,,ib ,union ,calendar ,no4 #beh #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #d ,report ,no4 #aaf-cag ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,february #bf1 #bjai ,ms4 ,sewell of ,alabama 7for herself1 ,mr4 ,lewis1 ,ms4 ,pelosi1 ,mr4 ,hoyer1 ,mr4 ,clyburn1 ,mr4 ,lujn1 ,ms4 ,judy ,chu of ,california1 ,mr4 ,castro of ,texas1 ,mr4 ,jeffries1 ,ms4 ,adams1 ,mr4 ,aguilar1 ,mr4 ,allred1 ,ms4 ,bass1 ,mrs4 ,beatty1 ,mr4 ,bera1 ,mr4 ,beyer1 ,mr4 ,bishop of ,georgia1 ,mr4 ,blumenauer1 ,ms4 ,blunt ,rochester1 ,ms4 ,bonamici1 ,mr4 ,brendan ,f4 ,boyle of ,pennsylvania1 ,mr4 ,brown of ,maryland1 ,ms4 ,brownley of ,california1 ,mrs4 ,bustos1 ,mr4 ,butterfield1 ,mr4 ,crdenas1 ,mr4 ,carson of ,indiana1 ,mr4 ,cartwright1 ,mr4 ,cicilline1 ,mr4 ,cisneros1 ,ms4 ,clark of ,massachusetts1 ,ms4 ,clarke of ,new ,york1 ,mr4 ,clay1 ,mr4 ,cleaver1 ,mr4 ,connolly1 ,mr4 ,cooper1 ,mr4 ,costa1 ,mr4 ,cox of ,california1 ,mrs4 ,craig1 ,mr4 ,crist1 ,mr4 ,cummings1 ,mr4 ,danny ,k4 ,davis of ,illinois1 ,ms4 ,dean1 ,ms4 ,de,gette1 ,ms4 ,de,lauro1 ,ms4 ,del,bene1 ,mr4 ,delgado1 ,mrs4 ,demings1 ,mr4 ,deutch1 ,mrs4 ,dingell1 ,mr4 ,doggett1 ,mr4 ,michael ,f4 ,doyle of ,pennsylvania1 ,mr4 ,engel1 ,ms4 ,escobar1 ,ms4 ,eshoo1 ,mr4 ,espaillat1 ,mr4 ,gallego1 ,mr4 ,garamendi1 ,mr4 ,gomez1 ,mr4 ,gottheimer1 ,mr4 ,green of ,texas1 ,ms4 ,haaland1 ,mr4 ,hastings1 ,mr4 ,heck1 ,mr4 ,higgins of ,new ,york1 ,ms4 ,hill of ,california1 ,mr4 ,himes1 ,mr4 ,horsford1 ,mr4 ,huffman1 ,ms4 ,jackson ,lee1 ,ms4 ,jayapal1 ,ms4 ,johnson of ,texas1 ,mr4 ,johnson of ,georgia1 ,mr4 ,keating1 ,ms4 ,kelly of ,illinois1 ,mr4 ,khanna1 ,mr4 ,kilmer1 ,mrs4 ,kirkpatrick1 ,mr4 ,krishnamoorthi1 ,ms4 ,kuster of ,new ,hampshire1 ,mr4 ,lamb1 ,mr4 ,larsen of ,washington1 ,mr4 ,larson of ,connecticut1 ,mrs4 ,lawrence1 ,mr4 ,lawson of ,florida1 ,ms4 ,lee of ,california1 ,mr4 ,ted ,lieu of ,california1 ,mr4 ,lowenthal1 ,mrs4 ,lowey1 ,mr4 ,lynch1 ,mrs4 ,carolyn ,b4 ,maloney of ,new ,york1 ,mr4 ,sean ,patrick ,maloney of ,new ,york1 ,ms4 ,matsui1 ,mrs4 ,mc,bath1 ,ms4 ,mc,collum1 ,mr4 ,mc,eachin1 ,mr4 ,mc,govern1 ,mr4 ,meeks1 ,ms4 ,meng1 ,ms4 ,moore1 ,mr4 ,morelle1 ,mr4 ,moulton1 ,ms4 ,mucarsel-,powell1 ,mrs4 ,murphy1 ,mrs4 ,napolitano1 ,mr4 ,norcross1 ,ms4 ,norton1 ,ms4 ,ocasio-,cortez1 ,ms4 ,omar1 ,mr4 ,pallone1 ,mr4 ,panetta1 ,mr4 ,pappas1 ,mr4 ,pascrell1 ,mr4 ,perlmutter1 ,mr4 ,peters1 ,ms4 ,plaskett1 ,mr4 ,pocan1 ,ms4 ,pressley1 ,mr4 ,price of ,north ,carolina1 ,mr4 ,quigley1 ,mr4 ,raskin1 ,miss ,rice of ,new ,york1 ,mr4 ,rouda1 ,ms4 ,roybal-,allard1 ,mr4 ,ruppersberger1 ,mr4 ,rush1 ,mr4 ,ryan1 ,ms4 ,snchez1 ,ms4 ,scanlon1 ,ms4 ,schakowsky1 ,mr4 ,schiff1 ,mr4 ,schneider1 ,ms4 ,schrier1 ,mr4 ,scott of ,virginia1 ,mr4 ,david ,scott of ,georgia1 ,mr4 ,serrano1 ,ms4 ,shalala1 ,mr4 ,sherman1 ,ms4 ,sherrill1 ,mr4 ,sires1 ,mr4 ,smith of ,washington1 ,mr4 ,soto1 ,ms4 ,spanberger1 ,ms4 ,speier1 ,mr4 ,suozzi1 ,mr4 ,swalwell of ,california1 ,mr4 ,takano1 ,mr4 ,thompson of ,mississippi1 ,ms4 ,titus1 ,ms4 ,tlaib1 ,mr4 ,tonko1 ,mrs4 ,torres of ,california1 ,mrs4 ,trahan1 ,mr4 ,vela1 ,ms4 ,wasserman ,schultz1 ,mrs4 ,watson ,coleman1 ,mr4 ,welch1 ,ms4 ,wild1 ,ms4 ,wilson of ,florida1 ,mr4 ,case1 ,mr4 ,casten of ,illinois1 ,ms4 ,castor of ,florida1 ,mr4 ,cohen1 ,ms4 ,davids of ,kansas1 ,mr4 ,de,saulnier1 ,ms4 ,finkenauer1 ,mrs4 ,fletcher1 ,mr4 ,foster1 ,mr4 ,cuellar1 ,mr4 ,crow1 ,ms4 ,fudge1 ,mr4 ,kildee1 ,mr4 ,kind1 ,mr4 ,levin of ,michigan1 ,mr4 ,levin of ,california1 ,mr4 ,loebsack1 ,ms4 ,lofgren1 ,mr4 ,neguse1 ,mr4 ,mc,nerney1 ,mr4 ,phillips1 ,ms4 ,pingree1 ,mr4 ,ruiz1 ,mr4 ,sarbanes1 ,ms4 ,slotkin1 ,mr4 ,stanton1 ,ms4 ,stevens1 ,mr4 ,thompson of ,california1 ,ms4 ,underwood1 ,mr4 ,veasey1 ,ms4 ,velzquez1 ,ms4 ,waters1 ,ms4 ,wexton1 ,ms4 ,porter1 ,mr4 ,vargas1 ,mr4 ,garca of ,illinois1 ,mr4 ,gonzalez of ,texas1 ,mr4 ,trone1 ,mr4 ,courtney1 ,ms4 ,kendra ,s4 ,horn of ,oklahoma1 ,ms4 ,barragn1 ,mrs4 ,davis of ,california1 ,mr4 ,evans1 ,ms4 ,frankel1 ,mr4 ,grijalva1 ,mrs4 ,hayes1 ,mr4 ,nadler1 ,mr4 ,kennedy1 and ,ms4 ,houlahan7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on the ,judiciary ,november #bi1 #bjai ,additional sponsors3 ,mr4 ,yarmuth1 ,mrs4 ,lee of ,nevada1 ,mr4 ,kim1 ,ms4 ,garcia of ,texas1 ,mr4 ,carbajal1 ,mr4 ,de,fazio1 ,mr4 ,o',halleran1 ,mr4 ,rose of ,new ,york1 ,mr4 ,payne1 ,mrs4 ,luria1 ,mrs4 ,axne1 ,mr4 ,neal1 ,mr4 ,malinowski1 ,mr4 ,langevin1 ,ms4 ,gabbard1 ,ms4 ,kaptur1 ,mr4 ,visclosky1 ,mr4 ,correa1 ,mr4 ,schrader1 ,ms4 ,torres ,small of ,new ,mexico1 ,mr4 ,golden1 and ,mr4 ,cunningham ,november #bi1 #bjai ,reported with an amendment1 committed to the ,committee of the ,whole ,house on the ,state of the ,union1 and ordered to be printed ,strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic ,for text of introduced bill1 see copy of bill as introduced on ,february #bf1 #bjai ,a ,,bill ,to amend the ,voting ,rights ,act of #aife to revise the criteria for determining which ,states and political subdivisions are subject to section #d of the ,act1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,voting ,rights ,advancement ,act of #bjai4 #b4 ,violations triggering authority of court to retain jurisdiction 7a7 ,types of ,violations ,section #c7;c7 of the ,voting ,rights ,act of #aife 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #ajcjb7;c77 is amended by striking violations of the fourteenth or fifteenth amendment and inserting violations of the #adth or #aeth ,amendment1 violations of this ,act1 or violations of any ,federal law that