,i #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #ggjf ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,july #ba1 #bjbj,mr4 ,krishnamoorthi introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,education and ,labor1 and in addition to the ,committee on ,house ,administration1 for a period to be subsequently determined by the ,speaker1 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned ,a ,,bill ,to amend the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife to encourage voting by students and to establish emergency procedures for institutions of higher education to assist students in exercising their right to vote4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,national ,emergency ,student ,vote ,act4 #b4 ,assisting postsecondary students in obtaining absentee ballots 7a7 ,institution requirements ,section #dhg7;a77#bc7 of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajid7;a77#bc77 is amended to read as follows3 7#bc7 7,a7 ,the institution will make every reasonable effort to-- 7i7 distribute the mail voter registration application form for elections for ,federal office prescribed pursuant to section #i of the ,national ,voter ,registration ,act of #aiic 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #bjejh71 which may include sharing a direct1 guided link to the application form1 to each student enrolled in the institution2 7ii7 provide clear guidance that a student should-- 7,i7 register in the ,state in which the student is eligible to vote in the next election described in subparagraph 7,f72 and 7,,ii7 update the student's existing voter registration if the student's address has changed2 7iii7 share credible1 nonpartisan resources to help students determine where they are eligible to vote1 which may include resources from ,state and local election officials2 and 7iv7 make voter registration forms widely available1 including through access to online voter registration1 to students at the institution4 7,b7 ,if an institution is in a ,state that has a deadline for absentee ballots and the institution has decided to require or encourage students of the institution to remain off-campus due to a national1 ,state1 or local public health or other emergency as of the date that is #ij days prior to such ,state's deadline1 the following requirements take effect3 7i7 ,by the date that is not less than #ge days prior to such deadline1 the institution will request that the ,state provide the institution with printed absentee ballot application forms1 as applicable1 or for the ,state to share the official ,state website or online portal through which eligible voters can directly request an absentee ballot4 7ii7 ,by the date that is not less than #fj days before the absentee ballot deadline for the ,state1 the institution will make every reasonable effort to-- 7,i7 distribute to each student enrolled in the institution an absentee ballot application form1 requested from the ,state under clause 7i7 and received in accordance with section #cjc7;d7 of the ,help ,america ,vote ,act of #bjjb 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #bajhc7;d77 or the official ,state website or online portal through which eligible voters can directly request an absentee ballot1 with clear instructions that the form1 website1 or online portal should be used only by students eligible to vote in the ,state2 7,,ii7 share1 with all students enrolled in the institution1 credible1 nonpartisan resources to help students who are registered in another ,state to apply for absentee ballots in such ,state1 which may include resources from ,state and local election officials2 and 7,,iii7 make such absentee ballot application forms1 in printed or electronic format1 widely available to students enrolled in the institution4 7iii7 ,in any case where an institution has not received from the ,state the official website or online portal through which eligible voters can request an absentee ballot application1 or a sufficient quantity of printed absentee ballot application forms1 as needed to fulfill this section by the date described in clause 7ii71 the institution shall not be held liable for not meeting the requirements of this section during that election year4 7,c7 ,not later than #cj days prior to the ,state's deadline to submit an absentee ballot or1 in a ,state that mails ballots to all voters without requiring an application1 submit the mailed ballot1 the institution shall make every reasonable effort to communicate with each student enrolled in the institution regarding-- 7i7 information about the applicable absentee ballot or mailed ballot deadline of the ,state2 7ii7 information about any requirements in the ,state to cast a valid absentee ballot or mailed ballot1 including requirements for a witness signature or a copy of valid identification2 and 7iii7 current 7as of the date of the communication71 credible information from appropriate ,state and local election officials about all other voting options1 such as early and in-person voting and voting on ,election ,day4 7,d7 ,an institution of higher education that only provides distance education shall1 in lieu of the requirements of subparagraphs 7,b7 and 7,c7-- 7i7 #fj days before the date of a general election for ,federal office1 share credible1 nonpartisan resources1 which may include resources from ,state and local officials1 to help students apply for absentee ballots and learn about requirements for different options to vote1 such as absentee voting1 voting by mail1 early and in-person voting1 and voting on ,election ,day2 and 7ii7 #cj days before the date of a general election for ,federal office1 remind students about the date of the general election for ,federal office and provide credible1 nonpartisan resources1 which may include resources from ,state and local officials1 for different options to vote1 such as absentee voting1 voting by mail1 early and in-person voting1 and voting on ,election ,day4 7,e7 ,an institution subject to the requirements of this paragraph shall ensure that-- 7i7 in distributing voting materials 7as defined in section #bjc7;b77#c7 of the ,voting ,rights ,act of #aife 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #ajejc7;b77#c777 that are produced by a covered ,state or political subdivision 7as defined in such section71 such voting materials are provided in accordance with section #bjc of that ,act 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #ajejc72 and 7ii7 all materials and information made available electronically under this paragraph-- 7,i7 are accessible to individuals with disabilities2 and 7,,ii7 conform to the accessibility standards under section #ejh of the ,rehabilitation ,act of #aigc 7#bi ,u4,s4,c4 #gid;d74 7,f7 ,this paragraph shall apply to general and special elections for ,federal office and to the elections for ,governor or other chief executive within such ,state1 unless otherwise provided4 7,g7 7i7 ,an institution may satisfy the requirements of subparagraphs 7,a7 through 7,d71 and shall be considered in compliance with such subparagraphs1 with respect to each student to whom the institution electronically transmits a message containing the information required under such subparagraphs1 if such information is in an electronic message devoted exclusively to that information4 7ii7 ,nothing in this subparagraph shall be construed to prevent an institution from including information described in clause 7i7 through routine1 widely disseminated communications with students enrolled in the institution1 in addition to the electronic message devoted exclusively to that information as described in clause 7i74 7,h7 ,in this paragraph-- 7i7 the term absentee ballot means any ballot cast by any means other than in person and for which the ,state requires an application2 7ii7 the term distance education has the meaning given the term in section #ajc1 except such term shall not include distance education that is provided due to a decision of an institution to require or encourage students of the institution to remain off-campus due to a national1 ,state1 or local public health or other emergency2 and 7iii7 the term ,federal office has the meaning given in section #cja7c7 of the ,federal ,election ,campaign ,act of #aiga 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #cjaja7c774 4 7b7 ,state requirement ,section #cjc of the ,help ,america ,vote ,act of #bjjb 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #bajhc7 is amended-- 7#a7 in the section heading1 by inserting 2 provision of forms to institutions of higher education after by mail2 7#b7 by redesignating subsection 7d7 as subsection 7e72 7#c7 by inserting after subsection 7c7 the following new subsection3 7d7 ,provision of absentee ballot application forms to institutions of higher education ,each ,state shall provide the voter registration and absentee ballot application forms or access to electronic versions of such forms to each institution of higher education for the purposes described in section #dhg7;a77#bc7 of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajid7;a77#bc774 2 and 7#d7 in subsection 7e71 as redesignated by paragraph 7#b71 by adding at the end the following new paragraph3 7#c7 ,requirement to provide voter registration and absentee ballot application forms to institutions of higher education ,each ,state and jurisdiction shall be required to comply with the requirements of subsection 7d7 on and after the earlier of-- 7,a7 the date that is #cj days after the date of enactment of the ,national ,emergency ,student ,vote ,act2 or 7,b7 ,august #a1 #bjbj4 4