[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2124 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 2124
To provide enhanced protections for election workers.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 18, 2025
Ms. Klobuchar (for herself, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Padilla, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr.
Whitehouse, Mr. Hickenlooper, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Reed,
Mr. Schatz, Mr. Welch, Ms. Cortez Masto, Mr. Schiff, Mr. Markey, Mr.
Peters, Mr. Sanders, and Mr. Warner) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and
Administration
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide enhanced protections for election workers.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Election Worker Protection Act of
2025''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Election worker.--The term ``election worker'' means an
individual who is an election official, poll worker, or an
election volunteer in connection with the administration of an
election for a Federal office.
(2) Personally identifiable information.--The term
``personally identifiable information'' has the meaning given
the term ``restricted personal information'' in section 119 of
title 18, United States Code.
SEC. 3. GRANTS TO STATES FOR ELECTION WORKER RECRUITMENT, TRAINING, AND
SAFETY.
(a) In General.--Subtitle D of title II of the Help America Vote
Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21001 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end
the following:
``PART 7--ELECTION WORKER RECRUITMENT, TRAINING, AND SAFETY
``SEC. 297. GRANTS TO STATES FOR POLL WORKER AND ELECTION VOLUNTEER
RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING.
``(a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of the Election Worker Protection Act of 2025, the Commission
shall, subject to the availability of appropriations provided to carry
out this section, make a grant to each eligible State for recruiting
and training individuals to serve as poll workers and election
volunteers on dates of elections for public office.
``(b) Use of Commission Materials and Training Program
Development.--
``(1) In general.--In carrying out activities using funds
under a grant provided under this section, the recipient of the
grant shall--
``(A) use the materials prepared by the Commission
on successful practices for poll worker and election
volunteer recruiting, training, and retention as an
interactive training tool; and
``(B) develop training programs with the
participation and input of experts in adult learning.
``(2) Access and cultural considerations.--The Commission
shall ensure that the materials described in paragraph (1)(A)
provide training in methods that will enable poll workers and
election volunteers to provide access and delivery of services
that meet the unique needs of each voter in a culturally
competent manner with respect to each voter who uses the
services, including voters who have limited English
proficiency, are of diverse cultural or ethnic backgrounds, or
have disabilities, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, or
gender identity.
``(c) Requirements for Eligibility.--
``(1) Application.--Each State that desires to receive a
payment under this section shall submit an application for the
payment to the Commission at such time, in such manner, and
containing such information as the Commission may reasonably
require.
``(2) Contents of application.--Each application submitted
under paragraph (1) shall--
``(A) describe the activities for which assistance
under this section is sought;
``(B) provide assurances that--
``(i) the funds provided under this section
will be used to supplement and not supplant
other funds used to carry out the activities;
``(ii) the State will furnish the
Commission with information about individuals
who served as poll workers and election
volunteers after recruitment and training with
the funds provided under this section; and
``(iii) the State will dedicate poll worker
and election volunteer recruitment efforts with
respect to--
``(I) youth and minors, including
by recruiting at institutions of higher
education and secondary education; and
``(II) diversity, including with
respect to race, ethnicity, and
disability; and
``(C) provide such additional information and
certifications as the Commission determines to be
essential to ensure compliance with the requirements of
this section.
``(d) Amount of Grant.--
``(1) In general.--The amount of a grant made to a State
under this section shall be equal to the product of--
``(A) the aggregate amount made available for
grants to States under this section; and
``(B) the voting age population percentage for the
State.
``(2) Voting age population percentage defined.--In
paragraph (1), the `voting age population percentage' for a
State is the quotient of--
``(A) the voting age population of the State (as
determined on the basis of the most recent information
available from the Bureau of the Census); divided by
``(B) the total voting age population of all States
(as determined on the basis of the most recent
information available from the Bureau of the Census).
``(e) Rules for States That Do Not Submit an Application and Grants
to Political Subdivisions.--
``(1) In general.--If a State fails to submit an
application under subsection (c) at the time established by the
Commission for such submission, the Commission may offer to
political subdivisions within that State the opportunity to
apply for a payment under this section.