prohibits discrimination in voting on the basis of race1 color1 or membership in a language minority group14 7b7 ,conforming ,amendment ,section #c7;a7 of such ,act 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #ajcjb7;a77 is amended by striking violations of the fourteenth or fifteenth amendment and inserting violations of the #adth or #aeth ,amendment1 violations of this ,act1 or violations of any ,federal law that prohibits discrimination in voting on the basis of race1 color1 or membership in a language minority group14 #c4 ,criteria for coverage of ,states and political subdivisions 7a7 ,determination of ,states and ,political ,subdivisions ,subject to ,section #d7;a7 7#a7 ,in general ,section #d7;b7 of the ,voting ,rights ,act of #aife 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #ajcjc7;b77 is amended to read as follows3 7b7 ,determination of ,states and ,political ,subdivisions ,subject to ,requirements 7#a7 ,existence of voting rights violations during previous #be years 7,a7 ,statewide application ,subsection 7a7 applies with respect to a ,state and all political subdivisions within the ,state during a calendar year if-- 7i7 #ae or more voting rights violations occurred in the ,state during the previous #be calendar years2 or 7ii7 #aj or more voting rights violations occurred in the ,state during the previous #be calendar years1 at least one of which was committed by the ,state itself 7as opposed to a political subdivision within the ,state74 7,b7 ,application to specific political subdivisions ,subsection 7a7 applies with respect to a political subdivision as a separate unit during a calendar year if #c or more voting rights violations occurred in the subdivision during the previous #be calendar years4 7#b7 ,period of application 7,a7 ,in general ,except as provided in subparagraph 7,b71 if1 pursuant to paragraph 7#a71 subsection 7a7 applies with respect to a ,state or political subdivision during a calendar year1 subsection 7a7 shall apply with respect to such ,state or political subdivision for the period-- 7i7 that begins on ,january #a of the year in which subsection 7a7 applies2 and 7ii7 that ends on the date which is #aj years after the date described in clause 7i74 7,b7 ,no further application after declaratory judgment 7i7 ,states ,if a ,state obtains a declaratory judgment under subsection 7a71 and the judgment remains in effect1 subsection 7a7 shall no longer apply to such ,state pursuant to paragraph 7#a77;,a7 unless1 after the issuance of the declaratory judgment1 paragraph 7#a77;,a7 applies to the ,state solely on the basis of voting rights violations occurring after the issuance of the declaratory judgment4 7ii7 ,political subdivisions ,if a political subdivision obtains a declaratory judgment under subsection 7a71 and the judgment remains in effect1 subsection 7a7 shall no longer apply to such political subdivision pursuant to paragraph 7#a71 including pursuant to paragraph 7#a77;,a7 7relating to the statewide application of subsection 7a771 unless1 after the issuance of the declaratory judgment1 paragraph 7#a77;,b7 applies to the political subdivision solely on the basis of voting rights violations occurring after the issuance of the declaratory judgment4 7#c7 ,determination of voting rights violation ,for purposes of paragraph 7#a71 a voting rights violation occurred in a ,state or political subdivision if any of the following applies3 7,a7 ,final judgment2 violation of the #adth or #aeth ,amendment ,in a final judgment 7which has not been reversed on appeal71 any court of the ,united ,states has determined that a denial or abridgement of the right of any citizen of the ,united ,states to vote on account of race1 color1 or membership in a language minority group1 in violation of the #adth or #aeth ,amendment1 occurred anywhere within the ,state or subdivision4 7,b7 ,final judgment2 violations of this ,act ,in a final judgment 7which has not been reversed on appeal71 any court of the ,united ,states has determined that a voting qualification or prerequisite to voting or standard1 practice1 or procedure with respect to voting was imposed or applied or would have been imposed or applied anywhere within the ,state or subdivision in a manner that resulted or would have resulted in a denial or abridgement of the right of any citizen of the ,united ,states to vote on account of race1 color1 or membership in a language minority group1 in violation of subsection 7e7 or 7f71 or section #b or #bjc of this ,act4 7,c7 ,final judgment2 ,denial of declaratory judgment ,in a final judgment 7which has not been reversed on appeal71 any court of the ,united ,states has denied the request of the ,state or subdivision for a declaratory judgment under section #c7;c7 or section #e1 and thereby prevented a voting qualification or prerequisite to voting or standard1 practice1 or procedure with respect to voting from being enforced anywhere within the ,state or subdivision4 7,d7 ,objection by the ,attorney ,general ,the ,attorney ,general has interposed an objection under section #c7;c7 or section #e 7and the objection has not been overturned by a final judgment of a court or withdrawn by the ,attorney ,general71 and thereby prevented a voting qualification or prerequisite to voting or standard1 practice1 or procedure with respect to voting from being enforced anywhere within the ,state or subdivision4 7,e7 ,consent decree1 settlement1 or other agreement ,a consent decree1 settlement1 