,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #edb  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,march #b           
7legislative day1 ,march #a71 #bjba,ms4 
,klobuchar 7for herself and ,mr4        
,sullivan7 introduced the following     
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations
  ,a ,,bill  ,to promote international  
exchanges on best election practices1 to
 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 #bjba4  #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 ,united   
,states 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 ,in general ,the ,secretary of    
,state is authorized to establish and   
administer a ,global ,electoral         
,exchange ,program 7referred to in this 
section as the ,program7 to promote the 
utilization of sound election           
administration practices around the     
world4  7b7 ,purpose ,the purpose of the
 ,program shall include the promotion   
and exchange of international best      
election practices1 including in the    
areas of-- 7#a7 cybersecurity2  7#b7 the
 protection of election systems against 
influence campaigns2  7#c7 results      
transmission2  7#d7 transparency of     
electoral data2  7#e7 election dispute  
resolution2  7#f7 the elimination of    
discriminatory registration practices   
and electoral irregularities2  7#g7     
inclusive and equitable promotion of    
candidate participation2  7#h7 equitable
 access to polling places1 voter        

education information1 and voting       
mechanisms 7including by persons with   
disabilities72 and  7#i7 other sound    
election administration practices4  7c7 
,exchange of electoral authorities  7#a7
 ,in general ,the ,secretary of ,state1 
in consultation1 as appropriate1 with   
the ,united ,states ,agency for         
,international ,development1 may award  
grants to any ,united ,states-based     
organization that-- 7,a7 is described in
 section #eja7;c77#c7 of the ,internal  
,revenue ,code of #aihf and exempt from 
tax under section #eja7;a7 of such      
,code2  7,b7 has experience in1 and a   
primary focus on1 foreign comparative   
election systems or subject matter      
expertise in the administration or      
integrity of such systems2 and  7,c7    
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 under
 this subsection to design and implement

 programs that-- 7,a7 bring to the      
,united ,states 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 study election procedures in 
the ,united ,states for educational     
purposes2 or  7,b7 take election        
administrators and officials of the     
,united ,states or of another country1  
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   
another country to study and discuss    
election procedures in such country for 
educational purposes4  7#c7 ,limits on  
activities ,activities administered     
under the ,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 ,limitation
 ,a recipient of a grant under the      
,program may only use such grant for the
 purpose for which such grant was       
awarded1 unless otherwise authorized by 
the ,secretary of ,state4  7#f7         
,nonduplicative ,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  7d7 ,authorization of        
appropriations ,there is authorized to  
be appropriated #e1jjj1jjj for each of  
the fiscal years #bjbb through #bjbf to 
carry out this section4  #d4            
,congressional oversight ,not later than
 #a year after the date of the enactment
 of this ,act and annually thereafter   
for the following #b years1 the         
,secretary of ,state shall provide a    
briefing to the ,committee on ,foreign  
,relations of the ,senate and the       
,committee on ,foreign ,affairs of the  
,house of ,representatives regarding the
 status of any activities carried out   
under section #c during the preceding   
year1 which shall include-- 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 held2  7#b7 a description of the   

criteria used to select grantees under  
the ,global ,electoral ,exchange        
,program2 and  7#c7 recommendations for 
the improvement of the ,global          
,electoral ,exchange ,program in        
furtherance of the purpose specified in 
section #c7;b74