H.R. 7960 — Introduced in House

I 118th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 7960 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES April 11, 2024Mr. Meuser introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned A BILL To amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to provide for enhanced penalties for the transmission of fraudulent ballots in elections for Federal office through the use of post offices, authorized depositories of mail matter, or ballot drop boxes, to direct the Attorney General to establish a system for receiving reports of incidents of the transmission of such fraudulent ballots through such methods, and for other purposes. 1. Short title; findings This Act may be cited as the Preventing Ballot Drop Box and Mail Fraud Act. 2. Enhanced penalties for transmission of fraudulent ballots in Federal elections through use of ballot drop boxes or mail Section 12 of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20511) is amended— (1) by striking A person and inserting (a) In general.—A person; and (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection: (b) Enhanced penalties for offenses involving use of ballot drop boxes or mail A person who, in any election for Federal office, uses a post office, authorized depository of mail matter, or drop box which is provided by an election official for the collection of voted ballots to knowingly and willfully transmit a voted ballot that is known by the person to be materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent under the laws of the State in which the election is held, shall be fined in accordance with title 18, United States Code, imprisoned for not more than 20 years plus one additional year for each such ballot the person transmits, or both. . 3. Reporting system for incidents of transmission of fraudulent ballots in Federal elections through use of ballot drop boxes or mail (a) Reporting system The Attorney General shall establish a system through which persons may report incidents involving the transmission of fraudulent ballots in elections for Federal office through the use of a post office, authorized depository of mail matter, or drop box which is provided by an election official for the collection of voted ballots, including reports made through a toll-free hotline and a confidential online portal. (b) Deadline The Attorney General shall establish the system under subsection (a) not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. 4. Ensuring provision of information to State election officials on individuals recused from jury service on grounds of noncitizenship (a) Requiring State election officials To coordinate information on recusal as part of maintenance of Statewide voter registration list Subparagraph (A) of section 303(a)(2) of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21083(a)(2)) is amended— (1) by redesignating clause (iii) as clause (iv); and (2) by inserting after clause (ii) the following new clause: (iii) For purposes of removing names of ineligible voters from the official list of eligible voters by reason of citizenship status, the State shall coordinate the computerized list with records of courts which have recused individuals from serving on a jury on the grounds that the individuals are not citizens of the United States. . (b) Requiring notification by courts (1) Requirement described If a United States district court or a court of any State or local jurisdiction recuses an individual from serving on a jury on the grounds that the individual is not a citizen of the United States, the court shall transmit a notice of the individual’s recusal— (A) to the chief State election official of the State in which the individual resides; and (B) to the Attorney General. (2) Definitions For purposes of this subsection— (A) the chief State election official of a State is the individual designated by the State under section 10 of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20509) to be responsible for coordination of the State’s responsibilities under such Act; and (B) the term State means each of the several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the United States Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.