or other agreement was entered into1 which resulted in the alteration or abandonment of a voting practice anywhere in the territory of such ,state that was challenged on the ground that the practice denied or abridged the right of any citizen of the ,united ,states to vote on account of race1 color1 or membership in a language minority group in violation of subsection 7e7 or 7f71 or section #b or #bjc of this ,act1 or the #adth or #aeth ,amendment4 7#d7 ,timing of determinations 7,a7 ,determinations of voting rights violations ,as early as practicable during each calendar year1 the ,attorney ,general shall make the determinations required by this subsection1 including updating the list of voting rights violations occurring in each ,state and political subdivision for the previous calendar year4 7,b7 ,effective upon publication in ,federal ,register ,a determination or certification of the ,attorney ,general under this section or under section #h or #ac shall be effective upon publication in the ,federal ,register4 4 7#b7 ,conforming amendments ,section #d7;a7 of such ,act 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #ajcjc7;a77 is amended-- 7,a7 in paragraph 7#a71 in the first sentence of the matter preceding subparagraph 7,a71 by striking any ,state with respect to which and all that follows through unless and inserting any ,state to which this subsection applies during a calendar year pursuant to determinations made under subsection 7b71 or in any political subdivision of such ,state 7as such subdivision existed on the date such determinations were made with respect to such ,state71 though such determinations were not made with respect to such subdivision as a separate unit1 or in any political subdivision with respect to which this subsection applies during a calendar year pursuant to determinations made with respect to such subdivision as a separate unit under subsection 7b71 unless2 7,b7 in paragraph 7#a7 in the matter preceding subparagraph 7,a71 by striking the second sentence2 7,c7 in paragraph 7#a77;,a71 by striking 7in the case of a ,state or subdivision seeking a declaratory judgment under the second sentence of this subsection72 7,d7 in paragraph 7#a77;,b71 by striking 7in the case of a ,state or subdivision seeking a declaratory judgment under the second sentence of this subsection72 7,e7 in paragraph 7#c71 by striking 7in the case of a ,state or subdivision seeking a declaratory judgment under the second sentence of this subsection72 7,f7 in paragraph 7#e71 by striking 7in the case of a ,state or subdivision which sought a declaratory judgment under the second sentence of this subsection72 7,g7 by striking paragraphs 7#g7 and 7#h72 and 7,h7 by redesignating paragraph 7#i7 as paragraph 7#g74 7b7 ,clarification of ,treatment of ,members of ,language ,minority ,groups ,section #d7;a77#a7 of such ,act 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #ajcjc7;a77#a77 is amended by striking race or color1 and inserting race1 color1 or in contravention of the guarantees of subsection 7f77#b714 #d4 ,determination of ,states and ,political ,subdivisions ,subject to ,preclearance for ,covered ,practices ,the ,voting ,rights ,act of #aife 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #ajcja et seq47 is further amended by inserting after section #d the following3 #d;,a4 ,determination of ,states and ,political ,subdivisions ,subject to ,preclearance for ,covered ,practices 7a7 ,practice-,based preclearance 7#a7 ,in ,general ,each ,state and each political subdivision shall-- 7,a7 identify any newly enacted or adopted law1 regulation1 or policy that includes a voting qualification or prerequisite to voting1 or a standard1 practice1 or procedure with respect to voting1 that is a covered practice described in subsection 7b72 and 7,b7 ensure that no such covered practice is implemented unless or until the ,state or political subdivision1 as the case may be1 complies with subsection 7c74 7#b7 ,determinations of characteristics of voting-age population 7,a7 ,in ,general ,as early as practicable during each calendar year1 the ,attorney ,general1 in consultation with the ,director of the ,bureau of the ,census and the heads of other relevant offices of the government1 shall make the determinations required by this section regarding voting-age populations and the characteristics of such populations1 and shall publish a list of the ,states and political subdivisions to which a voting-age population characteristic described in subsection 7b7 applies4 7,b7 ,publication in the ,federal ,register ,a determination or certification of the ,attorney ,general under this paragraph shall be effective upon publication in the ,federal ,register4 7b7 ,covered practices ,to assure that the right of citizens of the ,united ,states to vote is not denied or abridged on account of race1 color1 or membership in a language minority group as a result of the implementation of certain qualifications or prerequisites to voting1 or standards1 practices1 or procedures with respect to voting newly adopted in a ,state or political subdivision1 the following shall be covered practices subject to the requirements described in subsection 7a73 7#a7 ,changes to method of election ,any change to the method of election-- 7,a7 to add seats elected at-large in a ,state or political subdivision where-- 7i7 #b or more racial groups or language minority groups each represent #bj percent or more of the political subdivision's voting-age population2 or 7ii7 a single language minority group represents #bj percent or more of the voting-age population on ,indian lands located in whole or in part in the political subdivision2 or 7,b7 to convert one or more seats elected from a single-member district to one or more at-large seats or seats from a multi-member district in a ,state or political subdivision where-- 7i7 #b or more racial groups or language minority groups each represent #bj percent or more of the political subdivision's voting-age population2 or 7ii7 a single language minority group represents #bj percent or more of the voting-age population on ,indian lands located in whole or in part in the political subdivision4 7#b7 ,changes to jurisdiction boundaries ,any change or series of changes within a year to the boundaries of a jurisdiction that reduces by #c or more percentage points the proportion of the jurisdiction's voting-age population that is comprised of members of a single racial group or language minority group in a ,state or political subdivision where-- 7,a7 #b or more racial groups or language minority groups each represent #bj percent or more of the political subdivision's voting-age population2 or 7,b7 a single language minority group represents #bj percent or more of the voting-age population on ,indian lands located in whole or in part in the political subdivision4 7#c7 ,changes through redistricting ,any change to the boundaries of election districts in a ,state or political subdivision where any racial group or language minority group experiences a population increase1 over the preceding decade 7as calculated by the ,bureau of the ,census under the most recent decennial census71 of at least-- 7,a7 #aj1jjj2 or 7,b7 #bj percent of voting-age population of the ,state or political subdivision1 as the case may be4 7#d7 ,changes in documentation or qualifications to vote ,any change to requirements for documentation or proof of identity to vote such that the requirements will exceed or be more stringent than the requirements for voting that are described in section #cjc7;b7 of the ,help ,america ,vote ,act of #bjjb 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #bajhc7;b77 or any change to the requirements for documentation or proof of identity to register to vote that will exceed or be more stringent than such requirements under ,state law on the day before the date of enactment of the ,voting ,rights ,advancement ,act of #bjai4 7#e7 ,changes to multilingual voting materials ,any change that reduces multilingual voting materials or alters the manner in which such materials are provided or distributed1 where no similar reduction or alteration occurs in materials provided in ,english for such election4 7#f7 ,changes that reduce1 consolidate1 or relocate voting locations ,any change that reduces1 consolidates1 or relocates voting locations1 including early1 absentee1 and election-day voting locations-- 7,a7 in #a or more census tracts wherein #b or more language minority groups or racial groups each represent #bj percent or more of the voting-age population of the political subdivision2 or 7,b7 on ,indian lands wherein at least #bj percent of the voting-age population belongs to a single language minority group4 7c7 ,preclearance 7#a7 ,in ,general ,whenever a ,state or political subdivision with respect to which the requirements set forth in subsection 7a7 are in effect shall enact1 adopt1 or seek to implement any covered practice described under subsection 7b71 such ,state or subdivision may institute an action in the ,united ,states ,district ,court for the ,district of ,columbia for a declaratory judgment that such covered practice neither has the purpose nor will have the effect of denying or abridging the right to vote on account of race1 color1 or membership in a language minority group1 and unless and until the court enters such judgment such covered practice shall not be implemented4 ,notwithstanding the previous sentence1 such covered practice may be implemented without such proceeding if the covered practice has been submitted by the chief legal officer or other appropriate official of such ,state or subdivision to the ,attorney ,general and the ,attorney ,general has not interposed an objection within #fj days after such submission1 or upon good cause shown1 to facilitate an expedited approval within #fj days after such submission1 the ,attorney ,general has affirmatively indicated that such objection will not be made4 ,neither an affirmative indication by the ,attorney ,general that no objection will be made1 nor the ,attorney ,general's failure to object1 nor a declaratory judgment entered under this section shall bar a subsequent action to enjoin implementation of such covered practice4 ,in the event the ,attorney ,general affirmatively indicates that no objection will be made within the #fj-;day period following receipt of a submission1 the ,attorney ,general may reserve the right to reexamine the submission if additional information comes to the ,attorney ,general's attention during the remainder of the #fj-;day period which would otherwise require objection in accordance with this section4 ,any action under this section shall be heard and determined by a court of three judges in accordance with the provisions of section #bbhd of title #bh1 ,united ,states ,code1 and any appeal shall lie to the ,supreme ,court4 7#b7 ,denying or abridging the right to vote ,any covered practice