, and nationwide 
     implementation of the pilot program, including the estimated 
     total cost for national implementation per individual record;
       (3) include an assessment by the Commissioner of Social 
     Security of the advisability and ramifications of disclosure 
     of social security account numbers to the extent provided for 
     under the pilot program and upon full, permanent, and 
     nationwide implementation of the pilot program;
       (4) assess the degree to which the records maintained by 
     the Commissioner of Social Security and the Commissioner of 
     the Immigration and Naturalization Service are able to be 
     used to reliably determine the citizenship of individuals who 
     have submitted voter registration applications;
       (5) assess the effectiveness of the pilot program's 
     safeguards against unlawful discriminatory practices;
       (6) include recommendations on whether or not the pilot 
     program should be continued or modified; and
       (7) include such other information as the Attorney General 
     or the Commissioner of Social Security may determine to be 
     relevant.

[[Page H3753]]

     SEC. ____02. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There are authorized to be appropriated to the Department 
     of Justice, for the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 
     for fiscal years beginning on or after October 1, 1998, such 
     sums as are necessary to carry out the provisions of this 
     title.

                               H.R. 2183

                Offered By: Mr. Peterson of Pennsylvania

                (To the Amendment Offered by: Mr. Shays)

       Amendment No. 25: Add at the end the following new title:
           TITLE ____--VOTER ELIGIBILITY CONFIRMATION PROGRAM

     SEC. ____01. VOTER ELIGIBILITY PILOT CONFIRMATION PROGRAM.

       (a) In General.--The Attorney General, in consultation with 
     the Commissioner of Social Security, shall establish a pilot 
     program to test a confirmation system through which they--
       (1) respond to inquiries, made by State and local officials 
     (including voting registrars) with responsibility for 
     determining an individual's qualification to vote in a 
     Federal, State, or local election, to verify the citizenship 
     of an individual who has submitted a voter registration 
     application, and
       (2) maintain such records of the inquiries made and 
     verifications provided as may be necessary for pilot program 
     evaluation.

