What This Bill Does
This bill changes federal voting registration rules to require people to show proof they are U.S. citizens when they register to vote in federal elections. States would not be allowed to register anyone to vote in federal elections without this citizenship proof.
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Who It Affects
Individuals applying to register to vote in federal elections in any state. State election officials who process voter registrations.
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Key Provisions
• States cannot register someone to vote in federal elections unless that person provides documentary proof of U.S. citizenship at the time they apply to register (Sec. 2(a)(1)).
• Acceptable citizenship documents include a certified birth certificate issued by a state or local government, a valid U.S. passport, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad issued by the Secretary of State, or a Naturalization Certificate or Certificate of Citizenship issued by the Secretary of Homeland Security, or photocopies of these documents (Sec. 2(a)(1)(A-D)).
• This requirement applies to people who register through all available voter registration methods in a state (Sec. 2(a)(2)).
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What Changes
If this becomes law, all states must collect citizenship proof documents from anyone registering to vote in federal elections starting immediately after the law passes. States could not register voters in federal elections without this documentation.
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Important Definitions
None defined in the bill text.
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Effective Date
The changes apply to voter registration applications submitted on or after the date the bill becomes law (Sec. 2(b)).
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 487
To amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to prohibit a State
from registering an individual to vote in elections for Federal office
held in the State unless the individual provides documentary proof that
the individual is a citizen of the United States.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 24, 2023
Mr. SELF (for himself, Mr. MORAN, Mr. SESSIONS, and Mr. WEBER of Texas)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
House Administration
A BILL
To amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to
prohibit a State from registering an individual to vote
in elections for Federal office held in the State unless
the individual provides documentary proof that the indi-
vidual is a citizen of the United States.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Ensuring American
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Voters Act of 2023’’.
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•HR 487 IH
SEC. 2. PROHIBITING REGISTRATION TO VOTE OF INDIVID-
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UALS WHO FAIL TO PROVIDE PROOF OF
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UNITED STATES CITIZENSHIP.
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(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 8 of the National Voter
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Registration Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20507) is amended—
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(1) by redesignating subsection (j) as sub-
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section (k); and
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(2) by inserting after subsection (i) the fol-
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lowing new subsection:
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‘‘(j) PROHIBITING REGISTRATION OF INDIVIDUALS
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NOT PROVIDING PROOF OF UNITED STATES CITIZEN-
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SHIP.—
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‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other
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provision of this Act, a State may not register an in-
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dividual to vote in elections for Federal office held
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in the State unless, at the time the individual ap-
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plies to register to vote, the individual provides docu-
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mentary proof that the individual is a citizen of the
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United States, which shall consist of any of the fol-
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lowing (or a photocopy thereof):
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‘‘(A) A certified birth certificate issued by
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a State or unit of local government in a State.
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‘‘(B) A valid United States passport.
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‘‘(C) A Consular Report of Birth Abroad
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issued by the Secretary of State.
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•HR 487 IH
‘‘(D) A Naturalization Certificate or Cer-
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tificate of Citizenship issued by the Secretary of
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Homeland Security.
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‘‘(2) APPLICABILITY.—Paragraph (1) applies
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with respect to an individual who applies to register
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to vote under section 5, 6, or 7 (including an indi-
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vidual who submits the mail voter registration appli-
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cation form prescribed by the Election Assistance
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Commission pursuant to section 9), or who applies
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under any other method of voter registration avail-
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able in the State.’’.
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(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by
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subsection (a) shall apply with respect to applications for
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voter registration which are submitted on or after the date
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of the enactment of this Act.
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Æ
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