described in subsection 7b7 that has the purpose of or will have the effect of diminishing the ability of any citizens of the ,united ,states on account of race1 color1 or membership in a language minority group1 to elect their preferred candidates of choice denies or abridges the right to vote within the meaning of paragraph 7#a7 of this subsection4 7#c7 ,purpose defined ,the term purpose in paragraphs 7#a7 and 7#b7 of this subsection shall include any discriminatory purpose4 7#d7 ,purpose of paragraph 7#b7 ,the purpose of paragraph 7#b7 of this subsection is to protect the ability of such citizens to elect their preferred candidates of choice4 7d7 ,enforcement ,the ,attorney ,general or any aggrieved citizen may file an action in a ,federal district court to compel any ,state or political subdivision to satisfy the obligations set forth in this section4 ,such actions shall be heard and determined by a court of #c judges under section #bbhd of title #bh1 ,united ,states ,code4 ,in any such action1 the court shall provide as a remedy that any voting qualification or prerequisite to voting1 or standard1 practice1 or procedure with respect to voting1 that is the subject of the action under this subsection be enjoined unless the court determines that-- 7#a7 the voting qualification or prerequisite to voting1 or standard1 practice1 or procedure with respect to voting1 is not a covered practice described in subsection 7b72 or 7#b7 the ,state or political subdivision has complied with subsection 7c7 with respect to the covered practice at issue4 7e7 ,counting of racial groups and language minority groups ,for purposes of this section1 the calculation of the population of a racial group or a language minority group shall be carried out using the methodology in the guidance promulgated in the ,federal ,register on ,february #i1 #bjaa 7#gf ,fed4 ,reg4 #gdgj74 7f7 ,special rule ,for purposes of determinations under this section1 any data provided by the ,bureau of the ,census1 whether based on estimation from sample or actual enumeration1 shall not be subject to challenge or review in any court4 7g7 ,multilingual voting materials ,in this section1 the term multilingual voting materials means registration or voting notices1 forms1 instructions1 assistance1 or other materials or information relating to the electoral process1 including ballots1 provided in the language or languages of one or more language minority groups4 4 #e4 ,promoting transparency to enforce the ,voting ,rights ,act 7a7 ,transparency 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,voting ,rights ,act of #aife 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #ajcja et seq47 is amended by inserting after section #e the following new section3 #f4 ,transparency regarding changes to protect voting rights 7a7 ,notice of enacted changes 7#a7 ,notice of ,changes ,if a ,state or political subdivision makes any change in any prerequisite to voting or standard1 practice1 or procedure with respect to voting in any election for ,federal office that will result in the prerequisite1 standard1 practice1 or procedure being different from that which was in effect as of #ahj days before the date of the election for ,federal office1 the ,state or political subdivision shall provide reasonable public notice in such ,state or political subdivision and on the ,internet1 of a concise description of the change1 including the difference between the changed prerequisite1 standard1 practice1 or procedure and the prerequisite1 standard1 practice1 or procedure which was previously in effect4 ,the public notice described in this paragraph1 in such ,state or political subdivision and on the ,internet1 shall be in a format that is reasonably convenient and accessible to voters with disabilities1 including voters who have low vision or are blind4 7#b7 ,deadline for notice ,a ,state or political subdivision shall provide the public notice required under paragraph 7#a7 not later than #dh hours after making the change involved4 7b7 ,transparency ,regarding ,polling ,place ,resources 7#a7 ,in general ,in order to identify any changes that may impact the right to vote of any person1 prior to the #cjth day before the date of an election for ,federal office1 each ,state or political subdivision with responsibility for allocating registered voters1 voting machines1 and official poll workers to particular precincts and polling places shall provide reasonable public notice in such ,state or political subdivision and on the ,internet1 of the information described in paragraph 7#b7 for precincts and polling places within such ,state or political subdivision4 ,the public notice described in this paragraph1 in such ,state or political subdivision and on the ,internet1 shall be in a format that is reasonably convenient and accessible to voters with disabilities including voters who have low vision or are blind4 7#b7 ,information described ,the information described in this paragraph with respect to a precinct or polling place is each of the following3 7,a7 ,the name or number4 7,b7 ,in the case of a polling place1 the location1 including the street address1 and whether such polling place is accessible to persons with disabilities4 7,c7 ,the voting-age population of the area served by the precinct or polling place1 broken down by demographic group if such breakdown is reasonably available to such ,state or political subdivision4 7,d7 ,the number of registered voters assigned to the