,i #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #gjfh ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,june #a1 #bjbj,mr4 ,clyburn 7for himself1 ,ms4 ,fudge1 ,ms4 ,adams1 ,mr4 ,aguilar1 ,ms4 ,bass1 ,mrs4 ,beatty1 ,mr4 ,blumenauer1 ,mr4 ,brown of ,maryland1 ,mr4 ,butterfield1 ,mr4 ,crdenas1 ,mr4 ,carson of ,indiana1 ,mr4 ,case1 ,mr4 ,cicilline1 ,mr4 ,cisneros1 ,ms4 ,clarke of ,new ,york1 ,mr4 ,clay1 ,mr4 ,cohen1 ,mr4 ,danny ,k4 ,davis of ,illinois1 ,mr4 ,de,fazio1 ,ms4 ,de,gette1 ,mrs4 ,demings1 ,mr4 ,deutch1 ,mr4 ,michael ,f4 ,doyle of ,pennsylvania1 ,mr4 ,engel1 ,mr4 ,espaillat1 ,mr4 ,evans1 ,mr4 ,garca of ,illinois1 ,ms4 ,garcia of ,texas1 ,mr4 ,grijalva1 ,ms4 ,haaland1 ,mr4 ,hastings1 ,mrs4 ,hayes1 ,mr4 ,heck1 ,mr4 ,jeffries1 ,ms4 ,johnson of ,texas1 ,mr4 ,johnson of ,georgia1 ,ms4 ,kelly of ,illinois1 ,mr4 ,kennedy1 ,mr4 ,khanna1 ,mr4 ,kildee1 ,ms4 ,lee of ,california1 ,mr4 ,levin of ,michigan1 ,mr4 ,ted ,lieu of ,california1 ,mr4 ,lowenthal1 ,mr4 ,lynch1 ,ms4 ,mc,collum1 ,mr4 ,mc,govern1 ,mr4 ,mc,nerney1 ,ms4 ,meng1 ,ms4 ,moore1 ,mrs4 ,napolitano1 ,mr4 ,neguse1 ,ms4 ,norton1 ,mr4 ,raskin1 ,ms4 ,roybal-,allard1 ,mr4 ,rush1 ,mr4 ,ryan1 ,ms4 ,schakowsky1 ,mr4 ,scott of ,virginia1 ,ms4 ,sewell of ,alabama1 ,ms4 ,shalala1 ,mr4 ,soto1 ,mr4 ,takano1 ,mr4 ,thompson of ,mississippi1 ,mr4 ,thompson of ,california1 ,mrs4 ,torres of ,california1 ,mrs4 ,trahan1 ,mr4 ,veasey1 and ,mrs4 ,watson ,coleman7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,house ,administration ,a ,,bill ,to expand vote by mail and early voting1 and to improve the safety1 accessibility1 and efficiency of in-person voting during elections for ,federal office4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,vote,safe ,act of #bjbj4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,the right to vote is the foundation of ,american democracy4 ,voting provides the citizenry with a vital check on their elected officials and grants people the political power necessary to exercise and defend the rights guaranteed by the ,united ,states ,constitution4 7#b7 ,the ,elections ,clause of the ,united ,states ,constitution gives ,congress sweeping power to regulate the time1 place1 and manner of ,federal elections 7,article ,i1 section #d of the ,constitution of the ,united ,states2 see also ,arizona v4 ,inter ,tribal ,council of ,arizona1 ,inc41 #egj ,u4,s4 #a 7#bjac774 ,congress also has enforcement power under the ,fourteenth and ,fifteenth ,amendments of the ,constitution of the ,united ,states4 7#c7 ,as ,dr4 ,martin ,luther ,king1 ,jr41 explained in a speech delivered on ,may #ag1 #aieg1 ,so long as ,i do not firmly and irrevocably possess the right to vote ,i do not possess myself4 ,i cannot make up my mind--it is made up for me4 ,i cannot live as a democratic citizen1 observing the laws ,i have helped to enact--,i can only submit to the edict of others44 7#d7 ,the right to vote was not guaranteed to all ,americans at our ,nation's founding4 ,the ratification of the ,fifteenth and ,nineteenth ,amendments1 the civil rights movement's struggle for justice and equality1 and the enactment of the ,voting ,rights ,act of #aife and its subsequent amendments succeeded in expanding access to the franchise4 7#e7 ,unfortunately1 the barriers faced by voters who have historically experienced the greatest obstacles to voting are exacerbated by the coronavirus 7,,covid-#ai7 pandemic4 7#f7 ,strategies to mitigate the spread of ,,covid-#ai include social distancing1 a practice that requires individuals to maintain a distance between themselves and other people in order to avoid acquiring or transmitting the virus4 ,the need to embrace such precautions will require ,states to quickly modify voting processes to minimize person-to-person contact4 7#g7 ,voting by mail is a critical part of the solution and must be expanded as quickly as possible1 not simply as a means of ensuring access during public health emergencies1 but also as a means of expanding access to the franchise to those whose work1 health1 or ability to access the ballot may be limited4 7#h7 ,however1 safe and secure in-person voting remains vitally important for large groups of voters1 including voters with disabilities1 language minority voters1 ,american ,indian and ,alaska ,native voters1 and ,african-,american voters4 7#i7 ,the ,americans with ,disabilities ,act of #aiij 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #abaja et seq47 and