,i  #aaf? ,,congress  #b;d ,session  ,h4
 ,r4 #hbdi  ,,9 ,,! ,,h\se ,,(          
,,repres5tatives  ,septemb] #ad1        
#bjbj,ms4 ,velzquez 7= h]self1 ,ms4     
,tlaib1 ,mrs4 ,napolitano1 ,mr4 ,deut*1 
,mr4 ,l>son ( ,connecticut1 ,mr4        
,l[5?al1 ,mr4 ,espaillat1 ,ms4 ,norton1 
,ms4 ,lee ( ,cali=nia1 ,mr4 ,coop]1 ,ms4
 ,pressley1 ,ms4 ,ocasio-,cortez1 ,mr4  
,kildee1 ,mr4 ,ru%1 ,ms4 ,escob>1 ,mr4  
,evans1 & ,ms4 ,s*ak[sky7 introduc$ !   
foll[+ bill2 :i* 0 ref]r$ to !          
,committee on ! ,judici>y  ,a ,,bill    
,to prohibit ! d5ial ( ! "r to vote 9   
elections = public (fice on ! gr\nds (  
ow+ f9es1 fees1 or re/itution relat+ to 
a conviction ( a crim9al (f5se4  #a4    
,%ort title ,?is ,act may be cit$ z !   
,remov+ ,monet>y ,b>ri]s to ,vot+ ,act4 
#b4 ,f9d+s ,congress makes ! foll[+     
f9d+s3 7#a7 ,! #bd? am5dm5t to !        
,con/itution ( ! ,unit$ ,/ates prohibits
 ,congress & ,/ates condition+ ! "r to  
vote 9 ,f$]al elections on paym5t ( any 
poll tax or any o!r tax1 & ?is          

prohibition 0 ext5d$ to ,/ates "u ! #ad?
 am5dm5t 9 #aifd 9 ,h>p] v4 ,virg9ia    
,bo>d ( ,elections4  7#b7 ,! "r to vote 
is ! mo/ basic con/itutive act (        
citiz5%ip4 ,rega9+ ! "r to vote         
re9tegrates individuals ) crim9al       
convictions into free society1 help+ to 
enhance public safety4  7#c7 ,an e/imat$
 #f1ajj1jjj citiz5s ( ! ,unit$ ,/ates1  
or ab\t #a 9 #dj adults 9 ! ,unit$      
,/ates1 curr5tly _c vote z a result ( a 
felony conviction4 ,z ( #bjaf1 an       
e/imat$ #f1ajj1jjj citiz5s1 or ab\t #a 9
 #dj adults 9 ! ,unit$ ,/ates1 c\ld n   
vote z a result ( a felony convictions4 
7#d7 ,at lea/ #h ,/ates explicitly      
prohibit individuals :o owe money       
associat$ ) _! crim9al convictions f    
vot+4 ,at lea/ #bb o!r ,/ates h laws t c
 implicitly prohibit individuals f vot+ 
because ( unpaid legal debts1 ei!r ?r\gh
 requirem5ts t individuals complete     
p>ole or probation1 :i* !mselves h+e on 
paym5t ( f9es1 fees or re/itution1 or   
clem5cy re/rictions bas$ on unpaid legal

 debts4  7#e7 ,across ! ,nation1        
approximately #aj million individuals   
owe a collective #ej billion 9 debt     
relat$ to ! crim9al ju/ice sy/em1 &     
f9d+s f #ad ,/ates %[ t families on     
av]age owe #ac1fjj 9 fees & f9es4  7#f7 
,/ate dis5fran*isem5t laws additionally 
disproportionately impact racial & e?nic
 m9orities4  7#g7 ,! "r to vote         
additionally may n be abridg$ or d5i$ by
 ! ,unit$ ,/ates or by any ,/ate on     
acc\nt ( race1 color1 g5d]1 or previ\s  
condition ( s]vitude4 ,! #ac?1 #ad?1    
#ae?1 #ai?1 & #bf? ,am5dm5ts to !       
,con/itution ( ! ,unit$ ,/ates emp[]    
,congress to enact measures to protect !
 "r to vote4  7#h7 ,cont9u+ to          
dis5fran*ise individuals :o h out/&+    
fees1 f9es1 & re/itution & :o are liv+ &
 work+ 9 ! community s]ves no ,/ate     
int]e/ & h9d]s _! rehabilitation &      
re9tegration into society4  #c4         
,prohibit+ d5ial ( "r to vote on gr\nds 
( ow+ am\nts relat+ to conviction (     
crim9al (f5se  7a7 ,9 g5]al ,! "r ( an  