precinct or polling place1 broken down by demographic group if such breakdown is reasonably available to such ,state or political subdivision4 7,e7 ,the number of voting machines assigned1 including the number of voting machines accessible to voters with disabilities1 including voters who have low vision or are blind4 7,f7 ,the number of official paid poll workers assigned4 7,g7 ,the number of official volunteer poll workers assigned4 7,h7 ,in the case of a polling place1 the dates and hours of operation4 7#c7 ,updates in information reported ,if a ,state or political subdivision makes any change in any of the information described in paragraph 7#b71 the ,state or political subdivision shall provide reasonable public notice in such ,state or political subdivision and on the ,internet1 of the change in the information not later than #dh hours after the change occurs or1 if the change occurs fewer than #dh hours before the date of the election for ,federal office1 as soon as practicable after the change occurs4 ,the public notice described in this paragraph in such ,state or political subdivision and on the ,internet shall be in a format that is reasonably convenient and accessible to voters with disabilities including voters who have low vision or are blind4 7c7 ,transparency of ,changes ,relating to ,demographics and ,electoral ,districts 7#a7 ,requiring public notice of changes ,not later than #aj days after making any change in the constituency that will participate in an election for ,federal1 ,state1 or local office or the boundaries of a voting unit or electoral district in an election for ,federal1 ,state1 or local office 7including through redistricting1 reapportionment1 changing from at-large elections to district-based elections1 or changing from district-based elections to at-large elections71 a ,state or political subdivision shall provide reasonable public notice in such ,state or political subdivision and on the ,internet1 of the demographic and electoral data described in paragraph 7#c7 for each of the geographic areas described in paragraph 7#b74 7#b7 ,geographic areas described ,the geographic areas described in this paragraph are as follows3 7,a7 ,the ,state as a whole1 if the change applies statewide1 or the political subdivision as a whole1 if the change applies across the entire political subdivision4 7,b7 ,if the change includes a plan to replace or eliminate voting units or electoral districts1 each voting unit or electoral district that will be replaced or eliminated4 7,c7 ,if the change includes a plan to establish new voting units or electoral districts1 each such new voting unit or electoral district4 7#c7 ,demographic and electoral data ,the demographic and electoral data described in this paragraph with respect to a geographic area described in paragraph 7#b7 are each of the following3 7,a7 ,the voting-age population1 broken down by demographic group4 7,b7 ,if it is reasonably available to the ,state or political subdivision involved1 an estimate of the population of the area which consists of citizens of the ,united ,states who are #ah years of age or older1 broken down by demographic group4 7,c7 ,the number of registered voters1 broken down by demographic group if such breakdown is reasonably available to the ,state or political subdivision involved4 7,d7 7i7 ,if the change applies to a ,state1 the actual number of votes1 or 7if it is not reasonably practicable for the ,state to ascertain the actual number of votes7 the estimated number of votes received by each candidate in each statewide election held during the #e-year period which ends on the date the change involved is made2 and 7ii7 if the change applies to only one political subdivision1 the actual number of votes1 or 7if it is not reasonably practicable for the political subdivision to ascertain the actual number of votes7 in each subdivision-wide election held during the #e-year period which ends on the date the change involved is made4 7#d7 ,voluntary ,compliance by smaller jurisdictions ,compliance with this subsection shall be voluntary for a political subdivision of a ,state unless the subdivision is one of the following3 7,a7 ,a county or parish4 7,b7 ,a municipality with a population greater than #aj1jjj1 as determined by the ,bureau of the ,census under the most recent decennial census4 7,c7 ,a school district with a population greater than #aj1jjj1 as determined by the ,bureau of the ,census under the most recent decennial census4 ,for purposes of this subparagraph1 the term school district means the geographic area under the jurisdiction of a local educational agency 7as defined in section #iaja of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife74 7d7 ,rules ,regarding ,format of ,information ,the ,attorney ,general may issue rules specifying a reasonably convenient and accessible format that ,states and political subdivisions shall use to provide public notice of information under this section4 7e7 ,no denial of right to vote ,the right to vote of any person shall not be denied or abridged because the person failed to comply with any change made by a ,state or political subdivision to a voting qualification1 standard1 practice1 or procedure if the ,state or political subdivision involved did not meet the applicable requirements of this section with respect to the change4 7f7 ,definitions ,in this section-- 7#a7 the term demographic group means each group which section #b protects from the denial or abridgement of the right to vote on account of race or color1 or in contravention of the guarantees set forth in section #d7;f77#b72 7#b7 the term election for ,federal office means any general1 special1 primary1 or runoff election held solely or in part for the purpose of electing any candidate for the office of ,president1 ,vice ,president1 ,presidential elector1 ,senator1 ,member of the ,house of ,representatives1 or ,delegate or ,resident ,commissioner to the ,congress2 and 7#c7 the term persons with disabilities1 means individuals with a disability1 as defined in section #c of the ,americans with ,disabilities ,act of #aiij4 4 7#b7 ,conforming amendment ,section #c7;a7 of such ,act 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #ajcjb7;a77 is amended by striking in accordance with section #f4 7b7 ,effective ,date ,the amendment made by subsection 7a77#a7 shall apply with respect to changes which are made on or after the expiration of the #fj-;day period which begins on the date of the enactment of this ,act4 #f4 ,authority to assign observers 7a7 ,clarification of ,authority in ,political ,subdivisions ,subject to ,preclearance ,section #h7;a77#b77;,b7 of the ,voting ,rights ,act of #aife 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #ajcje7;a77#b77;,b77 is amended to read as follows3 7,b7 in the ,attorney ,general's judgment1 the assignment of observers is otherwise necessary to enforce the guarantees of the #adth or #aeth ,amendment or any provision of this ,act or any other ,federal law protecting the right of citizens of the ,united ,states to vote2 or 4 7b7 ,assignment of ,observers ,to ,enforce ,bilingual ,election ,requirements ,section #h7;a7 of such ,act 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #ajcje7;a77 is amended-- 7#a7 by striking or at the end of paragraph 7#a72 7#b7 by inserting after paragraph 7#b7 the following3 7#c7 the ,attorney ,general certifies with respect to a political subdivision that-- 7,a7 the ,attorney ,general has received written meritorious complaints from residents1 elected officials1 or civic participation organizations that efforts to violate section #bjc are likely to occur2 or 7,b7 in the ,attorney ,general's judgment1 the assignment of observers is necessary to enforce the guarantees of section #bjc2 2 and 7#c7 by moving the margin for the continuation text following paragraph 7#c71 as added by paragraph 7#b7 of this subsection1 two ems to the left4 #g4 ,preliminary ,injunctive relief 7a7 ,clarification of ,scope and ,persons ,authorized ,to ,seek ,relief ,section #ab7;d7 of the ,voting ,rights ,act of #aife 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #ajcjh7;d77 is amended-- 7#a7 by striking section #b1 #c1 #d1 #e1 #g1 #aj1 #aa1 or subsection 7b7 of this section and inserting the #adth or #aeth ,amendment1 this ,act1 or any ,federal voting rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race1 color1 or membership in a language minority group2 and 7#b7 by striking the ,attorney ,general may institute for the ,united ,states1 or in the name of the ,united ,states1 and inserting the aggrieved person or 7in the name of the ,united ,states7 the ,attorney ,general may institute4 7b7 ,grounds for ,granting ,relief ,section #ab7;d7 of such ,act 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #ajcjh7;d77 is amended-- 7#a7 by striking 7d7 ,whenever any person and inserting 7d77#a7 ,whenever any person2 7#b7 by striking 7#a7 to permit and inserting 7,a7 to permit2 7#c7 by striking 7#b7 to count and inserting 7,b7 to count2 and 7#d7 by adding at the end the following new paragraph3 7#b7 7,a7 ,in any action for preliminary relief described in this subsection1 the court shall grant the relief if the court determines that the complainant has raised a serious question whether the challenged voting qualification or prerequisite to voting or standard1 practice1 or procedure violates this ,act or the ,constitution and1 on balance1 the hardship imposed upon the defendant by the grant of the relief will be less than the hardship which would be imposed upon the plaintiff if the relief were not granted4 ,in balancing the harms1 the court shall give due weight to the fundamental right to cast an effective ballot4 7,b7 ,in making its determination under this paragraph with respect to a change in any voting qualification1 prerequisite to voting1 or standard1 practice1 or procedure with respect to voting1 the court shall consider all relevant factors and give due weight to the following factors1 if they are present3 7i7 ,whether the qualification1 prerequisite1 standard1 practice1 or procedure in effect prior to the change was adopted as a remedy for a ,federal court judgment1 consent decree1 or admission regarding-- 7,i7 discrimination on the basis of race or color in violation of the #adth or #aeth ,amendment2 7,,ii7 a violation of this ,act2 or 7,,iii7 voting discrimination on the basis of race1 color1 or membership in a language minority group in violation of any other ,federal or ,state law4 7ii7 ,whether the qualification1 prerequisite1 standard1 practice1 or procedure in effect prior to the change served as a ground for the dismissal or settlement of a claim alleging-- 7,i7 discrimination on the basis of race or color in violation of the #adth or #aeth ,amendment2 7,,ii7 a violation of this ,act2 or 7,,iii7 voting discrimination on the basis of race1 color1 or membership in a language minority group in violation of any