,i  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #dbib  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,july #b1 #bjbe,ms4  
,plaskett 7for herself and ,mr4 ,moylan7
 introduced the following bill2 which   
was referred to the ,committee on the   
,judiciary  ,a ,,bill  ,to establish    
within the legislative branch a         
,congressional ,task ,force on ,voting  
,rights of ,united ,states ,citizen     
,residents of ,territories of the       
,united ,states4  #a4 ,congressional    
task force on voting rights of ,united  
,states citizen residents of territories
 of the ,united ,states  7a7 ,findings  
relating to territorial voting rights   
,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,the
 right to vote is one of the most       
powerful instruments residents of the   
territories of the ,united ,states have 
to ensure that their voices are heard4  
7#b7 ,these ,americans have played an   
important part in the ,american         
democracy for more than #abj years4     
7#c7 ,political participation and the   

right to vote are among the highest     
concerns of territorial residents in    
part because they were not always       
afforded these rights4  7#d7 ,voter     
participation in the territories        
consistently ranks higher than many     
communities on the mainland4  7#e7      
,territorial residents serve and die1 on
 a per capita basis1 at a higher rate in
 every ,united ,states war and conflict 
since ,,wwi1 as an expression of their  
commitment to ,american democratic      
principles and patriotism4  7b7 ,task   
,force  7#a7 ,establishment ,there is   
established within the legislative      
branch a ,congressional ,task ,force on 
,voting ,rights of ,united ,states      
,citizen ,residents of ,territories of  
the ,united ,states 7in this section    
referred to as the ,task ,force74  7#b7 
,membership ,the ,task ,force shall be  
composed of #ae members as follows3 7,a7
 ,one ,member of the ,house of          
,representatives1 who shall be appointed
 by the ,speaker of the ,house of       

,representatives1 in coordination with  
the ,chairman of the ,committee on      
,natural ,resources of the ,house of    
,representatives4  7,b7 ,one ,member of 
the ,house of ,representatives1 who     
shall be appointed by the ,speaker of   
the ,house of ,representatives1 in      
coordination with the ,chairman of the  
,committee on the ,judiciary of the     
,house of ,representatives4  7,c7 ,two  
,members of the ,house of               
,representatives1 who shall be appointed
 by the ,speaker of the ,house of       
,representatives1 in coordination with  
the ,chairman of the ,committee on      
,house ,administration of the ,house of 
,representatives4  7,d7 ,one ,member of 
the ,house of ,representatives1 who     
shall be appointed by the ,speaker of   
the ,house4  7,e7 ,one ,member of the   
,house of ,representatives1 who shall be
 appointed by the minority leader of the
 ,house of ,representatives1 in         
coordination with the ranking minority  
member of the ,committee on ,natural    

,resources of the ,house of             
,representatives4  7,f7 ,one ,member of 
the ,house of ,representatives1 who     
shall be appointed by the minority      
leader of the ,house of                 
,representatives1 in coordination with  
the ranking minority member of the      
,committee on the ,judiciary of the     
,house of ,representatives4  7,g7 ,one  
,member of the ,house of                
,representatives1 who shall be appointed
 by the minority leader of the ,house of
 ,representatives1 in coordination with 
the ranking minority member of the      
,committee on ,house ,administration of 
the ,house of ,representatives4  7,h7   
,one ,member of the ,senate1 who shall  
be appointed by the majority leader of  
the ,senate1 in coordination with the   
,chairman of the ,committee on ,energy  
and ,natural ,resources of the ,senate4 
7,i7 ,one ,member of the ,senate1 who   
shall be appointed by the majority      
leader of the ,senate1 in coordination  
with the ,chairman of the ,committee on 

