US HB1799 | 2019-2020 | 116th Congress

Status

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 14-7)
Status: Introduced on March 14 2019 - 25% progression, died in committee
Action: 2019-05-03 - Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.
Pending: House Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties Committee
Text: Latest bill text (Introduced) [PDF]

Summary

Establishes new criteria for determining which states and political subdivisions must obtain preclearance before changes to voting practices in these areas may take effect. (Preclearance is the process of receiving preapproval from the Department of Justice or the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before making legal changes that would affect voting rights.) A state and all of its political subdivisions shall be subject to preclearance of voting practice changes for a 10-year period if five or more voting rights violations occurred in the state during the previous 15 years, at least one of which was committed by the state itself. A political subdivision as a separate unit shall also be subject to preclearance for a 10-year period if, in the previous 15 years (1) three or more voting rights violations occurred there, or (2) one or more voting rights violations occurred there and the subdivision had minority voter turnout below certain thresholds. A state or political subdivision that obtains a declaratory judgment that it has not used a voting practice to deny or abridge the right to vote shall be exempt from preclearance. The bill expands the circumstances under which (1) a court may retain the authority to preclear voting changes made by a state or political subdivision, or (2) the Department of Justice may assign election observers. States and political subdivisions must notify the public of changes to voting practices. The bill revises the circumstances under which a court must grant preliminary injunctive relief in a challenge to voting practices.

Tracking Information

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Title

Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2019

Sponsors


History

DateChamberAction
2019-05-03HouseReferred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.
2019-03-14HouseReferred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
2019-03-14HouseIntroduced in House

Same As/Similar To

SB561 (Related) 2019-02-26 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
HB4 (Related) 2020-07-27 - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Con. Res. 107, enrollment corrections on H.R. 4 have been made.
HR741 (Similar To) 2019-12-05 - Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
HCR107 (Similar To) 2020-07-29 - Received in the Senate.

Subjects


US Congress State Sources


Bill Comments

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