HR 354 IH

To establish a grant program to assist State and local governments with improving the administration of elections through activities which may include the modernization of voting procedures and equipment, and for other purposes.

January 31, 2001

Mr. HUTCHINSON (for himself, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, Mr. FOLEY, Mr. UDALL of Colorado, Mr. MCHUGH, Mr. MCINTYRE, Mr. GREEN of Texas, Mr. ENGLISH, and Mr. GOODLATTE) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration

To establish a grant program to assist State and local governments with improving the administration of elections through activities which may include the modernization of voting procedures and equipment, 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 `Election Procedures Improvement Act'.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF GRANT PROGRAM.

(a) IN GENERAL- There is hereby established a program under which the Federal Election Commission (hereafter in this Act referred to as the `Commission'), acting through the Office of Elections Administration, shall make grants to eligible States and eligible units of local government for activities to improve the administration of elections.

(b) EXAMPLES OF ACTIVITIES FUNDED- In accordance with such criteria as the Commission may adopt, a State or unit of local government may use funds provided under the program under this Act for such activities as it considers appropriate to improve the administration of its elections, including the modernization or replacement of voting equipment, the purchase, upgrade, or repair of computer-based voting systems, and the enhancement of the procedures used to tabulate and report election results.

(c) ELIGIBILITY- A State or a unit of local government is eligible to receive a grant under the program under this Act if it submits to the Commission (at such time and in such manner as the Commission may require) an application containing such information and assurances as the Commission may require.

SEC. 3. DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS AMONG GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS AND RURAL AREAS.

In carrying out the program under this Act, the Commission shall ensure--

(1) that grants are awarded in a manner which reflects the various geographic regions of the United States; and

(2) that not less than 25 percent of the total amount of funds awarded under the program during a fiscal year is provided to units of local government which serve a population of fewer than 50,000 individuals, either directly or through cooperative agreements with the States in which such units of local government are located.

SEC. 4. OTHER REQUIREMENTS FOR GRANT RECIPIENTS.

(a) MATCHING OF FUNDS- The amount provided by a grant under the program under this Act may not exceed 75 percent of the total cost of the activity funded by the grant.

(b) REPORTS-

(1) IN GENERAL- During the 1 year-period which begins on the date a State or unit of local government receives a grant under the program under this Act, the State or unit of local government shall submit a report every 6 months to the Commission describing the terms of the grant and the activities funded by the grant.

(2) REPORT BY COMMISSION TO CONGRESS- Based on the information reported by States and units of local government under paragraph (1), the Commission shall submit a report to Congress on the program under this Act not later than 30 days after each fiscal year during which grants are made under the program.

SEC. 5. STATE DEFINED.

In this Act, the term `State' includes the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, and the United States Virgin Islands.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

There are authorized to be appropriated for the first 3 fiscal years which begin after the date of the enactment of this Act an aggregate amount of $1,500,000,000 to carry out this Act (which shall remain available until expended), of which not more than 2 percent may be used for administrative costs associated with the program under this Act.

END