,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #aeci  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #aj1      
#bjba,mr4 ,ossoff 7for himself and ,mr4 
,warnock7 introduced the following bill2
 which was read twice and referred to   
the ,committee on ,rules and            
,administration  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend   
the ,help ,america ,vote ,act of #bjjb  
to ensure access to water and food for  
voters waiting in line at polling       
stations in ,federal elections4  #a4    
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,voters' ,access to ,water ,act4    
#b4 ,prohibiting restrictions on        
donations of food and beverages at      
polling stations  7a7 ,findings and     
purpose ,congress finds the following3  
7#a7 ,states have a legitimate interest 
in prohibiting electioneering at or near
 polling places1 and each ,state has    
some form of restriction on political   
activities near polling places when     
voting is taking place4  7#b7 ,in recent
 elections1 voters have waited in       

unacceptably long lines to cast their   
ballot4 ,during the #bjah midterm       
election1 more than #c1jjj1jjj voters   
were made to wait longer than the       
acceptable threshold for wait times set 
by the ,presidential ,commission on     
,election ,administration1 including    
many well-documented cases where voters 
were made to wait for several hours4 ,a 
disproportionate number of those who had
 to wait long periods were ,black or    
,latino voters1 who were more likely    
than ,white voters to wait in the       
longest lines on ,election ,day4  7#c7  
,allowing volunteers to donate food and 
water to all people waiting in line at a
 polling place1 regardless of the       
voters' political preference and without
 engaging in electioneering activities  
or partisan advocacy1 helps ensure      
,americans who face long lines at their 
polling place can still exercise their  
,constitutional right to vote1 without  
risk of dehydration1 inadequate food1   
discomfort1 and risks to health4  7b7   

,requirement ,subtitle ,a of title ,,iii
 of the ,help ,america ,vote ,act of    
#bjjb 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #bajha et seq47 is 
amended-- 7#a7 by redesignating sections
 #cjd and #cje as sections #cje and     
#cjf1 respectively2 and  7#b7 by        
inserting after section #cjc the        
following new section3  #cjd4           
,prohibiting ,states from restricting   
donations of food and beverages at      
polling stations  7a7 ,prohibition      
,subject to the exception in subsection 
7b71 a ,state may not impose any        
restriction on the donation of food and 
nonalcoholic beverages to persons       
outside of the entrance to the building 
where a polling place for a ,federal    
election is located1 provided that such 
food and nonalcoholic beverages are     
distributed without regard to the       
electoral participation or political    
preferences of the recipients4  7b7     
,exception ,a ,state may require persons
 distributing food and nonalcoholic     
beverages outside the entrance to the   

building where a polling place for a    
,federal election is located to refrain 
from political or electioneering        
activity4  7c7 ,effective date ,this    
section shall apply with respect to     
elections for ,federal office occurring 
on and after ,january #a1 #bjbb4  4  7c7
 ,timing of issuance ,section #caa7;b7  
of such ,act 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #baaja7;b77 
is amended-- 7#a7 by striking and at the
 end of paragraph 7#b72  7#b7 by        
striking the period at the end of       
paragraph 7#c7 and inserting 2 and2 and 
7#c7 by adding at the end the following 
new paragraph3  7#d7 in the case of the 
recommendations with respect to section 
#cjd1 ,january #a1 #bjbb4  4  7d7       
,clerical amendments ,the table of      
contents of such ,act is amended-- 7#a7 
by redesignating the items relating to  
sections #cjd and #cje as relating to   
sections #cje and #cjf1 respectively2   
and  7#b7 by inserting after the item   
relating to section #cjc the following  
new item3  ,sec4 #cjd4 ,prohibiting     

,states from restricting donations of   
food and beverages at polling stations4 
4