``(2) Contents of application.--Each application submitted
under paragraph (1) shall--
``(A) describe the activities for which assistance
under this section is sought;
``(B) provide assurances that--
``(i) the funds provided under this section
will be used to supplement and not supplant
other funds used to carry out the activities;
``(ii) the political subdivision will
furnish the Commission with information about
individuals who served as poll workers and
election volunteers after recruitment and
training with the funds provided under this
section; and
``(iii) the political subdivision will
dedicate poll worker and election volunteer
recruitment efforts with respect to--
``(I) youth and minors, including
by recruiting at institutions of higher
education and secondary education; and
``(II) diversity, including with
respect to race, ethnicity, and
disability; and
``(C) provide such additional information and
certifications as the Commission determines to be
essential to ensure compliance with the requirements of
this section.
``(3) Amount of grants for political subdivisions.--The
amount of a grant made to a political subdivision under this
subsection shall be an amount that bears the same proportion to
the amount determined with respect to the State in which the
political subdivision is located as--
``(A) the aggregate amount made available for
grants to States under this section; bears to
``(B) the voting age population percentage for the
political subdivision of the State.
``(f) Reports to Congress.--
``(1) Relevant committees.--In this subsection, the term
`relevant committees' means--
``(A) the Committees on Rules and Administration
and Appropriations of the Senate; and
``(B) the Committees on Administration and
Appropriations of the House of Representatives.
``(2) Reports by recipients of grants.--Not later than 180
days after the date on which the Commission makes a final grant
under this section, the recipient shall submit a report to the
Commission on the activities conducted with the funds provided
under the grant.
``(3) Reports by commission.--Not later than 1 year after
the date on which the Commission makes the final grant under
this section, the Commission shall submit a report to the
relevant committees regarding--
``(A) the grants made under this section;
``(B) the activities carried out by recipients
using funds provided under the grants; and
``(C) such recommendations relating to recruitment
and training of election workers as the Commission
considers appropriate.
``(g) Funding.--
``(1) Authorization.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to the Commission for fiscal year 2026 and each
succeeding fiscal year such sums as may be necessary for
payments under this section, to remain available until
expended.
``(2) Administrative expenses.--Of the amount appropriated
for any fiscal year to carry out this section, not more than 3
percent shall be available for administrative expenses of the
Commission.
``SEC. 298. GRANTS TO STATES FOR ELECTION WORKER SAFETY.
``(a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of the Election Worker Protection Act of 2025, the Commission
shall, subject to the availability of appropriations provided to carry
out this section, make a grant to each eligible State for physical
security services and social media threat monitoring for election
workers.
``(b) Requirements for Eligibility.--
``(1) Application.--Each State that desires to receive a
payment under this section shall submit an application for the
payment to the Commission at such time, in such manner, and
containing such information as the Commission may reasonably
require.
``(2) Contents of application.--Each application submitted
under paragraph (1) shall--
``(A) describe the activities for which assistance
under this section is sought; and
``(B) provide assurances that--
``(i) the funds provided under this section
will be used to supplement and not supplant
other funds used to carry out the activities;
and
``(ii) the State will furnish the
Commission with information on the number of
individuals provided services under this
section.
``(c) Amount of Grant.--
``(1) In general.--The amount of a grant made to a State
under this section shall be equal to the product of--
``(A) the aggregate amount made available for
grants to States under this section; and
``(B) the voting age population percentage for the
State.
``(2) Voting age population percentage defined.--In
paragraph (1), the `voting age population percentage' for a
State is the quotient of--
``(A) the voting age population of the State (as
determined on the basis of the most recent information
available from the Bureau of the Census); divided by
``(B) the total voting age population of all States
(as determined on the basis of the most recent
information available from the Bureau of the Census).
``(d) Rules for States That Do Not Submit an Application and Grants
to Political Subdivisions.--
``(1) In general.--If a State fails to submit an
application under subsection (b) at the time established by the
Commission for such submission, the Commission may offer to
political subdivisions within that State the opportunity to
apply for a payment under this section.
