I 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 2471 To prohibit the unauthorized possession of a firearm at a Federal election site. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES APRIL 3, 2023 Mr. RUIZ introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To prohibit the unauthorized possession of a firearm at a Federal election site. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Vote Without Fear 4 Act’’. 5 SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON UNAUTHORIZED FIREARM POS- 6 SESSION AT A FEDERAL ELECTION SITE. 7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 44 of title 18, United 8 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol- 9 lowing: 10 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:18 Apr 12, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2471.IH H2471 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 2 •HR 2471 IH ‘‘§ 935. Prohibition on unauthorized firearm posses- 1 sion at a Federal election site 2 ‘‘(a)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), whoever 3 knowingly possesses or causes to be present a firearm in, 4 or within 100 yards of an entrance to, a place that the 5 individual knows, or has reasonable cause to believe, is a 6 Federal election site, or attempts to do so, shall be fined 7 under this title, imprisoned not more than 1 year, or both. 8 ‘‘(2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply to— 9 ‘‘(A) the possession of a firearm by a law en- 10 forcement officer employed by the United States, a 11 State, or a political subdivision thereof, or a private 12 security guard hired or arranged for by the owner 13 or manager of a building in which there is a Federal 14 election site, who is authorized by law to possess a 15 firearm and who is on duty; 16 ‘‘(B) the possession of a firearm in a vehicle 17 within 100 yards of an entrance to a Federal elec- 18 tion site, if the firearm is not removed from the ve- 19 hicle or brandished while the vehicle is in, or within 20 100 yards of the entrance to, a Federal election site; 21 or 22 ‘‘(C) the otherwise lawful possession of a fire- 23 arm in a place of residence, in a place of business, 24 or on private property, in or within 100 yards of an 25 entrance to a Federal election site. 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:18 Apr 12, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2471.IH H2471 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 3 •HR 2471 IH ‘‘(b) Whoever, with intent that a firearm be used in 1 the commission of a crime, knowingly possesses or causes 2 to be present the firearm in, or within 100 yards of an 3 entrance to, a place that the individual knows, or has rea- 4 sonable cause to believe, is a Federal election site, or at- 5 tempts to do so, shall be fined under this title, imprisoned 6 not more than 5 years, or both. 7 ‘‘(c) A person who kills any person in the course of 8 a violation of subsection (a) or (b), or in the course of 9 an attack on a Federal election site, involving the use of 10 a firearm, or attempts or conspires to do so, shall be pun- 11 ished as provided in sections 1111, 1112, 1113, and 1117. 12 ‘‘(d) In this section, the term ‘Federal election site’ 13 means a building or any part thereof at which an employee 14 of the United States, a State, or a political subdivision 15 thereof is engaged in— 16 ‘‘(1) the administration of a polling place in an 17 election for Federal office; or 18 ‘‘(2) the processing or counting of ballots cast 19 in such an election.’’. 20 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 21 for such chapter is amended by adding at the end the fol- 22 lowing new item: 23 ‘‘935. Prohibition on unauthorized firearm possession at a Federal election site.’’. Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:18 Apr 12, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H2471.IH H2471 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB