[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 199 (Tuesday, November 16, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8273-S8274]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 4677. Ms. KLOBUCHAR submitted an amendment intended to be proposed 
to amendment SA 3867 submitted by Mr. Reed and intended to be proposed 
to the bill H.R. 4350, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2022 
for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

        At the end of subtitle A of title XII, add the following:

     SEC. 1210. GLOBAL ELECTORAL EXCHANGE PROGRAM.

       (a) Short Title.--This section may be cited as the ``Global 
     Electoral Exchange Act of 2021''.
       (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) recent elections globally have illustrated the urgent 
     need for the promotion and exchange of international best 
     election practices, particularly in the areas of 
     cybersecurity, results transmission, transparency of 
     electoral data, election dispute resolution, and the 
     elimination of discriminatory registration practices and 
     other electoral irregularities;
       (2) the advancement of democracy worldwide promotes United 
     States interests, as stable democracies provide new market 
     opportunities, improve global health outcomes, and promote 
     economic freedom and regional security;
       (3) credible elections are the cornerstone of a healthy 
     democracy and enable all persons to exercise their basic 
     human right to have a say in how they are governed;
       (4) inclusive elections strengthen the credibility and 
     stability of democracies more broadly;
       (5) at the heart of a strong election cycle is the 
     professionalism of the election management body and an 
     empowered civil society;
       (6) the development of local expertise via peer-to-peer 
     learning and exchanges promotes the independence of such 
     bodies from internal and external influence; and
       (7) supporting the efforts of peoples in democratizing 
     societies to build more representative governments in their 
     respective countries is in the national interest of the 
     United States.
       (c) Global Electoral Exchange.--
       (1) In general.--The Global Engagement Center (referred to 
     in this section as the ``Center'') at the Department of State 
     is authorized to establish and administer a Global Electoral 
     Exchange Program (referred to in this section as the 
     ``Program'') to promote the utilization of sound election 
     administration practices around the world.
       (2) Purpose.--The purpose of the Program shall include the 
     promotion and exchange of international best election 
     practices, including in the areas of--
       (A) cybersecurity;
       (B) the protection of election systems against influence 
     campaigns;
       (C) results transmission;
       (D) transparency of electoral data;
       (E) election dispute resolution;
       (F) the elimination of discriminatory registration 
     practices and electoral irregularities;
       (G) inclusive and equitable promotion of candidate 
     participation;
       (H) equitable access to polling places, voter education 
     information, and voting mechanisms (including by persons with 
     disabilities); and
       (I) other sound election administration practices.
       (3) Exchange of electoral authorities.--
       (A) In general.--The Center, in consultation, as 
     appropriate, with the United States Agency for International 
     Development, may award grants to any United States-based 
     organization that--
       (i) is described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal 
     Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from tax under section 501(a) 
     of such Code;
       (ii) has experience in, and a primary focus on, foreign 
     comparative election systems or subject matter expertise in 
     the administration or integrity of such systems; and
       (iii) submits an application in such form, and satisfying 
     such requirements, as the Center may require.
       (B) Types of grants.--An organization described in 
     subparagraph (A) may receive a grant under this paragraph to 
     design and implement programs that--
       (i) bring to the United States election administrators and 
     officials, including government officials, poll workers, 
     civil society representatives, members of the judiciary, and 
     others who participate in the organization and administration 
     of public elections in a foreign country that faces 
     challenges to

[[Page S8274]]

     its electoral process to study election procedures in the 
     United States for educational purposes; or
       (ii) take election administrators and officials of the 
     United States or of another country, including government 
     officials, poll workers, civil society representatives, 
     members of the judiciary, and others who participate in the 
     organization and administration of public elections to 
     another country to study and discuss election procedures in 
     such country for educational purposes.
       (C) Limits on activities.--Activities administered under 
     the Program may not--
       (i) include observation of an election for the purposes of 
     assessing the validity or legitimacy of that election;
       (ii) facilitate any advocacy for a certain electoral result 
     by a grantee when participating in the Program; or
       (iii) be carried out without proper consultation with State 
     and local authorities in the United States that administer 
     elections.
       (D) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
     the Center should establish and maintain a network of Global 
     Electoral Exchange Program alumni, to promote communication 
     and further exchange of information regarding sound election 
     administration practices among current and former Program 
     participants.
       (E) Limitation.--A recipient of a grant under the Program 
     may only use such grant for the purpose for which such grant 
     was awarded, unless otherwise authorized by the Center.
       (F) Nonduplicative.--Grants made under this paragraph may 
     not be duplicative of any other grants made under any other 
     provision of law for similar or related purposes.
       (4) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated $5,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 
     2022 through 2026 to carry out this subsection.
       (d) Congressional Oversight.--Not later than 1 year after 
     the date of the enactment of this Act and annually thereafter 
     for the following 2 years, the Center shall provide a 
     briefing to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate 
     and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
     Representatives regarding the status of any activities 
     carried out pursuant to subsection (c) during the preceding 
     year, which shall include--
       (1) a summary of all exchanges conducted under the Global 
     Electoral Exchange Program, including information regarding 
     grantees, participants, and the locations where program 
     activities were held;
       (2) a description of the criteria used to select grantees 
     under the Global Electoral Exchange Program; and
       (3) recommendations for the improvement of the Global 
     Electoral Exchange Program in furtherance of the purpose 
     specified in subsection (c)(2).
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