[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7960 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7960
To amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to provide for
enhanced penalties for the transmission of fraudulent ballots in
elections for Federal office through the use of post offices,
authorized depositories of mail matter, or ballot drop boxes, to direct
the Attorney General to establish a system for receiving reports of
incidents of the transmission of such fraudulent ballots through such
methods, and for other purposes.
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IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 11, 2024
Mr. Meuser introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on
the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
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A BILL
To amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to provide for
enhanced penalties for the transmission of fraudulent ballots in
elections for Federal office through the use of post offices,
authorized depositories of mail matter, or ballot drop boxes, to direct
the Attorney General to establish a system for receiving reports of
incidents of the transmission of such fraudulent ballots through such
methods, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; FINDINGS.
This Act may be cited as the ``Preventing Ballot Drop Box and Mail
Fraud Act''.
SEC. 2. ENHANCED PENALTIES FOR TRANSMISSION OF FRAUDULENT BALLOTS IN
FEDERAL ELECTIONS THROUGH USE OF BALLOT DROP BOXES OR
MAIL.
Section 12 of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (52
U.S.C. 20511) is amended--
(1) by striking ``A person'' and inserting ``(a) In
General.--A person''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
``(b) Enhanced Penalties for Offenses Involving Use of Ballot Drop
Boxes or Mail.--A person who, in any election for Federal office, uses
a post office, authorized depository of mail matter, or drop box which
is provided by an election official for the collection of voted ballots
to knowingly and willfully transmit a voted ballot that is known by the
person to be materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent under the laws
of the State in which the election is held, shall be fined in
accordance with title 18, United States Code, imprisoned for not more
than 20 years plus one additional year for each such ballot the person
transmits, or both.''.
SEC. 3. REPORTING SYSTEM FOR INCIDENTS OF TRANSMISSION OF FRAUDULENT
BALLOTS IN FEDERAL ELECTIONS THROUGH USE OF BALLOT DROP
BOXES OR MAIL.
(a) Reporting System.--The Attorney General shall establish a
system through which persons may report incidents involving the
transmission of fraudulent ballots in elections for Federal office
through the use of a post office, authorized depository of mail matter,
or drop box which is provided by an election official for the
collection of voted ballots, including reports made through a toll-free
hotline and a confidential online portal.
(b) Deadline.--The Attorney General shall establish the system
under subsection (a) not later than 30 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act.
SEC. 4. ENSURING PROVISION OF INFORMATION TO STATE ELECTION OFFICIALS
ON INDIVIDUALS RECUSED FROM JURY SERVICE ON GROUNDS OF
NONCITIZENSHIP.
(a) Requiring State Election Officials To Coordinate Information on
Recusal as Part of Maintenance of Statewide Voter Registration List.--
Subparagraph (A) of section 303(a)(2) of the Help America Vote Act of
2002 (52 U.S.C. 21083(a)(2)) is amended--
(1) by redesignating clause (iii) as clause (iv); and
(2) by inserting after clause (ii) the following new
clause:
``(iii) For purposes of removing names of
ineligible voters from the official list of
eligible voters by reason of citizenship
status, the State shall coordinate the
computerized list with records of courts which
have recused individuals from serving on a jury
on the grounds that the individuals are not
citizens of the United States.''.
(b) Requiring Notification by Courts.--
(1) Requirement described.--If a United States district
court or a court of any State or local jurisdiction recuses an
individual from serving on a jury on the grounds that the
individual is not a citizen of the United States, the court
shall transmit a notice of the individual's recusal--
(A) to the chief State election official of the
State in which the individual resides; and
(B) to the Attorney General.
(2) Definitions.--For purposes of this subsection--
(A) the ``chief State election official'' of a
State is the individual designated by the State under
section 10 of the National Voter Registration Act of
1993 (52 U.S.C. 20509) to be responsible for
coordination of the State's responsibilities under such
Act; and
(B) the term ``State'' means each of the several
States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the United States
Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands.
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