     In order to make an inquiry through the pilot program with 
     respect to an individual, an election official shall provide 
     the name, date of birth, and social security account number 
     of the individual.
       (b) Initial Response.--The pilot program shall provide for 
     a confirmation or a tentative nonconfirmation of an 
     individual's citizenship by the Commissioner of Social 
     Security as soon as practicable after an initial inquiry to 
     the Commissioner.
       (c) Secondary Verification Process in Case of Tentative 
     Nonconfirmation.--In cases of tentative nonconfirmation, the 
     Attorney General shall specify, in consultation with the 
     Commissioner of Social Security and the Commissioner of the 
     Immigration and Naturalization Service, an available 
     secondary verification process to confirm the validity of 
     information provided and to provide a final confirmation or 
     nonconfirmation as soon as practicable after the date of the 
     tentative nonconfirmation.
       (d) Design and Operation of Pilot Program.--
       (1) In general.--The pilot program shall be designed and 
     operated--
       (A) to apply in, at a minimum, the States of California, 
     New York, Texas, Florida, and Illinois;
       (B) to be used on a voluntary basis, as a supplementary 
     information source, by State and local election officials for 
     the purpose of assessing, through citizenship verification, 
     the eligibility of an individual to vote in Federal, State, 
     or local elections;
       (C) to respond to an inquiry concerning citizenship only in 
     a case where determining whether an individual is a citizen 
     is--
       (i) necessary for determining whether the individual is 
     eligible to vote in an election for Federal, State, or local 
     office; and
       (ii) part of a program or activity to protect the integrity 
     of the electoral process that is uniform, nondiscriminatory, 
     and in compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (42 
     U.S.C. 1973 et seq.);
       (D) to maximize its reliability and ease of use, consistent 
     with insulating and protecting the privacy and security of 
     the underlying information;
       (E) to permit inquiries to be made to the pilot program 
     through a toll-free telephone line or other toll-free 
     electronic media;
       (F) subject to subparagraph (I), to respond to all 
     inquiries made by authorized persons and to register all 
     times when the pilot program is not responding to inquiries 
     because of a malfunction;
       (G) with appropriate administrative, technical, and 
     physical safeguards to prevent unauthorized disclosure of 
     personal information, including violations of the 
     requirements of section 205(c)(2)(C)(viii) of the Social 
     Security Act;
       (H) to have reasonable safeguards against the pilot 
     program's resulting in unlawful discriminatory practices 
     based on national origin or citizenship status, including the 
     selective or unauthorized use of the pilot program.
       (2) Use of employment eligibility confirmation system.--To 
     the extent practicable, in establishing the confirmation 
     system under this section, the Attorney General, in 
     consultation with the Commissioner of Social Security, shall 
     use the employment eligibility confirmation system 
     established under section 404 of the Illegal Immigration 
     Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (Public Law 
     104-208; 110 Stat. 3009-664).
       (e) Responsibilities of the Commissioner of Social 
     Security.--As part of the pilot program, the Commissioner of 
     Social Security shall establish a reliable, secure method 
     which compares the name, date of birth, and social security 
     account number provided in an inquiry against such 
     information maintained by the Commissioner, in order to 
     confirm (or not confirm) the correspondence of the name, date 
     of birth, and number provided and whether the individual is 
     shown as a citizen of the United States on the records 
     maintained by the Commissioner (including whether such 
     records show that the individual was born in the United 
     States). The Commissioner shall not disclose or release 
     social security information (other than such confirmation or 
     nonconfirmation).
       (f) Responsibilities of the Commissioner of the Immigration 
     and Naturalization Service.--As part of the pilot program, 
     the Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization 
     Service shall establish a reliable, secure method which 
     compares the name and date of birth which are provided in an 
     inquiry against information maintained by the Commissioner in 
     order to confirm (or not confirm) the validity of the 
     information provided, the correspondence of the name and date 
     of birth, and whether the individual is a citizen of the 
     United States.
       (g) Updating Information.--The Commissioner of Social 
     Security and the Commissioner of the Immigration and 
     Naturalization Service shall update their information in a 
     manner that promotes the maximum accuracy and shall provide a 
     process for the prompt correction of erroneous information, 
     including instances in which it is brought to their attention 
     in the secondary verification process described in subsection 
     (c) or in any action by an individual to use the process 
     provided under this subsection upon receipt of notification 
     from an election official under subsection (i).
       (h) Limitation on Use of the Pilot Program and Any Related 
     Systems.--
       (1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
     law, nothing in this section shall be construed to permit or 
     allow any department, bureau, or other agency of the United 
     States Government to utilize any information, data base, or 
     other records assembled under this section for any other 
     purpose other than as provided for under this section.
       (2) No national identification card.--Nothing in this 
     section shall be construed to authorize, directly or 
     indirectly, the issuance or use of national identification 
     cards or the establishment of a national identification card.
       (3) No new data bases.--Nothing in this section shall be 
     construed to authorize, directly or indirectly, the Attorney 
     General and the Commissioner of Social Security to create any 
     joint computer data base that is not in existence on the date 
     of the enactment of this Act.
       (i) Actions by Election Officials Unable to Confirm 
     Citizenship.--
       (1) In general.--If an election official receives a notice 
     of final nonconfirmation under subsection (c) with respect to 
     an individual, the official--
       (A) shall notify the individual in writing; and
       (B) shall inform the individual in writing of the 
     individual's right to use--
       (i) the process provided under subsection (g) for the 
     prompt correction of erroneous information in the pilot 
     program; or
       (ii) any other process for establishing eligibility to vote 
     provided under State or Federal law.
       (2) Registration applicants.--In the case of an individual 
     who is an applicant for voter registration, and who receives 
     a notice from an official under paragraph (1), the official 
     may (subject to, and in a manner consistent with, State law) 
     reject the application (subject to the right to reapply), but 
     only if the following conditions have been satisfied:
       (A) The 30-day period beginning on the date the notice was 
     mailed or otherwise provided to the individual has elapsed.
       (B) During such 30-day period, the official did not receive 
     adequate confirmation of the citizenship of the individual 
     from--
       (i) a source other than the pilot program established under 
     this section; or
       (ii) such pilot program, pursuant to a new inquiry to the 
     pilot program made by the official upon receipt of 
     information (from the individual or through any other 
     reliable source) that erroneous or incomplete material 
     information previously in the pilot program has been updated, 
     supplemented, or corrected.
       (3) Ineligible voter removal programs.--In the case of an 
     individual who is registered to vote, and who receives a 
     notice from an official under paragraph (1) in connection 
     with a program to remove the names of ineligible voters from 
     an official list of eligible voters, the official may 
     (subject to, and in a manner consistent with, State law) 
     remove the name of the individual from the list (subject to 
     the right to submit another voter registration application), 
     but only if the following conditions have been satisfied:
       (A) The 30-day period beginning on the date the notice was 
     mailed or otherwise provided to the individual has elapsed.
       (B) During such 30-day period, the official did not receive 
     adequate confirmation of the citizenship of the individual 
     from a source described in clause (i) or (ii) of paragraph 
     (2)(B).
       (j) Authority to Use Social Security Account Numbers.--Any 
     State (or political subdivision thereof) may, for the purpose 
     of making inquiries under the pilot program in the 
     administration of any voter registration law within its 
     jurisdiction, use the social security account numbers issued 
     by the Commissioner of Social Security, and may, for such 
     purpose, require any individual who is or appears to be 
     affected by a voter registration law of such State (or 
     political subdivision thereof) to furnish to such State (or 
     political subdivision thereof) or any agency thereof having 
     administrative responsibility for such law, the social 
     security account number (or numbers, if the individual has 
     more than one such number) issued to the individual by the 
     Commissioner.
       (k) Termination and Report.--The pilot program shall 
     terminate September 30, 2001. The Attorney General and the 
     Commissioner

