[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 24 (Friday, February 9, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S718-S719]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 1530. Mr. LEE submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill H.R. 815, to amend title 38, United States Code, to 
make certain improvements relating to the eligibility of veterans to 
receive reimbursement for emergency treatment furnished through the 
Veterans Community Care program, and for other purposes; which was 
ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the appropriate place, insert the following:

     SEC. __. ENSURING ONLY CITIZENS ARE REGISTERED TO VOTE IN 
                   ELECTIONS FOR FEDERAL OFFICE.

       (a) Requiring Documentary Proof of Identity, Citizenship, 
     and Age Eligibility With National Mail Voter Registration 
     Form.--Section 6 of the National Voter Registration Act of 
     1993 (52 U.S.C. 20505) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a)(1)--
       (A) by striking ``Each State shall accept'' and inserting 
     ``Each State shall have the option to accept'';
       (B) by striking ``Federal Election Commission'' and 
     inserting ``Election Assistance Commission''; and
       (C) by inserting the following before the period at the 
     end: ``, provided, that the mail voter registration 
     application form must include documentary proof of the 
     identity, United States citizenship, and eligibility as to 
     age of the applicant'';
       (2) in subsection (b), by adding at the end the following: 
     ``All organized voter registration programs shall demonstrate 
     compliance with the provisions of subsection (a) and 
     capability to request and collect documentary proof as 
     described in subsection (a).''; and
       (3) in subsection (c)--
       (A) in paragraph (1)--
       (i) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (ii) in subparagraph (B) by striking the period at the end 
     and inserting ``; and''; and
       (iii) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
       ``(C) the person has not provided documentary proof of 
     citizenship when registering to vote''; and
       (B) in paragraph (2)(A), by inserting the following before 
     the semicolon: ``, provided that such person provides to the 
     State or local election office a copy of their valid United 
     States Passport or United States Military identification in 
     order to vote by absentee ballot under the Uniformed and 
     Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act''.
       (b) Requirements for Voter Registration Agencies.--Section 
     7 of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 
     20506) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a)--
       (A) in paragraph (4)(A), by adding at the end the following 
     new clause:
       ``(iv) Receipt of documentary proof of United States 
     citizenship of each applicant to be registered to vote.'';
       (B) in paragraph (5)(C), by inserting the following before 
     the semicolon: ``, provided that requiring documentary proof 
     of US citizenship shall not be construed or interpreted as 
     discouraging the applicant from registering to vote'';
       (C) in paragraph (6)--
       (i) in subparagraph (A)(i)(I), by striking ``(including 
     citizenship)'' and inserting ``and requires proof of United 
     States citizenship'';
       (ii) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as subparagraph (C), 
     and by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following new 
     subparagraph:
       ``(B) ask the applicant the question, `Are you a citizen of 
     the United States?', and require documentary proof of United 
     States citizenship prior to providing the form under 
     subparagraph (B);''; and
       (iii) in subparagraph (C), as redesignated under 
     subparagraph (B) of this paragraph, in the matter preceding 
     clause (i), by striking ``provide'' and inserting ``upon 
     receipt of documentary proof of United States citizenship as 
     described in subparagraph (B), provide''; and
       (2) in subsection (c)(1), by inserting ``who are citizens 
     of the United States'' after ``for persons''.
       (c) Requirements With Respect to Administration of Voter 
     Registration.--Section 8 of the National Voter Registration 
     Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20507) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a)--
       (A) in paragraph (1)--
       (i) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by inserting 
     ``, upon presentation and verification of documentary proof 
     of United States citizenship'' after ``election'';
       (ii) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``if the valid'' and 
     inserting ``if the documentary proof of United States 
     citizenship and a valid''; and
       (iii) in each of subparagraphs (B), (C), and (D), by 
     inserting ``together with the documentary proof of United 
     States citizenship'' after ``valid voter registration form'';
       (B) in paragraph (3)--
       (i) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``or'' at the end; and
       (ii) by adding at the end the following new subparagraphs:
       ``(D) based on documentary proof or verified information 
     that the registrant is not a United States citizen; or
       ``(E) the registration otherwise fails to comply with 
     applicable State law;'';
       (2) in subsection (b)--
       (A) in paragraph (2), by redesignating subparagraphs (A) 
     and (B) as clauses (i) and (ii), respectively;
       (B) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as 
     subparagraphs (A) and (B);
       (C) by striking ``Registration.--Any'' and inserting 
     ``Registration.--
       ``(1) In general.--Any''; and
       (D) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
       ``(2) Clarification.--The provisions of this section shall 
     not apply to a registration that is deemed invalid from 
     inception because the registrant is not a United States 
     citizen, is ineligible under State law to be registered to 
     vote, or the registration otherwise did not comply with 
     applicable State law at the time of registering to vote or 
     the registration has been rendered invalid or abandoned 
     subsequent to the initial registration by the person 
     registering to vote in another State or otherwise is invalid 
     under the provisions of State law.'';
       (3) in subsection (c)(2)(A), by inserting the following 
     before the period at the end: ``, provided that a State shall 
     remove at any time the name of an ineligible voter from the 
     official lists of eligible voters if the registration is 
     invalid due to evidence the individual is not a citizen of 
     the United States or the registration is otherwise invalid 
     under applicable State law'';
       (4) by inserting the following after subsection (g):
       ``(h) Removal of Non-citizens From Registration Rolls.--A 
     State may remove any

