,,ii  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bjce  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,october #ca1  
#bjag ,mr4 ,heinrich 7for himself and   
,ms4 ,collins7 introduced the following 
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,rules and         
,administration  ,a ,,bill  ,to provide 
increased security for the voting       
systems of the ,united ,states1 to      
protect against intrusion1 theft1       
manipulation1 and deletion of voter     
registration data and ballots1 or votes 
cast1 and to prevent cyberattacks from  
malicious computer hackers1 and for     
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title2 table
 of contents  7a7 ,short title  ,this   
,act may be cited as the ,securing      
,america's ,voting ,equipment ,act of   
#bjag or the ,,save ,act4  7b7 ,table of
 contents ,the table of contents for    
this ,act is as follows3 ,sec4 #a4      
,short title2 table of contents4 ,sec4  
#b4 ,definitions4 ,,title               
,i--,information sharing with ,state    

election officials ,sec4 #aja4          
,information sharing with ,state        
election officials4 ,,title             
,,ii--,preserving the security and      
independence of ,state voting systems   
,sec4 #bja4 ,designation of voting      
systems as critical infrastructure4     
,sec4 #bjb4 ,voting system threat       
assessment4 ,sec4 #bjc4 ,grant program  
for upgrading voting systems4 ,,title   
,,iii--,cooperative ,hack the ,election 
program ,sec4 #cja4 ,establishment of   
program4 ,sec4 #cjb4 ,activities under  
program4 ,sec4 #cjc4 ,safe harbor4 ,sec4
 #cjd4 ,bug bounty programs4 ,,title    
,,iv--,voting system integrity audit    
,sec4 #dja4 ,audit4  #b4 ,definitions   
,in this ,act3  7#a7 ,chief ,state      
election official ,the term chief ,state
 election official means the chief      
,state election official of a ,state    
designated under section #aj of the     
,national ,voter ,registration ,act of  
#aiic 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #bjeji74  7#b7     
,critical infrastructure ,the term      

critical infrastructure has the meaning 
given the term in section #ajaf of the  
,critical ,infrastructure ,protection   
,act of #bjja 7#db ,u4,s4,c4            
#eaie;c7e774  7#c7 ,department ,the term
 ,department means the ,department of   
,homeland ,security4  7#d7 ,secretary   
,the term ,secretary means the          
,secretary of ,homeland ,security4  7#e7
 ,sector-,specific agency ,the term     
sector-specific agency has the meaning  
given that term in ,presidential ,policy
 ,directive-#ba1 issued ,february #ab1  
#bjac 7relating to critical             
infrastructure security and resilience71
 or any successor thereto4  7#f7 ,state 
,the term ,state means each of the #ej  
,states1 the ,district of ,columbia1 the
 ,commonwealth of ,puerto ,rico1 and the
 territories and possessions of the     
,united ,states4  7#g7 ,voting system   
,the term voting system has the meaning 
given the term in section #cja7;b7 of   
the ,help ,america ,vote ,act of #bjjb  
7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #bajha7;b774  ,i         

,information sharing with ,state        
election officials  #aja4 ,information  
sharing with ,state election officials  
7a7 ,security clearances  7#a7 ,in      
general ,not later than #cj days after  
the date of enactment of this ,act1 the 
,director of ,national ,intelligence    
shall sponsor a security clearance up to
 the top secret level for each eligible 
chief ,state election official of a     
,state1 and up to #a eligible designee  
of such an election official1 at the    
time that the chief ,state election     
official or designee assumes such       
position4  7#b7 ,determination of levels
  7,a7 ,in general ,the ,director of    
,national ,intelligence shall determine 
the level of clearances for the         
positions described in paragraph 7#a74  
7,b7 ,interim clearances ,the ,director 
of ,national ,intelligence1 or his      
designee1 may issue interim clearances1 
for a period to be determined by the    
,director of ,national ,intelligence1 to
 a chief ,state election official as    

described in paragraph 7#a7 and up to #a
 designee of such official under such   
paragraph4  7b7 ,information sharing    
7#a7 ,in general ,the ,director of      
,national ,intelligence shall share     
appropriate classified information      
related to threats to voting systems and
 to the integrity of the election       
process with chief ,state election      
officials and such designees who have   
received a security clearance under     
subsection 7a74  7#b7 ,reports ,the     
,director of ,national ,intelligence    
shall transmit reports on such          
information sharing to the respective   
chief ,state election official of any   
affected ,state4  ,,ii ,preserving the  
security and independence of ,state     
voting systems  #bja4 ,designation of   
voting systems as critical              
infrastructure  7a7 ,in general ,the    
,secretary1 acting through the          
,assistant ,secretary of the ,national  
,protection and ,programs ,directorate1 
shall--  7#a7 designate voting systems  

used in the ,united ,states as critical 
infrastructure2  7#b7 include threats of
 compromise1 disruption1 or destruction 
of voting systems in national planning  
scenarios2 and  7#c7 conduct a campaign 
to proactively educate local election   
officials about the designation of      
voting systems as critical              
infrastructure and election officials at
 all levels of government of voting     
system threats4  7b7 ,sector-,specific  
agencies ,the ,department and the       
,election ,assistance ,commission shall 
be the sector-specific agencies         
responsible for coordinating with       
,secretaries of ,state and the chief    
,state election officials to promote and
 ensure the security and resilience of  
,state voting systems4  #bjb4 ,voting   
system threat assessment  7a7 ,threat   
assessment ,the ,secretary shall1 in    
conjunction with ,state election        
officials and the sector specific       
agencies-- 7#a7 conduct a threat        
assessment of the physical and          

electronic risks to voting systems in   
the ,united ,states2 and  7#b7 develop  
recommended best practices for          
addressing risks assessed under         
paragraph 7#a7 in consultation with the 
,national ,association of ,secretaries  
of ,state1 ,national ,association of    
,state ,election ,directors1 and        
,national ,institute of ,standards and  
,technology4  7b7 ,voluntary            
participation ,participation by a ,state
 in the threat assessment conducted     
under subsection 7a7 shall be voluntary 
and at the discretion of the ,state4    
7c7 ,report ,not later than #a year     
after the date of enactment of this     
,act1 the ,secretary shall submit a     
report to ,congress and the ,director of
 ,national ,intelligence on the threat  
assessment conducted under subsection   
7a71 which shall include an estimate of 
the total cost of implementing the      
recommended best practices developed    
under subsection 7a77#b7 through the    
grant program established under section 

#bjc4  #bjc4 ,grant program for         
upgrading voting systems  7a7 ,in       
general ,the ,secretary1 acting in      
conjunction with a sector specific      
agency1 shall award grants to ,states to
 assist in the development of security  
solutions for ,state voting systems4    
7b7 ,use of funds  7#a7 ,in general     
,subject to paragraph 7#b71 a grant     
awarded under this section shall be used
 by a ,state to upgrade the voting      
systems of the ,state to ensure the     
security and integrity of the physical1 
electronic1 and administrative          
components of the voting system based   
upon the threat assessment conducted1   
and recommended best practices          
developed1 under section #bjb4  7#b7    
,implementation of best practices ,a    
,state receiving a grant under this     
section shall use the grant funds solely
 to implement the recommended best      
practices developed under section #bjb1 
or alternative practices that are       
equivalent to or exceed such best       

practices subject to certification      
described in subsection 7c77#c71 before 
using the grant to carry out any other  
uses described in paragraph 7#a74  7c7  
,application  7#a7 ,in general ,a ,state
 seeking a grant under this section     
shall submit to the ,secretary an       
application at such time1 in such       
manner1 and containing such information 
as the ,secretary may require4  7#b7    
,required contents ,an application      
submitted under paragraph 7#a7 shall    
include1 at a minimum-- 7,a7 an         
explanation of how the ,state will use  
the grant funds to implement the best   
practices developed by the ,secretary   
under section #bjb2  7,b7 an explanation
 of how the ,state will update and      
secure the election machines1 vote tally
 systems1 voter registration databases1 
and voting administration procedures of 
the ,state from electronic and physical 
threats2 and  7,c7 a description of--   
7i7 the plans of the ,state for pre- and
 post-election security and accuracy    

audits2  7ii7 the methods to be         
implemented by the ,state for preserving
 a durable record of votes cast2 and    
7iii7 in the case of a ,state that      
chooses to implement an alternative     
practice that meets or exceeds the best 
practices1 and a certification pursuant 
to paragraph 7#c71 the reasons for not  
choosing the recommended best practices 
developed under section #bjb4  7#c7     
,certification ,a certification         
described in this paragraph is a        
certification that the ,state-- 7,a7 has
 met the recommended best practices     
developed under section #bjb2 or  7,b7  
has adopted alternative practices for   
addressing risks1 and the alternative   
practices have been verified by the     
,national ,association of ,secretaries  
of ,state1 ,national ,association of    
,state ,election ,directors1 or         
,national ,institute of ,standards and  
,technology as being equivalent to or   
exceeding the recommended best practices
 developed under section #bjb4  7d7     

