,i #aaith ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #bhjc ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,april #i1 #bjbe,mr4 ,veasey 7for himself1 ,ms4 ,escobar1 ,ms4 ,norton1 ,mr4 ,tonko1 ,mr4 ,green of ,texas1 and ,mr4 ,deluzio7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on the ,judiciary1 and in addition to the ,committee on ,house ,administration1 for a period to be subsequently determined by the ,speaker1 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned ,a ,,bill ,to enhance protections for election records4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,protecting ,election ,administration from ,interference ,act of #bjbe4 #b4 ,enhancement of protections for election records1 papers1 and equipment 7a7 ,preservation of records1 paper1 and equipment ,section #cja of the ,civil ,rights ,act of #aifj 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #bjgja7 is amended-- 7#a7 by striking ,every officer and inserting the following3 7a7 ,in general ,every officer 2 7#b7 by striking records and papers and inserting records 7including electronic records71 papers1 and election equipment each place the term appears2 7#c7 by striking record or paper and inserting record 7including electronic record71 paper1 or election equipment2 7#d7 by inserting 7but only under the direct administrative supervision of an election officer74 ,notwithstanding any other provision of this section1 the paper record of a voter's cast ballot shall remain the official record of the cast ballot for purposes of this title after upon such custodian2 7#e7 by inserting 1 or acts in reckless disregard of1 after fails to comply with2 and 7#f7 by inserting after subsection 7a7 the following3 7b7 ,election equipment ,the requirement in subsection 7a7 to preserve election equipment shall not be construed to prevent the reuse of such equipment in any election that takes place within twenty-two months of a ,federal election described in subsection 7a71 provided that all electronic records1 files1 and data from such equipment related to such ,federal election are retained and preserved4 7c7 ,guidance ,not later than #a year after the date of the enactment of this subsection1 the ,director of the ,cybersecurity and ,infrastructure ,security ,agency of the ,department of ,homeland ,security1 in consultation with the ,election ,assistance ,commission and the ,attorney ,general1 shall issue guidance regarding compliance with subsections 7a7 and 7b71 including minimum standards and best practices for retaining and preserving records 7including electronic records71 papers1 and election equipment in compliance with subsections 7a7 and 7b74 ,such guidance shall also include protocols for enabling the observation of the preservation1 security1 and transfer of records 7including electronic records71 papers1 and election equipment described in subsection 7a7 by the ,attorney ,general and by a representative of each party1 as defined by the ,attorney ,general4 4 7b7 ,penalty ,section #cjb of the ,civil ,rights ,act of #aifj 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #bjgjb7 is amended-- 7#a7 by inserting 1 or whose reckless disregard of section #cja results in the theft1 destruction1 concealment1 mutilation1 or alteration of1 after or alters2 and 7#b7 by striking record or paper and inserting record 7including electronic record71 paper1 or election equipment4 7c7 ,inspection1 reproduction1 and copying ,section #cjc of the ,civil ,rights ,act of #aifj 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #bjgjc7 is amended by striking record or paper and inserting 8record 7including electronic record71 paper1 or election equipment0 each place the term appears4 7d7 ,nondisclosure ,section #cjd of the ,civil ,rights ,act of #aifj 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #bjgjd7 is amended by striking record or paper and inserting 8record 7including electronic record71 paper1 or election equipment04 7e7 ,jurisdiction ,to compel production ,section #cje of the ,civil ,rights ,act of #aifj 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #bjgje7 is amended by striking record or paper and inserting 8record 7including electronic record71 paper1 or election equipment0 each place the term appears4 #c4 ,judicial review for election records ,title ,,iii of the ,civil ,rights ,act of #aifj 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #bjgja et seq471 is amended-- 7#a7 by redesignating section #cjf as section #cjg2 and 7#b7 by inserting after section #cje the following3 #cjf4 ,judicial review to ensure compliance 7a7 ,right of action ,the ,attorney ,general1 a representative of the ,attorney ,general1 or a candidate in a ,federal election described in section #cja may bring an action in the district court of the ,united ,states for the judicial district in which a record 7including electronic record71 paper1 or election equipment is located1 or in the ,united ,states ,district ,court for the ,district of ,columbia1 to compel compliance with the requirements of section #cja4 7b7 ,duty ,to expedite ,it shall be the duty of the court to advance on the docket1 and to expedite to the greatest possible extent the disposition of1 the action and appeal under this section4 4 #d4 ,criminal penalties for intimidation of tabulation1 canvass1 or certification efforts ,section #ab7a7 of the ,national ,voter ,registration ,act of #aiic 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #bjeaa7a77 is amended-- 7#a7 in subparagraph 7,b71 by striking or at the end2 and 7#b7 by adding at the end the following3 7,d7 processing or scanning ballots1 or tabulating1 canvassing1 or certifying voting results2 or 4