Civic Duty to Vote Act

Civic Duty to Vote Act

This bill requires each eligible citizen to vote in each regularly scheduled general election for federal office.

The bill establishes a $20 civil monetary penalty for failure to vote. In the case of an individual's first violation of the voting requirement, the penalty shall not apply and the appropriate state election official must notify the individual that a penalty will be assessed for any subsequent violation.

Further, the bill outlines an additional exception and waiver to the assessment of a penalty. The penalty shall not apply in instances when

• the individual certifies to the appropriate state election official that the individual has a valid and sufficient reason for not voting, or
• the state election official grants a waiver to an individual who either certifies that the individual cannot afford to pay the penalty or attests that the individual will complete one hour of community service.

The bill prohibits state election officials from sharing information with law enforcement agencies regarding an individual's certification or waiver of the penalty. Further, the bill prohibits law enforcement agencies from using this information to subject the individual to additional penalties or criminal investigation.

The bill also requires the Election Assistance Commission to (1) develop and publish best practices for states to implement this bill's requirements, and (2) make grants to states to implement this bill's requirements.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7536 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7536

 To require each eligible citizen to appear to vote in each regularly 
 scheduled general election for Federal office, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 18, 2022

  Mr. Larson of Connecticut introduced the following bill; which was 
           referred to the Committee on House Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To require each eligible citizen to appear to vote in each regularly 
 scheduled general election for Federal office, 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.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Civic Duty to Vote Act''.

SEC. 2. REQUIREMENTS WITH RESPECT TO VOTING BY CITIZENS.

    (a) Requirement To Appear To Vote.--
            (1) Requirement.--Each eligible citizen shall appear to 
        vote in each regularly scheduled general election for Federal 
        office as described in paragraph (2).
            (2) Appearing to vote described.--An eligible citizen shall 
        be deemed to appear to vote in a regularly scheduled general 
        election for Federal office if such citizen returns a ballot to 
        vote in such election to an appropriate State election official 
        in the State in which such citizen is eligible to vote by any 
        method authorized by the laws of the State in which such 
        election is held.
            (3) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this subsection may 
        be construed to require an eligible citizen to cast a vote for 
        any candidate in an election for Federal office.
    (b) Civil Money Penalty for Violation.--
            (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (4), a 
        civil money penalty in the amount of $20 shall be assessed 
        against any individual found to be in violation of the 
        requirements under subsection (a) unless the individual 
        certifies to an appropriate State election official that the 
        individual has a valid and sufficient reason for not appearing 
        to vote in any such election described in subsection (a)(1).
            (2) Valid and sufficient reason described.--The following 
        shall be deemed to be a valid and sufficient reason for not 
        appearing to vote in a regularly scheduled general election for 
        Federal office:
                    (A) An individual is unable to receive or return a 
                ballot in such an election because the individual is 
                not registered to vote in the election in the State 
                after a good faith attempt by the individual to 
                register to vote in such election.
                    (B) An individual is unable to appear to vote as a 
                result of an emergency.
                    (C) An individual is unable to comply with the 
                requirements of subsection (a) due to sincerely held 
                religious or personal beliefs.
                    (D) An individual was unaware of the individual's 
                eligibility to vote in any such election.
            (3) Waiver.--The appropriate State election official shall 
        grant a waiver of the civil money penalty under paragraph (1) 
        with respect to any individual found to be in violation of the 
        requirement under subsection (a)(1) who--
                    (A) certifies to the election official that the 
                individual cannot afford to pay such civil money 
                penalty; or
                    (B) attests that such individual will complete one 
                hour of community service.
            (4) Exception.--In the case of an individual's first 
        violation of the requirements under subsection (a)--
                    (A) the civil money penalty under paragraph (1) 
                shall not apply; and
                    (B) the appropriate State election official of the 
                State in which such citizen is eligible to vote shall 
                send the individual a notice that informs the 
                individual of the violation and the civil money penalty 
                that will be assessed against the individual with 
                respect to any subsequent violation.
            (5) No additional penalties for failure to pay civil money 
        penalty.--In the case of an individual found to be in violation 
        of the requirement under subsection (a)(1) who fails to pay a 
        civil money penalty assessed under paragraph (1), such 
        individual shall not, as a result of such failure to pay the 
        civil money penalty, be subject to any additional civil or 
        criminal penalties or any denial of government benefits.
    (c) Prohibition Against Certain Uses of Information.--
            (1) Prohibition against information sharing with law 
        enforcement.--A State election official may not share any 
        information provided by an individual for the purposes of 
        certifying a valid and sufficient reason that the individual 
        did not appear to vote under subsection (b)(2) or receiving a 
        waiver of the civil money penalty under subsection (b)(3) with 
        any Federal, State, or local law enforcement agency.
            (2) Prohibition against law enforcement use of 
        information.--No Federal, State, or local law enforcement 
        agency may use any information provided by an individual for 
        the purposes of certifying a valid and sufficient reason that 
        the individual did not appear to vote under subsection (b)(2) 
        to subject such individual to any additional penalties or 
        criminal investigation.
    (d) Effective Date.--This section shall apply with respect to the 
regularly scheduled general election for Federal office held in 
November 2024 and each succeeding election for Federal office.

SEC. 3. ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION PUBLICATION OF BEST PRACTICES.

    Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Election Assistance Commission shall develop and publish 
recommendations for best practices for States to implement the 
requirements of this Act, including practices for States to provide 
individuals with an option on a ballot in an election for Federal 
office to affirmatively decline to vote for any candidate with respect 
to each office in any such election.

SEC. 4. ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION GRANTS TO STATES.

    (a) Grants to States.--The Election Assistance Commission shall 
make grants to each eligible State to assist the State in implementing 
the requirements of this Act.
    (b) Eligibility.--A State is eligible to receive a grant under this 
section if the State submits to the Commission, at such time and in 
such form as the Commission may require, an application containing such 
information as the Commission determines appropriate.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section.

SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act, the following definitions apply:
            (1) Eligible citizen.--The term ``eligible citizen'' means 
        a citizen who is eligible to vote in a regularly scheduled 
        general election for Federal office in a State pursuant to the 
        laws of the State in which the citizen resides.
            (2) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the several 
        States and the District of Columbia.
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