,annual audit ,not later than #a year   
after the first fiscal year in which a  
grant is awarded under this section1 and
 each year thereafter1 the ,inspector   
,general of the ,department shall       
conduct an audit of each ,state that has
 received a grant during the previous   
fiscal year to evaluate whether the     
,state has appropriately used the grant 
funds to upgrade and secure the voting  
system of the ,state by implementing the
 best practices identified in the       
approved application of the ,state4  7e7
 ,authorization of appropriations ,there
 are authorized to be appropriated such 
sums as are estimated in the report     
required to be submitted by the         
,secretary under section #bjb7;c7 to be 
necessary to carry out this section4    
,,iii ,cooperative ,hack the ,election  
program  #cja4 ,establishment of program
  7a7 ,in general ,not later than #a    
year after the date of the enactment of 
this title1 the ,secretary shall develop
 a program to be known as the           

,cooperative ,hack the ,election        
,program4  7b7 ,purposes of program ,the
 purpose of the ,cooperative ,hack the  
,election ,program is to strengthen     
electoral systems from outside          
interference by encouraging entrants to 
work cooperatively with election system 
vendors to penetrate inactive voting and
 voter registration systems to discover 
vulnerabilities of1 and develop defenses
 for1 such systems4  #cjb4 ,activities  
under program ,in carrying out the      
,cooperative ,hack the ,election        
,program1 the ,secretary shall-- 7#a7   
create an annual competition for hacking
 into ,state voting and voter           
registration systems during periods when
 such systems are not in use for        
elections2  7#b7 award competitors for  
the discovery of the most significant   
vulnerabilities of such systems2 and    
7#c7 share all discovered               
vulnerabilities with the relevant       
vendors of the systems4  #cjc4 ,safe    
harbor  7a7 ,in general ,notwithstanding

 section #ajcj of title #ah1 ,united    
,states ,code1 and except as provided in
 subsection 7b71 it shall not be        
unlawful for a person acting in         
compliance with the ,cooperative ,hack  
the ,election ,program or a bug bounty  
program implemented under section #cjd  
to take actions necessary to discover   
and report a cybersecurity vulnerability
 in a voting system if the person       
reports the cybersecurity vulnerability 
to the ,secretary4  7b7 ,limitation     
,subsection 7a7 shall not apply to any  
person that-- 7#a7 acts outside the     
scope of the ,cooperative ,hack the     
,election ,program or a bug bounty      
program implemented under section #cjd1 
as the case may be2  7#b7 exploits a    
cybersecurity vulnerability described in
 subsection 7a72 or  7#c7 publicly      
exposes a cybersecurity vulnerability   
described in subsection 7a7 before      
reporting the cybersecurity             
vulnerability to the ,secretary4  #cjd4 
,bug bounty programs  7a7 ,in general   

,not later than #ahj days after the date
 of the enactment of this ,act1 the     
,under ,secretary for ,national         
,protection and ,programs ,directorate  
of the ,department shall submit a       
strategic plan to implement bug bounty  
programs at appropriate agencies and    
departments of the ,united ,states to-- 
7#a7 the ,committee on ,homeland        
,security and ,governmental ,affairs of 
the ,senate2  7#b7 the ,select          
,committee on ,intelligence of the      
,senate2  7#c7 the ,committee on        
,homeland ,security of the ,house of    
,representatives2 and  7#d7 the         
,permanent ,select ,committee on        
,intelligence of the ,house of          
,representatives4  7b7 ,assessment ,the 
plan under subsection 7a7 shall         
include-- 7#a7 an assessment on--  7,a7 
the effectiveness of the ,hack the      
,pentagon pilot program carried out by  
the ,department of ,defense in #bjaf and
 subsequent bug bounty programs in      
identifying and reporting               

vulnerabilities within the information  
systems of the ,department of ,defense2 
and  7,b7 private sector bug bounty     
programs1 including such programs       
implemented by leading technology       
companies in the ,united ,states2 and   
7#b7 recommendations on the feasibility 
of initiating bug bounty programs at    
appropriate agencies and departments of 
the ,united ,states4  ,,iv ,voting      
system integrity audit  #dja4 ,audit    
7a7 ,in general ,not later than         
,december #ca1 #bjai1 and once every #d 
years thereafter1 the ,comptroller      
,general of the ,united ,states shall   
conduct a robust audit of ,state voting 
systems to ensure that elections held   
using equipment upgraded using grants   
awarded under section #bjc have been    
conducted in a manner consistent with   
the goals of the grant program4  7b7    
,limitation ,each audit conducted under 
subsection 7a7 shall include only       
,states that received a grant under     
section #bjc during the time period     

covered by the audit4  7c7 ,report ,the 
,comptroller ,general of the ,united    
,states shall submit a report to        
,congress on each audit conducted under 
subsection 7a74