``(2) Contents of application.--Each application submitted
under paragraph (1) shall--
``(A) describe the activities for which assistance
under this section is sought; and
``(B) provide assurances that--
``(i) the funds provided under this section
will be used to supplement and not supplant
other funds used to carry out the activities;
and
``(ii) the political subdivision will
furnish the Commission with information on the
number of individuals provided services under
this section.
``(3) Amount of grants for political subdivisions.--The
amount of a grant made to a political subdivision under this
subsection shall be an amount that bears the same proportion to
the amount determined with respect to the State in which the
political subdivision is located as--
``(A) the aggregate amount made available for
grants to States under this section; bears to
``(B) the voting age population percentage for the
political subdivision of the State.
``(e) Reports to Congress.--
``(1) Relevant committees.--In this subsection, the term
`relevant committees' means--
``(A) the Committees on Rules and Administration
and Appropriations of the Senate; and
``(B) the Committees on Administration and
Appropriations of the House of Representatives.
``(2) Reports by recipients of grants.--Not later than 180
days after the date on which the Commission makes a final grant
under this section, the recipient shall submit a report to the
Commission on the activities conducted with the funds provided
under the grant.
``(3) Reports by commission.--Not later than 1 year after
the date on which the Commission makes the final grant under
this section, the Commission shall submit a report to the
relevant committees regarding--
``(A) the grants made under this section;
``(B) the activities carried out by recipients
using funds provided under the grants; and
``(C) such recommendations for physical security
services and social media threat monitoring as the
Commission considers appropriate.
``(f) Funding.--There is authorized to be appropriated to the
Commission for fiscal year 2026 and each succeeding fiscal year such
sums as may be necessary for payments under this section, to remain
available until expended.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents of the Help America
Vote Act of 2002 is amended by adding at the end of the items relating
to subtitle D of title II the following:
``PART 7--Election Worker Recruitment, Training, and Safety
``Sec. 297. Grants to States for election worker recruitment and
training.
``Sec. 298. Grants to States for election worker safety.''.
SEC. 4. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE TRAINING RESOURCES FOR ADDRESSING THREATS
TO ELECTION WORKERS.
(a) Review.--Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of
this Act, the Attorney General shall review training resources provided
to Federal, State, local, and Tribal law enforcement agencies and
ensure that the Department of Justice offers programs that include
training and resources to assist State, local, and Tribal law
enforcement agencies in understanding, detecting, deterring, and
investigating threats to election workers.
(b) Training.--The Attorney General shall make training available
to Department prosecutors and to Assistant United States Attorneys on
countering and prosecuting threats to election workers.
SEC. 5. GRANT PROGRAM TO PREVENT DISCLOSURE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION OF
ELECTION WORKERS.
(a) Authorization.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall establish a program
to provide grants to create or expand programs designed to protect the
personally identifiable information of election workers to entities
that--
(1) are--
(A) States or units of local government (as those
terms are defined in section 901 of the Omnibus Crime
Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C.
10251)); or
(B) agencies of States or units of local
government; and
(2) operate a State or local database or registry that
contains personally identifiable information.
(b) Application.--Each entity described in subsection (a) that
desires a payment under this section shall submit to the Attorney
General an application at such time, in such manner, and containing
such information as the Attorney General may reasonably require.
(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated such sums as may be necessary to provide grants to
entities described in subsection (a) to create or expand programs
designed to protect the personally identifiable information of election
workers, including through--
(1) the creation of programs to redact or remove the
personally identifiable information of election workers, upon
request, from public records maintained by State agencies,
including by hiring third parties to redact or remove the
personally identifiable information of election workers from
public records;
(2) the expansion of existing programs to protect
personally identifiable information of election workers;
(3) the development or improvement of protocols,
procedures, and policies to prevent the release of personally
identifiable information of election workers;
(4) the defrayment of costs of modifying or improving
existing databases and registries to ensure that personally
identifiable information of election workers is protected from
release; and
(5) the development of confidential opt-out systems that
allow election workers to request that personally identifiable
information is not included in publicly accessible databases or
registries.
