,i  #aaith ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #gcef  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,february #d1        
#bjbf,mr4 ,edwards 7for himself1 ,mr4   
,onder1 ,mr4 ,mc,dowell1 ,ms4 ,tenney1  
,mr4 ,harrigan1 ,mr4 ,gill of ,texas1   
,mr4 ,cline1 ,mr4 ,bentz1 and ,mr4      
,steube7 introduced the following bill2 
which was referred to the ,committee on 
,house ,administration  ,a ,,bill  ,to  
amend the ,help ,america ,vote ,act of  
#bjjb to prohibit the use of ,federal   
funds for election administration in    
,states that permit ballot harvesting4  
#a4 ,short title2 findings  7a7 ,short  
title ,this section may be cited as the 
,no ,federal ,funds for ,ballot         
,harvesting ,act4  7b7 ,findings        
,congress finds that-- 7#a7 the right to
 vote is a fundamental right of citizens
 of the ,united ,states1 as described by
 the ,constitution of the ,united       
,states2  7#b7 the ,committee on ,house 
,administration of the ,house of        
,representatives1 which is charged with 

investigating election irregularities1  
received reports through its official   
,election ,observer ,program for the    
#bjah general election and the #bjbj    
general election1 as well as from other 
stakeholders1 that individuals other    
than voters themselves were depositing  
large amounts of absentee ballots at    
polling places throughout ,california   
and other ,states1 a practice           
colloquially known as ballot harvesting2
  7#c7 the practice of ballot harvesting
 creates significant vulnerabilities in 
the chain of custody of ballots because 
individuals collecting ballots are not  
required to be registered voters and are
 not required to identify themselves at 
a voter's home1 and the ,state does not 
track how many ballots are harvested in 
an election2  7#d7 ballot harvesting    
invites electioneering activity at home 
and weakens ,states' long-standing voter
 protection procedures which remain in  
place at polling locations1 creating the
 possibility of undue influence over    

voters by bad actors2 and  7#e7 the     
,supreme ,court of the ,united ,states  
has affirmed ,state authority to        
restrict ballot harvesting 7,brnovich v4
 ,democratic ,national ,committee1 #eid 
,u4,s4 #fdg 7#bjba774  #b4 ,prohibition 
on use of ,federal funds for election   
administration in ,states that permit   
ballot harvesting  7a7 ,in general ,the 
,help ,america ,vote ,act of #bjjb 7#eb 
,u4,s4,c4 #bjija et seq47 is amended by 
adding at the end the following new     
section3  #ijg4 ,prohibition on ,federal
 funds for election administration for  
,states allowing collection and         
transmission of ballots by certain third
 parties  7a7 ,in general               
,notwithstanding any other provision of 
law1 no ,federal funds may be used to   
administer any election for ,federal    
office in a ,state unless the ,state has
 in effect a law that prohibits an      
individual from the knowing collection  
and transmission of a ballot in an      
election for ,federal office that was   

mailed to another person1 other than the
 following individuals3 7#a7 ,an        
election official while engaged in      
official duties as authorized by law4   
7#b7 ,an employee of the ,united ,states
 ,postal ,service or other commercial   
common carrier engaged in similar       
activities while engaged in duties      
authorized by law4  7#c7 ,any other     
individual who is allowed by law to     
collect and transmit ,united ,states    
mail1 while engaged in official duties  
as authorized by law4  7#d7 ,a family   
member1 household member1 or caregiver  
of the person to whom the ballot was    
mailed4  7b7 ,definitions ,for purposes 
of this section1 with respect to a      
person to whom the ballot was mailed3   
7#a7 ,the term caregiver means an       
individual who provides medical or      
health care assistance to such person in
 a residence1 nursing care institution1 
hospice facility1 assisted living       
center1 assisted living facility1       
assisted living home1 residential care  

institution1 adult day health care      
facility1 or adult foster care home4    
7#b7 ,the term family member means an   
individual who is related to such person
 by blood1 marriage1 adoption1 or legal 
guardianship4  7#c7 ,the term household 
member means an individual who resides  
at the same residence as such person4  4
  7b7 ,clerical amendment ,the table of 
contents of such ,act is amended by     
adding at the end the following new     
item3  ,sec4 #ijh4 ,prohibition on      
,federal funds for election             
administration for ,states allowing     
collection and transmission of ballots  
by certain third parties4  4