the ,rehabilitation ,act of #aigc 7#bi ,u4,s4,c4 #gja et seq47 require that individuals with disabilities have equal access to every aspect of the voting process4 ,vote-by-mail poses various accessibility challenges for voters with disabilities1 including blind1 low-vision1 or other print-disabled voters who may require in-person voting or assistive technology in order to privately and independently mark their ballots4 ,remedies for voters with disabilities require an investment of resources to ensure ,state and local election websites1 online voter registration portals1 and vote-by-mail systems are accessible2 that in-person voting locations permit a safe1 dignified1 and accessible voting experience2 and that the right of voters with disabilities to a secret ballot is not sacrificed due to the pandemic4 7#aj7 ,language minority voters face unique barriers to voting that require additional resources and support to ensure full and equal access1 including additional resources to ensure local compliance with the language minority voting protections in section #bjc of the ,voting ,rights ,act of #aife 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #ajejc7 and greater language assistance services1 including additional bilingual or multilingual poll workers and election workers4 7#aa7 ,american ,indian and ,alaska ,native voters face unique obstacles in a vote-by-mail system4 ,tribal communities in rural areas often do not have traditional residential mailing addresses and have limited access to transportation4 ,tribal members have distant rural post offices1 slow mail routes1 limited numbers of post office operation1 and too few post office boxes4 ,as a result1 rural ,tribal communities require distinct voting accommodations to ensure participation in a vote-by-mail system4 7#ab7 ,finally1 in-person voting holds great significance for ,african-,american voters1 for whom the right to vote was hard won4 ,african ,americans have been excluded from the franchise through ,state and local laws1 poll taxes1 voting literacy tests1 physical violence1 and lynchings4 ,for many ,african-,american voters today1 casting a ballot at one's polling place is a solemn ritual that honors those who sacrificed their safety and their lives in order to secure the right to vote4 ,however1 ,,covid-#ai poses substantial risks to the ,african-,american population and has infected and killed ,african ,americans in the ,united ,states at disproportionately high rates1 highlighting longstanding inequalities in resources and access to health care4 7#ac7 ,social distancing designed to curb the ,,covid-#ai pandemic will also greatly impact in-person voter registration efforts1 including voter registration drives and voter registration services required by the ,national ,voter ,registration ,act4 ,many government offices1 like ,state departments of motor vehicles1 are currently closed to in-person traffic and are likely to remain closed for an indefinite period of time in #bjbj4 7#ad7 ,therefore1 it is appropriate for ,congress to expand no-excuse absentee vote-by-mail while also ensuring the safety and accessibility of in-person voting and voter registration during exigent circumstances1 including the current pandemic4 #c4 ,requirements for no-excuse absentee voting1 early in-person voting1 and plan to ensure polling places implement ,,cdc guidance for ,federal elections in #bjbj 7a7 ,applicable ,federal election ,for purposes of this section1 the term applicable ,federal election means any election for ,federal office which occurs on or after the date that is #fj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act and before ,january #a1 #bjba4 7b7 ,requirements ,in the case of any applicable ,federal election1 each ,state and local jurisdiction shall-- 7#a7 permit no-excuse mail-in absentee voting as described in subsection 7c72 7#b7 maintain an early in-person voting period as described in subsection 7d72 and 7#c7 establish a plan as described in subsection 7e7 with respect to in-person voting1 including during early voting periods and on the day of the election4 7c7 ,no-,excuse mail-,in absentee voting 7#a7 ,in general ,no-excuse mail-in absentee voting meets the requirements described in this subsection with respect to an applicable ,federal election1 if the ,state-- 7,a7 provides a no-excuse mail-in ballot to every registered voter who requests such a ballot 7or1 in the case of any ,state that does not register voters1 to every individual who is eligible to vote and requests such a ballot72 7,b7 allows voters to request a mail-in ballot online2 7,c7 if the ,state requires a signature for absentee ballots1 allows voters to sign the ballot by providing a mark or signature stamp or by providing a signature with the use of an assistant because of age1 disability1 or other need2 7,d7 accepts and counts ballots received before the ,state's certification deadline if the ballot-- 7i7 is postmarked by the date of the election2 or 7ii7 includes an indication that it was mailed by the date of the election2 7,e7 provides a pre-paid and self-sealing return envelope for each ballot furnished by mail2 7,f7 beginning with the date that is #de days before the date of the election and ending with the time that polls close on the date of the election1 provides in-person1 secured drop boxes2 7,g7 before discarding any absentee ballot for error or technicalities 7including the failure to meet any signature matching requirement that is unrelated to voter qualification7-- 7i7 notifies the voter of any such defects2 and 7ii7 provides the voter an opportunity to cure such defects that-- 7,i7 is uniform among all voters in the ,state2 and 7,,ii7 in the case of any error relating to a signature requirement1 meets the requirements of paragraph 7#b72 7,h7 in the case of any voter with disabilities-- 7i7 provides the voter with access to ,remote ,access ,vote ,by ,mail 7,,ravbm7 systems1 ballot marking software1 and screen reading software2 and 7ii7 allows the voter to receive assistance from a person of their choosing to complete and submit a mail-in ballot2 and 7,i7 ensures adequate support for language minority voters1 including multilingual versions of vote-by-mail materials and language assistance services4 7#b7 ,requirements relating to signature defects ,the requirements of this paragraph relating to any defect described in paragraph 7#a77;,g77ii77,,ii7 are the following3 7,a7 ,except as provided in subparagraph 7,b71 the voter shall be allowed to cure the defect through the same form of communication with respect to which the notice of such defect is provided4 7,b7 ,in any case in which a required signature is missing1 the voter shall be provided an opportunity to provide such signature on a form provided by the ,state4 7,c7 ,any determination of the validity of the ballot shall be made by a group of #b or more election officials4 7,d7 ,the voter shall have the opportunity to appeal any rejection of the ballot based on the defect4 7d7 ,early in-,person voting period ,the early in-person voting period described in this subsection with respect to an applicable ,federal election is a period of at least #bj days4 ,such period must include at least one ,saturday and one ,sunday4 ,for each day of early in-person voting during such period1 polls must be open for a minimum of #aj hours1 including hours before and after the standard work day4 7e7 ,plan ,to implement ,,cdc guidance 7#a7 ,in general ,the requirement described in this subsection with respect to in person voting is met if the ,state establishes a plan to ensure that polling places are implementing ,centers for ,disease ,control and ,prevention guidance relating to ,,covid-#ai preparedness4 ,such plan must be finalized and approved by the ,state within #cj days of the date of enactment of this ,act4 7#b7 ,minimum requirements ,at a minimum1 a ,state plan established under this subsection must include a plan-- 7,a7 to keep as many voting locations as possible open during the pandemic2 7,b7 to prepare polling locations to implement social distancing protocols in lines and at voting booths2 7,c7 to provide sufficient quantities of hygiene and cleaning supplies at polling locations2 7,d7 to increase the number of-- 7i7 paper ballots and provisional ballots 7including the numbers of such ballots that are translated1 multilingual1 or in-language ballots7 available at each polling place2 and 7ii7 disposable ballot marking utensils available at each polling place2 7,e7 to provide masks and other personal protective equipment to poll workers2 7,f7 to provide additional compensation to poll workers during the pandemic2 7,g7 to increase the number of poll workers who can reliably staff voting locations2 7,h7 to provide training to poll workers on pandemic conditions and ,,covid-#ai preparedness2 and 7,i7 to educate voters on changes to procedures or voting opportunities during the pandemic4 7f7 ,private right of action ,any person aggrieved by a violation of paragraph 7#a7 or 7#b7 of subsection 7a7 7relating to requirements for no-excuse mail-in absentee voting and early in-person voting period7 may bring an action for all appropriate remedies1 including injunctive relief and compensatory and punitive damages1 in a ,federal district court of competent jurisdiction4 7g7 ,payments to ,states ,to carry out requirements 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,election ,assistance ,commission shall make a payment to each ,state to carry out the requirements under this section4 ,such payments shall be made not later than #cj days after the date of enactment of this ,act4 7#b7 ,amount of payment 7,a7 ,in general ,the amount of payment made to a ,state under this subsection shall be the voting age population proportion amount described in subparagraph 7,b74 7,b7 ,voting age population proportion amount 7i7 ,in general ,the voting age population proportion amount described in this paragraph is the product of-- 7,i7 the amount made available for payments under paragraph 7#c7 section2 and 7,,ii7 the voting age population proportion for the ,state 7as defined in clause 7ii774 7ii7 ,voting age population proportion defined ,the term voting age population proportion means1 with respect to any ,state1 the amount equal to the quotient of-- 7,i7 the voting age population of the ,state 7as determined by the most recent ,american ,community ,survey conducted by the ,bureau of the ,census72 and 7,,ii7 the total voting age population of all ,states 7as determined by the most recent ,american ,community ,survey conducted by the ,bureau of the ,census74 7#c7 ,funding ,there are authorized to be appropriated to make payments under this subsection #b1ejj1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjbj4 #d4 ,grants to promote safe1 accessible1 and efficient in-person voting 7a7 ,in general ,subtitle ,d of title ,,ii of the ,help ,america ,vote ,act of #bjjb 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #bajja et seq47 is amended by adding at the end the following3 ,,vii ,grant ,program ,to ,promote ,safe1 ,accessible1 and ,efficient ,in-,person ,voting #big4 ,payments to ,states 7a7 ,in general ,the ,commission shall make a payment to each eligible ,state 7as described in section #bih7;a774 ,such payments shall be made not later than #cj days after the date of enactment of this part4 7b7 ,use of funds ,an eligible ,state shall use the payment received under this part to carry out one or more of the authorized activities described in section #bih7;b7 with respect to elections for ,federal office4 7c7 ,amount of payment 7#a7 ,in general ,the amount of payment made to an eligible ,state under this section shall be the voting age population proportion amount described in paragraph 7#b7 plus any additional amount determined by the ,commission under paragraph 7#c74 7#b7 ,voting age population proportion amount 7,a7 ,in general ,the voting age population proportion amount described in this paragraph is the product of-- 7i7 the aggregate amount made available for payments under this section minus the total of all of the additional payment amounts determined under paragraph 7#c72 and 7ii7 the voting age population proportion for the ,state 7as defined in subparagraph 7,b774 7,b7 ,voting age population proportion defined ,the term voting age population proportion means1 with respect to an eligible ,state1 the amount equal to the quotient of-- 7i7 the voting age population of the ,state 7as determined by the most recent ,american ,community ,survey conducted by the ,bureau of the ,census72 and 7ii7 the total voting age population of all ,states 7as determined by the most recent ,american ,community ,survey conducted by the ,bureau of the ,census74 7#c7 ,determination of additional amount based on needs of voting age population in ,state ,the ,commission shall1 with respect to each eligible ,state1 determine an amount of payment for the ,state in addition to the amount determined under paragraph 7#b7 based on the needs of the voting age population in the ,state4 ,in determining such additional amount of payment with respect to an eligible ,state1 the ,commission shall take into account-- 7,a7 the number of individuals with income below #bej percent of the poverty line applicable to a family of the size involved 7as determined under section #fgc7b7 of the ,community ,services ,block ,grant ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #iijb7b7772 7,b7 the number of individuals in the voting age population of the ,state covered by section #bjc of the ,voting ,rights ,act 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #ajejc72 7,c7 the number of individuals with a disability as defined in section #c of the ,americans with ,disabilities ,act of #aiij 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #abajb72 7,d7 the number of individuals who live in a nonmetropolitan area 7as determined by the ,bureau of the ,census72 and 7,e7 the number of individuals who belong to an ,indian tribe 7as such term is defined in section #d of the ,indian ,self-,determination and ,education ,assistance ,act 7#be ,u4,s4,c4 #ecjd774 7#d7 ,distribution of funds to units of local government ,at least #gj percent of funds provided to a ,state under this part shall be distributed to units of local government to carry out one or more of the authorized activities described in section #bih7;b7 with respect to elections for ,federal office4 #bih4 ,eligibility for payment2 authorized activities 7a7 ,in general ,each ,state that desires to receive a payment under this part shall submit a certification of intent to use such funds for at least one of the authorized activities described in subsection 7b7 with respect to elections for ,federal office4 7b7 ,authorized activities described ,funds provided under this part shall be used for one or more of the following authorized activities3 7#a7 ,funding to ensure elections are accessible during pandemic ,ensuring voters can safely access polling sites during the ,,covid-#ai pandemic1 including-- 7,a7 expanding the number of voting locations1 as well as the days and hours of early in-person voting2 7,b7 providing mobile voting centers and temporary voting stations1 including advance notice of schedule and locations2 7,c7 increasing the ratio of machines and poll workers to voters in each precinct2 7,d7 preparing polling locations to implement social distancing protocols in lines and voting booths2 7,e7 providing sufficient quantities of hygiene and cleaning supplies1 including materials to sanitize voting machines after each use2 7,f7 increasing the number of paper ballots available at each polling location2 7,g7 providing masks1 gloves1 and other personal protective equipment to poll workers2 7,h7 increasing pay for poll workers during the ,,covid-#ai pandemic2 and 7,i7 providing voter education on changes or improvements to election procedures1 accessibility1 or voting opportunities during the pandemic4 7#b7 ,funding to ensure elections are accessible to individuals with disabilities during pandemic ,ensuring voters can safely register1 access polling sites1 and vote by mail during the ,,covid-#ai pandemic1 in accordance with this ,act1 the ,americans with ,disabilities ,act of #aiij 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #abaja et seq471 the ,voting ,accessibility for the ,elderly and ,handicapped ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aigc;ee et seq471 and other applicable law1 by improving polling place accessibility and providing accommodations for individuals with disabilities1 including-- 7,a7 purchasing ,remote ,access ,vote ,by ,mail 7,,ravbm7 systems1 ballot marking devices and software1 and screen reading software1 and making them available to voters with disabilities2 7,b7 equipping polling locations with technologies that enable individuals with disabilities to privately and independently mark1 verify1 and cast their ballots1 including through the availability of ballot marking devices1 headsets1 controllers1 and other assistive devices2 7,c7 making permanent or temporary modifications to render polling places accessible2 7,d7 ensuring appropriate polling place siting to avoid locations that pose higher health risks to the public2 7,e7 conducting analysis on polling place reconfiguration to account for social distancing and implementing changes2 7,f7 providing training for poll workers on how to best serve individuals during the pandemic1 including specialized training for serving individuals with disabilities2 7,g7 assessing the accessibility of election websites and remediating any accessibility problems to ensure voter information is clear and accessible2 and 7,h7 providing fully accessible online voter registration services4 7#c7 ,funding to ensure continuing protections for language minority voters ,ensuring continuing protections for language minority voters1 including-- 7,a7 ensuring compliance with section #bjc of the ,voting ,rights ,act of #aife 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #ajejc7-- 7i7 with respect to vote-by-mail and new voter registration procedures2 and 7ii7 with respect to voting materials 7as such term is defined in such section72 7,b7 ensuring adequate support for such individuals 7including for language minority voters who do not reside in jurisdictions covered by section #bjc of the ,voting ,rights ,act71 including through-- 7i7 language assistance hotlines in covered languages2 7ii7 phone interpretation and interpreter services2 7iii7 funding to produce1 print1 and distribute multi-lingual versions of materials2 7iv7 enhancing in-language media advertising regarding polling place changes2 7v7 recruiting and hiring bilingual or multilingual election workers2 and 7vi7 enhancing in-language media advertising regarding procedures for obtaining and returning mail-in ballots2 and 7,c7 providing voter education on activities carried out under this paragraph4 7#d7 ,funding to ensure voting access by ,american ,indian and ,alaska ,native voters and rural voters ,ensuring voting access ,american ,indian and ,alaska ,native voters and rural voters1 including-- 7,a7 ensuring polling place availability within #bj miles of where voters live2 7,b7 providing transportation services for ,american ,indian1 ,alaska ,native1 and rural voters to reach their nearest polling location2 7,c7 establishing polling places in ,indian country1 as defined in section #aaea of title #ah1 ,united ,states ,code1 and on any land in ,alaska owned pursuant to the ,alaska ,native ,claims ,settlement ,act 7#dc ,u4,s4,c4 #afja et seq471 that are open for voting days and hours commensurate with polling place days and hours in urban areas within the ,state2 7,d7 giving ,indian tribes1 as defined in section #d of the ,indian ,self-,determination and ,education ,assistance ,act 7#be ,u4,s4,c4 #ecjd71 authority to designate buildings that can be used as a residential address for voter registration and for physical sites for ballot pickup1 drop-off1 and collection2 7,e7 offering information in unwritten languages or languages not widely used in written form1 in consultation with relevant ,tribal governments2 7,f7 collecting ballots from remote polling locations1 ballot collection boxes1 and tribally designated buildings2 7,g7 carrying out any activities permitted under paragraph 7#b7 to improve accessibility for ,american ,indian and ,alaska ,native voters with disabilities2 and 7,h7 providing voter education on the activities carried out under this paragraph4 7#e7 ,curbside voting ,the implementation and promotion of curbside voting to allow individuals to pick up ballots1 complete them1 and return them to a poll worker from their vehicles4 7#f7 ,funding to meet maximum wait time standard at polling locations 7,a7 ,in general ,the implementation of standards that reduce wait times at polling locations4 7,b7 ,certification requirement ,in the case where the ,state uses funds for purposes described in subparagraph 7,a7 with respect to an election for ,federal office1 the ,state shall certify to the ,commission within #abj days of the election that wait time standards were met in the ,state with respect to such election4 7#g7 ,funding for publication of wait times 7,a7 ,in general ,the development or implementation of an accessible1 web-based platform for the publication of wait times for voting in ,federal elections4 7,b7 ,requirement ,if a ,state uses funds for a purpose described in subparagraph 7,a71 the ,state shall take reasonable steps before using such platform in an election for ,federal office-- 7i7 to provide advance training to election workers regarding use of the platform2 7ii7 to notify voters of the platform2 and 7iii7 to test and verify the security and functionality of the platform4 7#h7 ,methods to improve line management ,implementing standards to improve line management systems and polling place management4 7#i7 ,standards for training and recruitment of poll workers ,providing for the training and recruitment of poll workers1 including-- 7,a7 developing poll worker training curricula and standards for serving individuals with disabilities and language minority voters2 7,b7 ensuring that poll workers receive training1 which-- 7i7 may include remote training2 and 7ii7 may cover applicable ,federal and ,state laws and regulations1 recent changes in election laws and processes1 election security and cyber vulnerabilities1 ballot reviews1 incident response1 polling accessibility for language minorities and individuals with disabilities1 and ,,covid-#ai preparedness2 7,c7 expanding the number of election workers hired2 7,d7 hiring individuals to serve as election workers from among high school and college students and1 where feasible1 compensating such individuals with course credits2 and 7,e7 hiring work-eligible non-citizens to satisfy the need for bilingual poll workers1 where language assistance is required by law4 7#aj7 ,improving access to voter registration ,improving access to voter registration1 including-- 7,a7 authorizing and implementing same day registration2 7,b7 ensuring that online voter registration systems are in place and have the capacity to process registration applications electronically2 7,c7 expanding online voter registration systems to allow use by the maximum number of individuals1 including-- 7i7 by allowing individuals to register to vote without records in the department of motor vehicle system of the ,state by submitting their signatures online2 7ii7 by digitally uploading a picture of the required signature2 7iii7 by allowing individuals to provide the required signature when voting at the polls or when returning a mail-in ballot2 or 7iv7 by allowing individual to provide a required signature with a mark or signature stamp or through the use of an assistant because of age1 disability1 or other need2 7,d7 sending a voter registration mailer1 including a blank voter registration application1 a self-sealing prepaid return envelope1 and instructions on additional methods to register if the mailer is not accessible1 to all eligible individuals with ,state records who are not currently registered to vote2 and 7,e7 testing capacity to ensure that existing online voter registration systems can withstand the likely increase in usage4 7c7 ,interagency consultation ,not later than #ae days after the date of enactment of this part1 the ,commission shall-- 7#a7 consult with the ,centers for ,disease ,control and ,prevention on preventing transmission of ,,covid-#ai at polling places and election offices2 and 7#b7 consult with the ,civil ,rights ,division of the ,department of ,justice to ensure changes to voting procedures made pursuant to this part are nondiscriminatory and comply with applicable ,federal laws1 including this ,act1 the ,americans with ,disabilities ,act of #aiij 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #abaja et seq471 the ,voting ,accessibility for the ,elderly and ,handicapped ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aigc;ee et seq471 the ,voting ,rights ,act of #aife 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #ajcja et seq471 the ,national ,voter ,registration ,act of #aiic 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #bjeja et seq471 and the ,help ,america ,vote ,act of #bjjb 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #bjija et seq474 #bii4 ,funding2 reports 7a7 ,in general ,there is authorized to be appropriated1 out of any money in the ,treasury not otherwise appropriated1 for the fiscal year ending ,september #cj1 #bjbj1 for making payments under this part1 #b1ejj1jjj1jjj4 ,such amount shall be in addition to other amounts otherwise available for such purposes4 7b7 ,reports ,not later than one year after the applicable election for which a payment was provided under this part1 each eligible ,state that received such funds shall submit a report to the ,commission on the activities conducted using such payment and to substantiate authorized activities described in section #bih7;b7 carried out using such funds4 ,not later than #cj days after receipt of such reports1 the ,commission shall transmit such reports to the ,committee on ,rules and ,administration of the ,senate and the ,committee on ,house ,administration of the ,house of ,representatives4 4 7b7 ,clerical amendments ,the table of contents of such ,act is amended by inserting after the item relating to section #bif the following3 ,part ,,vii--,grant ,program ,to ,protect ,in-,person ,voting ,sec4 #big4 ,payments to ,states4 ,sec4 #bih4 ,eligibility for payment2 authorized activities4 ,sec4 #bii4 ,funding2 reports4 4