[[Page H3754]]

     of Social Security shall each submit to the Committee on the 
     Judiciary and the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of 
     Representatives and to the Committee on the Judiciary and the 
     Committee on Finance of the Senate reports on the pilot 
     program not later than December 31, 2001. Such reports 
     shall--
       (1) assess the degree of fraudulent attesting of United 
     States citizenship in jurisdictions covered by the pilot 
     program;
       (2) assess the appropriate staffing and funding levels 
     which would be required for full, permanent, and nationwide 
     implementation of the pilot program, including the estimated 
     total cost for national implementation per individual record;
       (3) include an assessment by the Commissioner of Social 
     Security of the advisability and ramifications of disclosure 
     of social security account numbers to the extent provided for 
     under the pilot program and upon full, permanent, and 
     nationwide implementation of the pilot program;
       (4) assess the degree to which the records maintained by 
     the Commissioner of Social Security and the Commissioner of 
     the Immigration and Naturalization Service are able to be 
     used to reliably determine the citizenship of individuals who 
     have submitted voter registration applications;
       (5) assess the effectiveness of the pilot program's 
     safeguards against unlawful discriminatory practices;
       (6) include recommendations on whether or not the pilot 
     program should be continued or modified; and
       (7) include such other information as the Attorney General 
     or the Commissioner of Social Security may determine to be 
     relevant.

     SEC. ____02. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There are authorized to be appropriated to the Department 
     of Justice, for the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 
     for fiscal years beginning on or after October 1, 1998, such 
     sums as are necessary to carry out the provisions of this 
     title.

                               H.R. 2183

                Offered By: Mr. Peterson of Pennsylvania

               (To the Amendment Offered by: Mr. Tierney)

       Amendment No. 26: Add at the end the following new title:
           TITLE ____--VOTER ELIGIBILITY CONFIRMATION PROGRAM

     SEC. ____01. VOTER ELIGIBILITY PILOT CONFIRMATION PROGRAM.

       (a) In General.--The Attorney General, in consultation with 
     the Commissioner of Social Security, shall establish a pilot 
     program to test a confirmation system through which they--
       (1) respond to inquiries, made by State and local officials 
     (including voting registrars) with responsibility for 
     determining an individual's qualification to vote in a 
     Federal, State, or local election, to verify the citizenship 
     of an individual who has submitted a voter registration 
     application, and
       (2) maintain such records of the inquiries made and 
     verifications provided as may be necessary for pilot program 
     evaluation.