(d) Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, and biennially thereafter, the
Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the
Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate and the Committee on
the Judiciary of the House of Representatives an annual report
that includes a detailed description of the amount spent by
States and local governments using funds under this section
relating to protection of personally identifiable information
of election workers.
(2) States and local governments.--Not later than 180 days
after the date on which a State or local government receives
funds under this section, the State or local government shall
submit to the Comptroller General a report that, with respect
to that State or local government, contains the information
described in paragraph (1) to be included in the report
required under that paragraph.
SEC. 6. HARASSMENT OF ELECTION WORKERS PROHIBITED.
(a) In General.--Chapter 29 of title 18, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 612. Harassment of election workers
``(a) Election Worker.--For purposes of this section, the term
`election worker' means an individual who is an election official, poll
worker, or election volunteer in connection with an election for a
Federal office.
``(b) Harassment of Election Workers.--It shall be unlawful for any
person, whether acting under color of law or otherwise, to intimidate,
threaten, coerce, or attempt to intimidate, threaten, or coerce an
election worker with intent to impede, intimidate, or interfere with
that election worker while the election worker is engaged in the
performance of official duties, or with intent to retaliate against the
election worker on the basis of the performance of such duties.
``(c) Penalty.--Any person who violates subsection (b) shall be
fined not more than $100,000, imprisoned for not more than 5 years, or
both.
``(d) Special Agents.--The Attorney General, acting through the
Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, shall assign a special
agent to each field office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation to
investigate threats against election workers.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents for chapter 29 of
title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``612. Harassment of election workers.''.
SEC. 7. MAKING INTIMIDATION OF TABULATION, CANVAS, AND CERTIFICATION
EFFORTS A CRIME.
Section 12(1) of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (52
U.S.C. 20511) is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``; or'' at the end;
and
(2) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
``(D) processing or scanning ballots, or
tabulating, canvassing, or certifying voting results;
or''.
SEC. 8. PROHIBITION OF DOXXING OF ELECTION WORKERS.
Section 119(b)(2) of title 18, United States Code, is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``or''at the end;
(2) in subparagraph (D), by inserting ``or'' at the end;
and
(3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
``(E) an election official, poll worker, or an
election volunteer in connection with an election for a
Federal office.''.
SEC. 9. PREVENTING POLL OBSERVER INTERFERENCE.
(a) Voter Protection Requirements.--Subtitle A of title III of the
Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21081 et seq.) is amended by
inserting after section 303 the following new section:
``SEC. 303A. VOTER PROTECTION REQUIREMENTS.
``(a) In General.--A State or local election official may remove a
poll observer from a polling location for an election for Federal
office or any location where processing, scanning, tabulating,
canvassing, or certifying voting results in such an election is
occurring on the basis that the State or local election official has a
reasonable basis to believe that the observer--
``(1) has engaged in, or imminently will engage in,
intimidation or deceptive practices prohibited by Federal law;
or
``(2) has disrupted, or will disrupt, the voting,
processing, scanning, tabulating, or canvassing of ballots or
the certification of results.
``(b) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in subsection (a) may be
construed to prevent a State or a unit of local government in a State
from permitting the removal of a poll observer for reasons other than
those described in subsection (a).
``(c) Effective Date.--This section shall apply with respect to
elections for Federal office occurring on and after the date of
enactment of the Election Worker Protection Act of 2025.''.
(b) Conforming Amendment Relating to Voluntary Guidance.--Section
311(b) of the Help America Vote Act of 2022 (52 U.S.C. 21101(b)) is
amended--
(1) in paragraph (2), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(2) in paragraph (3), by striking the period at the end and
inserting ``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(4) in the case of recommendations with respect to
section 303A, January 1, 2026.''.
(c) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents of the Help America
Vote Act of 2002 is amended by inserting after the item relating to
section 303 the following:
``Sec. 303A. Voter protection requirements.''.
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