,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #afib  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #bc       
7legislative day1 ,may #bb71 #bjai,ms4  
,klobuchar 7for herself and ,ms4        
,collins7 introduced the following bill2
 which was read twice and referred to   
the ,committee on ,rules and            
,administration  ,a ,,bill  ,to provide 
grants to support continuing education  
in election administration or           
cybersecurity for election officials and
 employees4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act
 may be cited as the ,invest in ,our    
,democracy ,act of #bjai4  #b4 ,sense of
 ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress
 that-- 7#a7 free and fair elections are
 central to our democracy2  7#b7        
protecting our elections from foreign   
adversaries is a national security      
priority2  7#c7 the ,states conduct     
elections and it is important to        
maintain ,state leadership in election  
administration2  7#d7 the ,states       
deserve ,federal support to secure our  

elections from interference by foreign  
nations2 and  7#e7 election security in 
the ,united ,states will benefit from   
continued education and investment in   
the individuals that administer our     
elections4  #c4 ,supporting continuing  
education for election officials and    
employees  7a7 ,program authority and   
method of distribution ,the ,election   
,assistance ,commission 7in this section
 referred to as the ,commission7 shall  
establish a program under which the     
,commission pays to each eligible       
institution such sums as may be         
necessary to pay to each eligible       
certificate program enrollee 7as defined
 in subsection 7b77 for each academic   
year during which that enrollee is      
enrolled in an accredited certificate   
program in election administration or   
cybersecurity in the amount for which   
that enrollee is eligible1 as determined
 pursuant to subsection 7c74 ,not less  
than #he percent of such sums shall be  
advanced to eligible institutions prior 

to the start of each payment period and 
shall be based upon an amount requested 
by the institution as needed to pay     
eligible certificate program enrollees  
until such time as the ,commission      
determines an alternative payment system
 that provides payments to institutions 
in an accurate and timely manner1 except
 that this sentence shall not be        
construed to limit the authority of the 
,commission to place an institution on a
 reimbursement system of payment4  7b7  
,eligible certificate program enrollee  
,in this section1 the term eligible     
certificate program enrollee means an   
individual who-- 7#a7 is a ,state or    
local election official1 an employee of 
a ,state or local election official1 or 
an employee of the ,commission2  7#b7   
certifies to the ,commission their      
enrollment in an accredited certificate 
program in election administration or   
cybersecurity2 and  7#c7 submits to the 
,commission-- 7,a7 a receipt or other   
verification determined appropriate by  

the ,commission of the tuition amount   
for such certificate program2 and  7,b7 
an application at such time1 in such    
manner1 and containing such information 
as the ,commission may require4  7c7    
,amount of grants ,the amount of a grant
 for an eligible certificate program    
enrollee under this section for a year  
shall be an amount equal to #ge percent 
of the tuition amount for the accredited
 certificate program in election        
administration or cybersecurity for the 
year4  7d7 ,additional definitions ,in  
this section3 7#a7 ,accredited          
certificate program in election         
administration or cybersecurity ,the    
term accredited certificate program in  
election administration or cybersecurity
 means a program in election            
administration or cybersecurity that    
leads to a certificate1 or other        
nondegree recognized credential1 at an  
eligible institution4  7#b7 ,eligible   
institution ,the term eligible          
institution means an institution of     

higher education 7as defined under      
section #aja of the ,higher ,education  
,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajja77    
that-- 7,a7 offers an accredited        
certificate program in election         
administration or cybersecurity2 and    
7,b7 elects to participate in the       
program established under this section4 
7e7 ,authorization of appropriations    
,there is authorized to be appropriated 
to carry out this section-- 7#a7        
#a1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjba2 and   
7#b7 such sums as may be necessary for  
each of fiscal years #bjbb through      
#bjbh4