     In order to make an inquiry through the pilot program with 
     respect to an individual, an election official shall provide 
     the name, date of birth, and social security account number 
     of the individual.
       (b) Initial Response.--The pilot program shall provide for 
     a confirmation or a tentative nonconfirmation of an 
     individual's citizenship by the Commissioner of Social 
     Security as soon as practicable after an initial inquiry to 
     the Commissioner.
       (c) Secondary Verification Process in Case of Tentative 
     Nonconfirmation.--In cases of tentative nonconfirmation, the 
     Attorney General shall specify, in consultation with the 
     Commissioner of Social Security and the Commissioner of the 
     Immigration and Naturalization Service, an available 
     secondary verification process to confirm the validity of 
     information provided and to provide a final confirmation or 
     nonconfirmation as soon as practicable after the date of the 
     tentative nonconfirmation.
       (d) Design and Operation of Pilot Program.--
       (1) In general.--The pilot program shall be designed and 
     operated--
       (A) to apply in, at a minimum, the States of California, 
     New York, Texas, Florida, and Illinois;
       (B) to be used on a voluntary basis, as a supplementary 
     information source, by State and local election officials for 
     the purpose of assessing, through citizenship verification, 
     the eligibility of an individual to vote in Federal, State, 
     or local elections;
       (C) to respond to an inquiry concerning citizenship only in 
     a case where determining whether an individual is a citizen 
     is--
       (i) necessary for determining whether the individual is 
     eligible to vote in an election for Federal, State, or local 
     office; and
       (ii) part of a program or activity to protect the integrity 
     of the electoral process that is uniform, nondiscriminatory, 
     and in compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (42 
     U.S.C. 1973 et seq.);
       (D) to maximize its reliability and ease of use, consistent 
     with insulating and protecting the privacy and security of 
     the underlying information;
       (E) to permit inquiries to be made to the pilot program 
     through a toll-free telephone line or other toll-free 
     electronic media;
       (F) subject to subparagraph (I), to respond to all 
     inquiries made by authorized persons and to register all 
     times when the pilot program is not responding to inquiries 
     because of a malfunction;
       (G) with appropriate administrative, technical, and 
     physical safeguards to prevent unauthorized disclosure of 
     personal information, including violations of the 
     requirements of section 205(c)(2)(C)(viii) of the Social 
     Security Act;
       (H) to have reasonable safeguards against the pilot 
     program's resulting in unlawful discriminatory practices 
     based on national origin or citizenship status, including the 
     selective or unauthorized use of the pilot program.
       (2) Use of employment eligibility confirmation system.--To 
     the extent practicable, in establishing the confirmation 
     system under this section, the Attorney General, in 
     consultation with the Commissioner of Social Security, shall 
     use the employment eligibility confirmation system 
     established under section 404 of the Illegal Immigration 
     Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (Public Law 
     104-208; 110 Stat. 3009-664).
       (e) Responsibilities of the Commissioner of Social 
     Security.--As part of the pilot program, the Commissioner of 
     Social Security shall establish a reliable, secure method 
     which compares the name, date of birth, and social security 
     account number provided in an inquiry against such 
     information maintained by the Commissioner, in order to 
     confirm (or not confirm) the correspondence of the name, date 
     of birth, and number provided and whether the individual is 
     shown as a citizen of the United States on the records 
     maintained by the Commissioner (including whether such 
     records show that the individual was born in the United 
     States). The Commissioner shall not disclose or release 
     social security information (other than such confirmation or 
     nonconfirmation).
       (f) Responsibilities of the Commissioner of the Immigration 
     and Naturalization Service.--As part of the pilot program, 
     the Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization 
     Service shall establish a reliable, secure method which 
     compares the name and date of birth which are provided in an 
     inquiry against information maintained by the Commissioner in 
     order to confirm (or not confirm) the validity of the 
     information provided, the correspondence of the name and date 
     of birth, and whether the individual is a citizen of the 
     United States.
       (g) Updating Information.--The Commissioner of Social 
     Security and the Commissioner of the Immigration and 
     Naturalization Service shall update their information in a 
     manner that promotes the maximum accuracy and shall provide a 
     process for the prompt correction of erroneous information, 
     including instances in which it is brought to their attention 
     in the secondary verification process described in subsection 
     (c) or in any action by an individual to use the process 
     provided under this subsection upon receipt of notification 
     from an election official under subsection (i).
       (h) Limitation on Use of the Pilot Program and Any Related 
     Systems.--
       (1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
     law, nothing in this section shall be construed to permit or 
     allow any department, bureau, or other agency of the United 
     States Government to utilize any information, data base, or 
     other records assembled under this section for any other 
     purpose other than as provided for under this section.
       (2) No national identification card.--Nothing in this 
     section shall be construed to authorize, directly or 
     indirectly, the issuance or use of national identification 
     cards or the establishment of a national identification card.
       (3) No new data bases.--Nothing in this section shall be 
     construed to authorize, directly or indirectly, the Attorney 
     General and the Commissioner of Social Security to create any 
     joint computer data base that is not in existence on the date 
     of the enactment of this Act.
       (i) Actions by Election Officials Unable to Confirm 
     Citizenship.--
       (1) In general.--If an election official receives a notice 
     of final nonconfirmation under subsection (c) with respect to 
     an individual, the official--
       (A) shall notify the individual in writing; and
       (B) shall inform the individual in writing of the 
     individual's right to use--
       (i) the process provided under subsection (g) for the 
     prompt correction of erroneous information in the pilot 
     program; or
       (ii) any other process for establishing eligibility to vote 
     provided under State or Federal law.
       (2) Registration applicants.--In the case of an individual 
     who is an applicant for voter registration, and who receives 
     a notice from an official under paragraph (1), the official 
     may (subject to, and in a manner consistent with, State law) 
     reject the application (subject to the right to reapply), but 
     only if the following conditions have been satisfied:
       (A) The 30-day period beginning on the date the notice was 
     mailed or otherwise provided to the individual has elapsed.
       (B) During such 30-day period, the official did not receive 
     adequate confirmation of the citizenship of the individual 
     from--
       (i) a source other than the pilot program established under 
     this section; or
       (ii) such pilot program, pursuant to a new inquiry to the 
     pilot program made by the official upon receipt of 
     information (from the individual or through any other 
     reliable

