,,ii  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #aicg  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,january #af1  
#bjad,mr4 ,schumer introduced the       
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,rules   
and ,administration  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
amend the ,help ,america ,vote ,act of  
#bjjb to require ,states to develop     
contingency plans to address unexpected 
emergencies or natural disasters that   
may threaten to disrupt the             
administration of an election for       
,federal office1 and for other purposes4
  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be    
cited as the ,elections ,preparedness   
,requires ,early ,planning 7,elections  
,,prep7 ,act4  #b4 ,contingency plans   
7a7 ,in general  7#a7 ,contingency plans
 ,title ,,iii of the ,help ,america     
,vote ,act of #bjjb 7#db ,u4,s4,c4      
#aedha et seq47 is amended-- 7,a7 by    
redesignating sections #cjd and #cje as 
sections #cje and #cjf1 respectively2   
and  7,b7 by inserting after section    

#cjc the following new section3  #cjd4  
,contingency plans  7a7 ,in general     
,each ,state shall develop contingency  
plans to address unexpected emergencies 
or natural disasters that may threaten  
to disrupt the administration of an     
election for ,federal office in         
accordance with the following           
requirements3 7#a7 ,the ,state shall    
develop the contingency plan in         
consultation with ,state emergency      
preparedness organizations 7including   
,state and local law enforcement        
agencies1 ,state ,offices and ,agencies 
of ,emergency ,management1 electric     
companies1 and local fire departments74 
7#b7 ,the contingency plan shall        
contain-- 7,a7 alternative ways to      
notify the public of changes in election
 procedures2 and  7,b7 plans to address 
disruptions at every step of the voting 
process1 including early voting4  7#c7  
,the ,state shall review and update1 as 
needed1 the contingency plan not later  
than #ahj days before each regularly    

scheduled general election for ,federal 
office4  7b7 ,certification of          
compliance ,if the ,state has not filed 
with the ,commission a certification    
under section #bec7;a7 for the fiscal   
year1 the ,state shall file with the    
,commission a statement certifying that 
the ,state is in compliance with the    
requirements under this section4 ,a     
,state may meet the requirement of the  
previous sentence by filing with the    
,commission a statement which reads as  
follows3  hereby certifies that it is in
 compliance with the requirements under 
section #cjd of the ,help ,america ,vote
 ,act of #bjjb4 7with the blank to be   
filled in with the name of the ,state   
involved74  7c7 ,effective date ,each   
,state shall be required to comply with 
the requirements of this section for the
 regularly scheduled general election   
for ,federal office occurring in        
,november #bjad and for any subsequent  
election for ,federal office4  4  7#b7  
,conforming amendments  7,a7 ,section   

#dja of such ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aeeaa7
 is amended by striking and #cjc and    
inserting #cjc1 and #cjd4  7,b7 ,the    
table of contents of such ,act is       
amended-- 7i7 by redesignating the items
 relating to sections #cjd and #cje as  
relating to sections #cje and #cjf1     
respectively2 and  7ii7 by inserting    
after the item relating to section #cjc 
the following new item3  ,sec4 #cjd4    
,contingency plans4  4  7b7             
,requirements for ,state plans ,section 
#bed7;a7 of the ,help ,america ,vote    
,act of #bjjb 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aedjd7;a77
 is amended by adding at the end the    
following new paragraph3  7#ae7 ,how the
 ,state will develop contingency plans  
consistent with the requirements of     
section #cjd4  4  7c7 ,funding          
,notwithstanding any other provision of 
law1 the ,administrator of the ,federal 
,emergency ,management ,agency may      
provide financial assistance to ,states 
under the emergency management          
performance grants program 7as          

authorized by the ,national ,flood      
,insurance ,act of #aifh 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 
#djja et seq471 the ,robert ,t4         
,stafford ,disaster ,relief and         
,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db        
,u4,s4,c4 #eaba et seq471 the           
,earthquake ,hazards ,reduction ,act of 
#aigg 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ggja et seq471    
,reorganization ,plan ,no4 #c of #aigh  
7#e ,u4,s4,c4 ,app471 and section #ffb  
of the ,post-,katrina ,emergency        
,management ,reform ,act of #bjjf 7#f   
,u4,s4,c4 #gfb77 for the purpose of     
developing a contingency plan under     
section #cjd of the ,help ,america ,vote
 ,act of #bjjb1 as added by subsection  
7a74