[[Page S719]]

     registration of a non-United States citizen at any time upon 
     presentation of documentation or verified information that a 
     registrant is not a United States citizen.'';
       (5) by redesignating subsection (j) as subsection (l); and
       (6) by inserting after subsection (i) the following new 
     subsection:
       ``(j) Ensuring Only Citizens Are Registered to Vote.--
       ``(1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
     this Act, a State may not register an individual to vote in 
     elections for Federal office held in the State unless, at the 
     time the individual applies to register to vote, the 
     individual provides documentary proof that the individual is 
     a citizen of the United States, which shall consist of any of 
     the following (or a photocopy thereof):
       ``(A) A certified birth certificate issued by a State or 
     unit of local government in a State.
       ``(B) A valid United States passport.
       ``(C) A Consular Report of Birth Abroad issued by the 
     Secretary of State.
       ``(D) A Naturalization Certificate or Certificate of 
     Citizenship issued by the Secretary of Homeland Security.
       ``(2) State requirements.--Each State shall take 
     affirmative steps on an ongoing basis to ensure that only 
     United States citizens are registered to vote under the 
     provisions of this Act, which shall include the establishment 
     of a program described in paragraph (3).
       ``(3) Program described.--A State may meet the requirements 
     of paragraph (1) by establishing a program under which the 
     State identifies non-citizens using information supplied by--
       ``(A) the Department of Homeland Security through the 
     Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (commonly 
     known as `SAVE');
       ``(B) the Social Security Administration through the Social 
     Security Number Verification Service; or
       ``(C) State agencies that supply State identification cards 
     or drivers licenses where the agency confirms citizenship 
     status of applicants.
       ``(4) Availability of information.--The Department of 
     Homeland Security, the Social Security Administration, and 
     State agencies described in paragraph (2)(C) shall make 
     available to the States at no cost the information necessary 
     for each State to ensure that non-United States citizens are 
     not registered to vote in any State.
       ``(5) Criminal penalties.--Any person who--
       ``(A) is not United States citizen and who knowingly 
     registers to vote in an election for Federal office in 
     violation of this subsection; or
       ``(B) knowingly registers an individual who is not a United 
     States citizen to vote in an election for Federal office in 
     violation of this subsection,
     shall be subject to the criminal penalty described in section 
     12(2).''.
       (d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section 
     shall take effect on the date of enactment of this Act, and 
     shall apply with respect to applications for voter 
     registration which are submitted on or after such date.
                                 ______