individual to vote 9 any election =     
public (fice %all n be d5i$ or abridg$  
because t individual owes an out/&+ f9e1
 fee1 or re/itution relat+ to conviction
 ( a crim9al (f5se4  7b7 ,applicability 
,! "r ( an individual to vote 9 any     
election "u subsection 7a7 %all apply   
not)/&+ if su* individual is on p>ole1  
probation1 or any o!r =m ( sup]vision   
solely relat$ to an out/&+ f9e1 fee1 or 
re/itution4  #d4 ,en=cem5t  7a7         
,attorney ,g5]al ,! ,attorney ,g5]al    
may1 9 a civil action1 obta9 su*        
decl>atory or injunctive relief z is    
necess>y to rem$y a violation ( ?is     
,act4  7b7 ,private "r ( action  7#a7 ,9
 g5]al ,a p]son :o is aggriev$ by a     
violation ( ?is ,act may provide writt5 
notice ( ! violation to ! *ief election 
(ficial ( ! ,/ate involv$4  7#b7 ,relief
 ,except z provid$ 9 p>agraph 7#d71 if !
 violation is n correct$ )9 #ij days    
aft] receipt ( a notice "u p>agraph     
7#a71 or )9 #bj days aft] receipt ( !   
notice if ! violation occurr$ )9 #abj   

days be=e ! date ( an election = public 
(fice1 ! aggriev$ p]son may1 9 a civil  
action1 obta9 decl>atory or injunctive  
relief ) respect to ! violation4  7#c7  
,attorney's fees ,9 any action or       
proce$+ to en=ce ?is ,act aga9/ any     
gov]nm5tal body1 ! c\rt may all[ a      
prevail+ pla9tiff1 o!r ?an ! ,unit$     
,/ates1 reasonable attorney's fees z "p 
( ! co/s1 & may include exp]t fees z "p 
( ! attorney's fee4  7#d7 ,exception ,if
 ! violation occurr$ )9 #fj days be=e ! 
date ( an election = public (fice1 !    
aggriev$ p]son ne$ n provide notice to !
 *ief election (ficial ( ! ,/ate "u     
p>agraph 7#a7 be=e br++ a civil action  
to obta9 decl>atory or injunctive relief
 ) respect to ! violation4  #e4         
,def9itions ,= purposes ( ?is ,act3 7#a7
 ,*ief election (ficial ,! t]m *ief     
election (ficial means1 ) respect to a  
,/ate1 ! individual designat$ by ! ,/ate
 "u section #aj ( ! ,national ,vot]     
,regi/ration ,act ( #aiic 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4
 #bjeji7 to be responsible = coord9ation

 ( ! ,/ate's responsibilities "u su*    
,act  7#b7 ,election ,! t]m election    
means-- 7,a7 a g5]al1 special1 prim>y1  
or run(f election = public (fice2  7,b7 
a conv5tion or caucus ( a political p>ty
 held to nom9ate a c&idate = public     
(fice2  7,c7 a prim>y election held = ! 
selection ( delegates to a national     
nom9at+ conv5tion ( a political p>ty2 or
  7,d7 a prim>y election held = !       
expression ( a pref]5ce = ! nom9ation ( 
p]sons = election to ! (fice (          
,presid5t4  7#c7 ,fee ,! t]m fee means  
any sur*>ge1 c\rt co/1 adm9i/rative fee1
 or any monet>y am\nt impos$ to cov] !  
co/s ( ! judicial sy/em or to g5]ate    
rev5ue4  7#d7 ,f9e ,! t]m f9e means any 
monet>y p5alty impos$ by a c\rt or o!r  
entity z puni%m5t = conviction ( a      
crime4  7#e7 ,re/itution ,! t]m         
re/itution means any monet>y sanction   
impos$ by a c\rt to comp5sate = actual  
losses result+ f a crime4  7#f7 ,/ate ,!
 t]m ,/ate means ea* ( ! sev]al ,/ates1 
! ,di/rict ( ,columbia1 ! ,commonweal? (

 ,pu]to ,rico1 ,am]ican ,samoa1 ,guam1 !
 ,unit$ ,/ates ,virg9 ,isl&s1 & !       
,commonweal? ( ! ,nor!rn ,m>iana ,isl&s4
  #f4 ,relation to o!r laws  7a7 ,/ate  
laws relat+ to vot+ rights ,no?+ 9 ?is  
,act may be con/ru$ to prohibit a ,/ates
 f enact+ any ,/ate law :i* af=ds ! "r  
to vote 9 any election = public (fice on
 t]ms less re/rictive ?an ^? e/abli%$ by
 ?is ,act4  7b7 ,c]ta9 ,f$]al ,acts ,!  
rights & rem$ies e/abli%$ by ?is ,act   
are 9 addition to all o!r rights &      
rem$ies provid$ by law1 & nei!r rights &
 rem$ies e/abli%$ by ?is ,act %all      
sup]s$e1 re/rict1 or limit ! application
 ( ! ,vot+ ,rights ,act ( #aife 7#eb    
,u4,s4,c4 #ajcja et seq47 or ! ,national
 ,vot] ,regi/ration ,act ( #aiic 7#eb   
,u4,s4,c4 #bjeja et seq474  #g4         
,effective date ,?is ,act %all apply )  
respect to individuals vot+ 9 any       
election = public (fice held aft] ! date
 ( ! enactm5t ( ?is ,act4