US HB7068 | 2019-2020 | 116th Congress

US Congress House Bill 7068 (Prior Session Legislation)

Status

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 88-0)
Status: Introduced on June 1 2020 - 25% progression, died in committee
Action: 2020-06-01 - Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.
Pending: House Administration Committee
Text: Latest bill text (Introduced) [PDF]

Summary

Expands vote-by-mail and early in-person voting during the 2020 federal elections. It also directs polling places to follow certain guidance related to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) preparedness. Specifically, each state and local jurisdiction must permit no-excuse mail-in absentee voting. Among other things, each state and jurisdiction must (1) provide a mail-in ballot with prepaid return postage to each registered voter who requests such a ballot, (2) allow voters to submit online ballot requests, (3) allow voters to cure certain signature discrepancies, and (4) provide secured drop-off boxes from 45 days before the date of the election. Each state and local jurisdiction must maintain an early in-person voting period of at least 20 days. Additionally, each state must establish a plan to ensure that polling places are implementing guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention related to COVID-19 preparedness. Among other requirements, each plan must (1) keep as many voting locations open as possible, (2) prepare polling locations to implement social distancing protocols, (3) provide sufficient quantities of hygiene and cleaning supplies at polling locations, and (4) provide additional compensation and protective equipment to poll workers. The Election Assistance Commission (EAC) must make a payment, within 30 days, to each state to carry out these requirements. Finally, the EAC must make payments to eligible states to carry out certain activities related to in-person voting, such as ensuring that elections are accessible to individuals with disabilities and implementing curbside voting.

Title

VoteSafe Act of 2020

Sponsors

Rep. James Clyburn [D-SC]	Rep. Marcia Fudge [D-OH]	Rep. Alma Adams [D-NC]	Rep. Pete Aguilar [D-CA]
Rep. Karen Bass [D-CA]	Rep. Joyce Beatty [D-OH]	Rep. Earl Blumenauer [D-OR]	Rep. Anthony Brown [D-MD]
Rep. G. Butterfield [D-NC]	Rep. Tony Cardenas [D-CA]	Rep. Andre Carson [D-IN]	Rep. Ed Case [D-HI]
Rep. David Cicilline [D-RI]	Rep. Gil Cisneros [D-CA]	Rep. Yvette Clarke [D-NY]	Rep. Lacy Clay [D-MO]
Rep. Steve Cohen [D-TN]	Rep. Danny Davis [D-IL]	Rep. Peter DeFazio [D-OR]	Rep. Diana DeGette [D-CO]
Rep. Val Demings [D-FL]	Rep. Theodore Deutch [D-FL]	Rep. Michael Doyle [D-PA]	Rep. Eliot Engel [D-NY]
Rep. Adriano Espaillat [D-NY]	Rep. Dwight Evans [D-PA]	Rep. Jesus Garcia [D-IL]	Rep. Sylvia Garcia [D-TX]
Rep. Raul Grijalva [D-AZ]	Rep. Debra Haaland [D-NM]	Rep. Alcee Hastings [D-FL]	Rep. Jahana Hayes [D-CT]
Rep. Denny Heck [D-WA]	Rep. Hakeem Jeffries [D-NY]	Rep. Eddie Johnson [D-TX]	Rep. Henry Johnson [D-GA]
Rep. Robin Kelly [D-IL]	Rep. Joseph Kennedy [D-MA]	Rep. Ro Khanna [D-CA]	Rep. Daniel Kildee [D-MI]
Rep. Barbara Lee [D-CA]	Rep. Andy Levin [D-MI]	Rep. Ted Lieu [D-CA]	Rep. Alan Lowenthal [D-CA]
Rep. Stephen Lynch [D-MA]	Rep. Betty McCollum [D-MN]	Rep. James McGovern [D-MA]	Rep. Jerry McNerney [D-CA]
Rep. Grace Meng [D-NY]	Rep. Gwen Moore [D-WI]	Rep. Grace Napolitano [D-CA]	Rep. Joseph Neguse [D-CO]
Rep. Eleanor Norton [D-DC]	Rep. Jamie Raskin [D-MD]	Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard [D-CA]	Rep. Bobby Rush [D-IL]
Rep. Tim Ryan [D-OH]	Rep. Janice Schakowsky [D-IL]	Rep. Robert Scott [D-VA]	Rep. Terri Sewell [D-AL]
Rep. Donna Shalala [D-FL]	Rep. Darren Soto [D-FL]	Rep. Mark Takano [D-CA]	Rep. Bennie Thompson [D-MS]
Rep. Mike Thompson [D-CA]	Rep. Norma Torres [D-CA]	Rep. Lori Trahan [D-MA]	Rep. Marc Veasey [D-TX]
Rep. Bonnie Coleman [D-NJ]	Rep. Kathy Castor [D-FL]	Rep. Sean Casten [D-IL]	Rep. TJ Cox [D-CA]
Rep. Ann Kuster [D-NH]	Rep. Sean Maloney [D-NY]	Rep. Doris Matsui [D-CA]	Rep. Mike Quigley [D-IL]
Rep. David Scott [D-GA]	Rep. Julia Brownley [D-CA]	Rep. Matthew Cartwright [D-PA]	Rep. Andy Kim [D-NJ]
Rep. Ayanna Pressley [D-MA]	Rep. Cedric Richmond [D-LA]	Rep. Dean Phillips [D-MN]	Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon [D-PA]
Rep. David Trone [D-MD]	Rep. Mark DeSaulnier [D-CA]	Rep. Derek Kilmer [D-WA]	Rep. Jackie Speier [D-CA]

History

Date	Chamber	Action
2020-06-01	House	Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.
2020-06-01	House	Introduced in House

Same As/Similar To

HB6807 (Related) 2020-05-12 - Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.
SB3725 (Related) 2020-05-13 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration.
SB3822 (Related) 2020-05-21 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration.