,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #gec  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of   
,,representatives  ,january #bd1        
#bjai,mr4 ,castro of ,texas 7for himself
 and ,mr4 ,meadows7 introduced the      
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs  ,a 
,,bill  ,to promote international       
exchanges on best election practices1   
cultivate more secure democratic        
institutions around the world1 and for  
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,global        
,electoral ,exchange ,act of #bjai4  #b4
 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of
 ,congress that--  7#a7 recent elections
 globally have illustrated the urgent   
need for the promotion and exchange of  
international best election practices1  
particularly in the areas of            
cybersecurity1 results transmission1    
transparency of electoral data1 election
 dispute resolution1 and the elimination
 of discriminatory registration         
practices and other electoral           

irregularities2  7#b7 the advancement of
 democracy worldwide promotes ,american 
interests1 as stable democracies provide
 new market opportunities1 improve      
global health outcomes1 and promote     
economic freedom and regional security2 
7#c7 credible elections are the         
cornerstone of a healthy democracy and  
enable all persons to exercise their    
basic human right to have a say in how  
they are governed2  7#d7 inclusive      
elections strengthen the credibility and
 stability of democracies more broadly2 
7#e7 at the heart of a strong election  
cycle is the professionalism of the     
election management body and an         
empowered civil society2  7#f7 the      
development of local expertise via      
peer-to-peer learning and exchanges     
promotes the independence of such bodies
 from internal and external influence2  
and  7#g7 supporting the efforts of     
peoples in democratizing societies to   
build more representative governments in
 their respective countries is in the   

national interest of the ,united        
,states4  #c4 ,global electoral exchange
  7a7 ,global electoral exchange ,the   
,secretary of ,state is authorized to   
establish and administer a ,global      
,electoral ,exchange ,program to promote
 the utilization of sound election      
administration practices around the     
world4  7b7 ,purpose ,the purpose of the
 ,global ,electoral ,exchange ,program  
described in subsection 7a7 shall       
include the promotion and exchange of   
international best election practices1  
including in the areas of--  7#a7       
cybersecurity2  7#b7 results            
transmission2  7#c7 transparency of     
electoral data2  7#d7 election dispute  
resolution2  7#e7 the elimination of    
discriminatory registration practices   
and electoral irregularities2  7#f7     
equitable access to polling places1     
voter education information1 and voting 
mechanisms 7including by persons with   
disabilities72 and  7#g7 other sound    
election administration practices4  7c7 

,exchange of electoral authorities  7#a7
 ,in general ,the ,secretary of ,state  
may1 in consultation1 as appropriate1   
with the ,united ,states ,agency for    
,international ,development1 make grants
 to any ,united ,states-based           
organization described in section       
#eja7;c77#c7 of the ,internal ,revenue  
,code of #aihf and exempt from tax under
 section #eja7;a7 of such ,code with    
experience in and a primary focus on    
foreign comparative election systems or 
subject matter expertise in the         
administration or integrity of such     
systems that submits an application in  
such form1 and satisfying such          
requirements1 as the ,secretary may     
require4  7#b7 ,types of grants ,an     
organization described in paragraph 7#a7
 may receive a grant for one or more of 
the following purposes3  7,a7 ,to design
 and implement programs bringing        
election administrators and officials1  
including government officials1 poll    
workers1 civil society representatives1 

members of the judiciary1 and others who
 participate in the organization and    
administration of public elections in a 
foreign country that faces challenges to
 its electoral process to the ,united   
,states to study election procedures in 
the ,united ,states for educational     
purposes4  7,b7 ,to design and implement
 programs taking the ,united ,states or 
another country's election              
administrators and officials1 including 
government officials1 poll workers1     
civil society representatives1 members  
of the judiciary1 and others who        
participate in the organization and     
administration of public elections to   
study and discuss election procedures   
for educational purposes4  7#c7 ,limits 
on activities ,activities administered  
under the ,global ,electoral ,exchange  
,program may not-- 7,a7 include         
observation of an election for the      
purposes of assessing the validity or   
legitimacy of that election2  7,b7      
facilitate any advocacy for a certain   

electoral result by a grantee when      
participating in the ,program2 or  7,c7 
be carried out without proper           
consultation with ,state and local      
authorities in the ,united ,states that 
administer elections4  7#d7 ,sense of   
,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress 
that the ,secretary of ,state should    
establish and maintain a network of     
,global ,electoral ,exchange ,program   
alumni1 to promote communication and    
further exchange of information         
regarding sound election administration 
practices among current and former      
program participants4  7#e7 ,further    
limits ,a recipient of a grant under the
 ,global ,electoral ,exchange ,program  
may use such grant for only the purpose 
for which such grant was awarded1 unless
 otherwise authorized by the ,secretary 
of ,state4  7#f7 ,not duplicative       
,grants made under this subsection may  
not be duplicative of any other grants  
made under any other provision of law   
for similar or related purposes4  #d4   

,congressional oversight ,not later than
 one year after the date of the         
enactment of this ,act and in each of   
the following two years thereafter1 the 
,secretary of ,state shall provide to   
the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs of  
the ,house of ,representatives and the  
,committee on ,foreign ,relations of the
 ,senate a briefing on the status of any
 activities carried out pursuant to this
 ,act during the preceding year1 which  
shall include1 among other information1 
the following3  7#a7 ,a summary of all  
exchanges conducted under the ,global   
,electoral ,exchange ,program1 including
 information regarding grantees1        
participants1 and the locations where   
program activities were held4  7#b7 ,a  
description of the criteria used to     
select grantees under the ,global       
,electoral ,exchange ,program4  7#c7    
,any recommendations for the improvement
 of the ,global ,electoral ,exchange    
,program1 based on the purpose specified
 in section #c7;b74  #e4 ,no additional 

funds authorized ,no additional funds   
are authorized to be appropriated to    
carry out the requirements of this ,act4
 ,such requirements shall be carried out
 using amounts otherwise authorized to  
be appropriated4