other ,federal or ,state law4 7iii7 ,whether the change was adopted fewer than #ahj days before the date of the election with respect to which the change is to take effect4 7iv7 ,whether the defendant has failed to provide timely or complete notice of the adoption of the change as required by applicable ,federal or ,state law4 4 7c7 ,grounds for stay or interlocutory appeal ,section #ab7;d7 of such ,act 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #ajcjh7;d77 is further amended by adding at the end the following3 7#c7 ,a jurisdiction's inability to enforce its voting or election laws1 regulations1 policies1 or redistricting plans1 standing alone1 shall not be deemed to constitute irreparable harm to the public interest or to the interests of a defendant in an action arising under the ,u4,s4 ,constitution or any ,federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race1 color1 or membership in a language minority group in the voting process1 for the purposes of determining whether a stay of a court's order or an interlocutory appeal under section #abec of title #bh1 ,united ,states ,code1 is warranted4 4 #h4 ,definitions ,title ,i of the ,voting ,rights ,act of #aife 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #ajcja7 is amended by adding at the end the following3 #ba4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,indian ,the term ,indian has the meaning given the term in section #d of the ,indian ,self-,determination and ,education ,assistance ,act4 7#b7 ,indian lands ,the term ,indian lands means-- 7,a7 any ,indian country of an ,indian tribe1 as such term is defined in section #aaea of title #ah1 ,united ,states ,code2 7,b7 any land in ,alaska that is owned1 pursuant to the ,alaska ,native ,claims ,settlement ,act1 by an ,indian tribe that is a ,native village 7as such term is defined in section #c of such ,act71 or by a ,village ,corporation that is associated with the ,indian tribe 7as such term is defined in section #c of such ,act72 7,c7 any land on which the seat of government of the ,indian tribe is located2 and 7,d7 any land that is part or all of a tribal designated statistical area associated with the ,indian tribe1 or is part or all of an ,alaska ,native village statistical area associated with the tribe1 as defined by the ,bureau of the ,census for the purposes of the most recent decennial census4 7#c7 ,indian tribe ,the term ,indian tribe or tribe has the meaning given the term ,indian tribe in section #d of the ,indian ,self-,determination and ,education ,assistance ,act4 7#d7 ,tribal ,government ,the term ,tribal ,government means the recognized governing body of an ,indian ,tribe4 7#e7 ,voting-age population ,the term voting-age population means the numerical size of the population within a ,state1 within a political subdivision1 or within a political subdivision that contains ,indian lands1 as the case may be1 that consists of persons age #ah or older1 as calculated by the ,bureau of the ,census under the most recent decennial census4 4 #i4 ,attorneys' fees ,section #ad7;c7 of the ,voting ,rights ,act of #aife 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #ajcaj7;c77 is amended by adding at the end the following3 7#d7 ,the term prevailing party means a party to an action that receives at least some of the benefit sought by such action1 states a colorable claim1 and can establish that the action was a significant cause of a change to the status quo4 4 #aj4 ,other technical and conforming amendments 7a7 ,actions ,covered ,under ,section #c ,section #c7;c7 of the ,voting ,rights ,act of #aife 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #ajcjb7;c77 is amended-- 7#a7 by striking any proceeding instituted by the ,attorney ,general or an aggrieved person under any statute to enforce and inserting any action under any statute in which a party 7including the ,attorney ,general7 seeks to enforce2 and 7#b7 by striking at the time the proceeding was commenced and inserting at the time the action was commenced4 7b7 ,clarification of ,treatment of ,members of ,language ,minority ,groups ,section #d7;f7 of such ,act 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #ajcjc7;f77 is amended-- 7#a7 in paragraph 7#a71 by striking the second sentence2 and 7#b7 by striking paragraphs 7#c7 and 7#d74 7c7 ,period ,during ,which ,changes in ,voting ,practices are ,subject to ,preclearance ,under ,section #e ,section #e of such ,act 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #ajcjd7 is amended-- 7#a7 in subsection 7a71 by striking based upon determinations made under the first sentence of section #d7;b7 are in effect and inserting are in effect during a calendar year2 7#b7 in subsection 7a71 by striking ,november #a1 #aifd and all that follows through ,november #a1 #aigb and inserting the applicable date of coverage2 and 7#c7 by adding at the end the following new subsection3 7e7 ,the term applicable date of coverage means1 with respect to a ,state or political subdivision-- 7#a7 ,june #be1 #bjac1 if the most recent determination for such ,state or subdivision under section #d7;b7 was made on or before ,december #ca1 #bjai2 or 7#b7 the date on which the most recent determination for such ,state or subdivision under section #d7;b7 was made1 if such determination was made after ,december #ca1 #bjai4 4 ,november #bi1 #bjai ,reported with an amendment1 committed to the ,committee of the ,whole ,house on the ,state of the ,union1 and ordered to be printed