the ,judiciary of the ,senate4  7,j7    
,one ,member of the ,senate1 who shall  
be appointed by the majority leader of  
the ,senate1 in coordination with the   
,chairman of the ,committee on ,rules   
and ,administration of the ,senate4     
7,k7 ,one ,member of the ,senate1 who   
shall be appointed by the ,majority     
,leader of the ,senate4  7,l7 ,one      
,member of the ,senate1 who shall be    
appointed by the minority leader of the 
,senate1 in coordination with the       
ranking minority member of the          
,committee on ,energy and ,natural      
,resources of the ,senate4  7,m7 ,one   
,member of the ,senate1 who shall be    
appointed by the minority leader of the 
,senate1 in coordination with the       
ranking minority member of the          
,committee on the ,judiciary of the     
,senate4  7,n7 ,one ,member of the      
,senate1 who shall be appointed by the  
minority leader of the ,senate1 in      
coordination with the ranking minority  
member of the ,committee on ,rules and  

,administration of the ,senate4  7#c7   
,deadline for appointment ,all          
appointments to the ,task ,force shall  
be made not later than #cj days after   
the date of enactment of this ,act4     
7#d7 ,chair ,the ,speaker shall         
designate one ,member to serve as chair 
of the ,task ,force4  7#e7 ,vacancies   
,any vacancy in the ,task ,force shall  
be filled in the same manner as the     
original appointment4  7#f7 ,status     
update ,not later than #ahj days after  
the date of the enactment of this ,act1 
the ,task ,force shall provide a status 
update to the ,house of ,representatives
 and the ,senate that includes-- 7,a7   
information the ,task ,force has        
collected2 and  7,b7 a discussion on    
matters that the chairman of the ,task  
,force deems urgent for consideration by
 ,congress4  7#g7 ,report ,not later    
than one year after the date of the     
enactment of this ,act1 the ,task ,force
 shall issue a report of its findings to
 the ,house of ,representatives and the 

,senate regarding-- 7,a7 the economic   
and societal consequences 7through      
statistical data and other metrics7 that
 come with political disenfranchisement 
of ,united ,states citizens in          
territories of the ,united ,states2     
7,b7 impediments to full and equal      
voting rights for ,united ,states       
citizens who are residents of           
territories of the ,united ,states in   
,federal elections1 including the       
election of the ,president and ,vice    
,president of the ,united ,states2  7,c7
 impediments to full and equal voting   
representation in the ,house of         
,representatives for ,united ,states    
citizens who are residents of           
territories of the ,united ,states2     
7,d7 recommended changes that1 if       
adopted1 would allow for full and equal 
voting rights for ,united ,states       
citizens who are residents of           
territories of the ,united ,states in   
,federal elections1 including the       
election of the ,president and ,vice    

,president of the ,united ,states2  7,e7
 recommended changes that1 if adopted1  
would allow for full and equal voting   
representation in the ,house of         
,representatives for ,united ,states    
citizens who are residents of           
territories of the ,united ,states2 and 
7,f7 additional information the ,task   
,force deems appropriate4  7#h7         
,consensus views ,to the greatest extent
 practicable1 the report issued under   
paragraph 7#g7 shall reflect the shared 
views of all #ae ,members1 except that  
the report may contain dissenting views4
  7#i7 ,hearings and sessions ,the ,task
 ,force may1 for the purpose of carrying
 out this section1 hold hearings1 sit   
and act at times and places1 take       
testimony1 and receive evidence as the  
,task ,force considers appropriate4     
7#aj7 ,stakeholder participation ,in    
carrying out its duties1 the ,task      
,force shall consult with the           
governments of ,american ,samoa1 ,guam1 
the ,commonwealth of the ,northern      

,mariana ,islands1 the ,commonwealth of 
,puerto ,rico1 and the ,united ,states  
,virgin ,islands4  7#aa7 ,resources ,the
 ,task ,force shall carry out its duties
 by utilizing existing facilities1      
services1 and staff of the ,house of    
,representatives and the ,senate4  7#ab7
 ,termination ,the ,task ,force shall   
terminate upon issuing the report       
required under paragraph 7#g74