,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #edia  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,september #bc1
 #bjbf,mr4 ,padilla 7for himself1 ,ms4  
,hirono1 ,mr4 ,murphy1 ,mr4 ,whitehouse1
 ,mr4 ,blumenthal1 ,mr4 ,van ,hollen1   
,mr4 ,schiff1 and ,ms4 ,cantwell7       
introduced the following bill2 which was
 read twice and referred to the         
,committee on the ,judiciary  ,a ,,bill 
,to prohibit the intimidation of        
election officials and election workers4
  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be    
cited as the ,freedom from ,intimidation
 in ,elections ,act4  #b4 ,prohibiting  
intimidation of election officials and  
election workers ,section #aa of the    
,voting ,rights ,act of #aife 7#eb      
,u4,s4,c4 #ajcjg7 is amended-- 7#a7 in  
subsection 7b71 by striking section     
#c7;a71 #f1 #h1 #i1 #aj1 or #ab7;e7 and 
inserting section #c7;a71 #h1 #aj1 or   
#ab7;e72  7#b7 by redesignating         
subsections 7c71 7d71 and 7e7 as        
subsections 7d71 7e71 and 7f71          

respectively2 and  7#c7 by inserting    
after subsection 7b7 the following3  7c7
 ,no person1 whether acting under color 
of law or otherwise1 shall intimidate1  
threaten1 or coerce1 or attempt to      
intimidate1 threaten1 or coerce any     
person for exercising any powers or     
duties to administer ,federal elections1
 including vote counting1 tabulation1   
canvassing1 and election certification1 
and any of the duties of the ,election  
,assistance ,commission as set out in   
section #bjb of the ,help ,america ,vote
 ,act of #bjjb 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #bjibb71  
or because of the person's status1 or   
previous status1 as a participant in the
 administration of ,federal elections4  
4  #c4 ,presumption that firearms near  
election-related conduct are            
intimidating ,title ,i of the ,voting   
,rights ,act of #aife 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4    
#ajcja et seq47 is amended by adding at 
the end the following new section3  #ba4
 ,enforcement proceedings concerning    
intimidation involving firearms  7a7    

,presumption  7#a7 ,voter intimidation  
,in any suit to enforce section #aa7;b71
 a person shall be presumed to have     
violated such section1 in the absence of
 an affirmative showing to the contrary 
by a preponderance of the evidence1 if  
such person displays or carries a       
visible firearm1 imitation firearm1 or  
antique firearm while interacting with  
or observing another person-- 7,a7      
voting or attempting to vote2  7,b7     
urging or aiding a person voting or     
attempting to vote2 or  7,c7 exercising 
any powers or duties under section      
#c7;a71 #h1 #aj1 or #ab7;e74  7#b7      
,intimidation of election officials and 
election workers ,in any suit to enforce
 section #aa7;c71 a person shall be     
presumed to have violated such section1 
in the absence of an affirmative showing
 to the contrary by a preponderance of  
the evidence1 if such person displays or
 carries a visible firearm1 imitation   
firearm1 or antique firearm while       
interacting with or observing another   

person-- 7,a7 exercising any powers or  
duties to administer elections2 or  7,b7
 due to the person's status1 or previous
 status1 as a participant in the        
administration of elections4  7b7 ,state
 and ,local ,law enforcement officer    
exception  7#a7 ,in ,general ,any ,state
 or local law enforcement officer acting
 within the scope of the officer's      
official duties is not subject to the   
presumption in subsection 7a71 but a    
court may nonetheless consider a law    
enforcement officer's possession of a   
firearm in determining whether the      
officer violated subsection 7b7 or 7c7  
of section #aa4  7#b7 ,applicability to 
members of the ,national ,guard ,nothing
 in this subsection may be construed as 
exempting a member of the ,national     
,guard from the presumption in          
subsection 7a71 regardless of such      
member's duty status1 including service 
while under the command and control of  
the governor of a ,state4  7c7 ,relief  
,in a suit to enforce subsection 7b7 or 

7c7 of section #aa1 a court may grant   
appropriate relief1 including placing   
reasonable temporary limits on the      
carrying of firearms by defendants4  7d7
 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7    
,the term antique firearm has the       
meaning given such term in section      
#iba7;a7 of title #ah1 ,united ,states  
,code4  7#b7 ,the term firearm has the  
meaning given such term in section      
#iba7;a77#c77;,a7 of title #ah1 ,united 
,states ,code4  7#c7 ,the term imitation
 firearm-- 7,a7 means an article1 object
 or device1 replica1 reproduction1 or   
prop gun made or remade to be reasonably
 capable of being mistaken for a        
firearm2 and  7,b7 includes-- 7i7 any   
weapon1 article1 item1 or device that is
 in the nature of an air gun1 spring gun
 or pistol1 or other weapon in which the
 propelling force is a spring1 an       
elastic band1 carbon dioxide1 compressed
 or other gas or vapor1 or air or       
compressed air1 and that ejects a bullet
 or missile smaller than three-eighths  

of an inch in diameter with sufficient  
force to injure a person that is so     
substantially similar in coloration1    
configuration1 and overall appearance to
 an existing firearm or weapon as to    
lead a reasonable person to perceive    
that the device is a firearm or weapon2 
and  7ii7 any weapon1 including a       
starter gun1 which will or is designed  
to fire blank cartridges that is so     
substantially similar in coloration1    
configuration1 and overall appearance to
 an existing firearm or weapon as to    
lead a reasonable person to perceive    
that the device is a firearm or weapon4 
4