[[Page H3755]]

     source) that erroneous or incomplete material information 
     previously in the pilot program has been updated, 
     supplemented, or corrected.
       (3) Ineligible voter removal programs.--In the case of an 
     individual who is registered to vote, and who receives a 
     notice from an official under paragraph (1) in connection 
     with a program to remove the names of ineligible voters from 
     an official list of eligible voters, the official may 
     (subject to, and in a manner consistent with, State law) 
     remove the name of the individual from the list (subject to 
     the right to submit another voter registration application), 
     but only if the following conditions have been satisfied:
       (A) The 30-day period beginning on the date the notice was 
     mailed or otherwise provided to the individual has elapsed.
       (B) During such 30-day period, the official did not receive 
     adequate confirmation of the citizenship of the individual 
     from a source described in clause (i) or (ii) of paragraph 
     (2)(B).
       (j) Authority to Use Social Security Account Numbers.--Any 
     State (or political subdivision thereof) may, for the purpose 
     of making inquiries under the pilot program in the 
     administration of any voter registration law within its 
     jurisdiction, use the social security account numbers issued 
     by the Commissioner of Social Security, and may, for such 
     purpose, require any individual who is or appears to be 
     affected by a voter registration law of such State (or 
     political subdivision thereof) to furnish to such State (or 
     political subdivision thereof) or any agency thereof having 
     administrative responsibility for such law, the social 
     security account number (or numbers, if the individual has 
     more than one such number) issued to the individual by the 
     Commissioner.
       (k) Termination and Report.--The pilot program shall 
     terminate September 30, 2001. The Attorney General and the 
     Commissioner of Social Security shall each submit to the 
     Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Ways and 
     Means of the House of Representatives and to the Committee on 
     the Judiciary and the Committee on Finance of the Senate 
     reports on the pilot program not later than December 31, 
     2001. Such reports shall--
       (1) assess the degree of fraudulent attesting of United 
     States citizenship in jurisdictions covered by the pilot 
     program;
       (2) assess the appropriate staffing and funding levels 
     which would be required for full, permanent, and nationwide 
     implementation of the pilot program, including the estimated 
     total cost for national implementation per individual record;
       (3) include an assessment by the Commissioner of Social 
     Security of the advisability and ramifications of disclosure 
     of social security account numbers to the extent provided for 
     under the pilot program and upon full, permanent, and 
     nationwide implementation of the pilot program;
       (4) assess the degree to which the records maintained by 
     the Commissioner of Social Security and the Commissioner of 
     the Immigration and Naturalization Service are able to be 
     used to reliably determine the citizenship of individuals who 
     have submitted voter registration applications;
       (5) assess the effectiveness of the pilot program's 
     safeguards against unlawful discriminatory practices;
       (6) include recommendations on whether or not the pilot 
     program should be continued or modified; and
       (7) include such other information as the Attorney General 
     or the Commissioner of Social Security may determine to be 
     relevant.

     SEC. ____02. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There are authorized to be appropriated to the Department 
     of Justice, for the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 
     for fiscal years beginning on or after October 1, 1998, such 
     sums as are necessary to carry out the provisions of this 
     title.