119-s2822

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2822 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 2822

 To improve voter access to the ballot box through automatic voter 
 registration, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 September 16, 2025

 Ms. Klobuchar (for herself, Mr. Padilla, Ms. Alsobrooks, Mr. 
 Blumenthal, Mr. Booker, Mr. Durbin, Mrs. Gillibrand, Ms. Hirono, Mr. 
 Kaine, Mr. Kim, Mr. Markey, Mr. Schiff, Ms. Warren, and Mr. Wyden) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
 Committee on Rules and Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To improve voter access to the ballot box through automatic voter 
 registration, and for other purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Register America to Vote Act of 
2025''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

    (a) Findings and 

=== Purpose ===
-

    (1) === Findings ===
-Congress finds that--
        (A) the right to vote is a fundamental right of 
 citizens of the United States;
        (B) it is the responsibility of Federal and State 
 governments to ensure that every eligible citizen is 
 registered to vote;
            (C) existing voter registration systems can be 
 inaccurate, costly, inaccessible, and confusing, with 
 damaging effects on voter participation in elections 
 for Federal office and disproportionate impacts on 
 young people, individuals with disabilities, and racial 
 and ethnic minorities; and
            (D) voter registration systems must be updated with 
 21st century technologies and procedures to maintain 
 their security.

    (2) === Purpose ===
-It is the purpose of this Act--
        (A) to establish that it is the responsibility of 
 government to ensure that all eligible citizens are 
 registered to vote in elections for Federal office;
        (B) to enable the State governments to register all 
 eligible citizens to vote with accurate, cost-
 efficient, and up-to-date procedures;
            (C) to modernize voter registration and list 
 maintenance procedures with electronic and internet 
 capabilities; and
            (D) to protect and enhance the integrity, accuracy, 
 efficiency, and accessibility of the electoral process 
 for all eligible citizens.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

 In this Act, the following definitions apply:

    (1) The term ``chief State election official'' means, with 
 respect to a State, 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 
 responsibilities under that Act.

    (2) The term ``State'' means each of the several States, 
 the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the 
 United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the 
 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

SEC. 4. AUTOMATIC REGISTRATION OF INDIVIDUALS TURNING 18 YEARS OF AGE.

    (a) Requirement.--Except as provided in subsection

    (b) , the chief 
State election official of each State shall establish and operate a 
system of automatic registration for the registration of any eligible 
individual on the date on which the individual turns 18 in order that 
the individual may vote in elections for Federal office in the State.

    (b) Exception.--The requirement under subsection

    (a) shall not 
apply to a State in which, under a State law in effect continuously on 
and after the date of the enactment of this section, there is no voter 
registration requirement for individuals in the State with respect to 
elections for Federal office.

SEC. 5. AUTOMATIC REGISTRATION OF ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS.

    (a) In General.--The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (52 
U.S.C. 20501 et seq.) is amended by inserting after 

section 5 the 
following new section:

``

SEC. 5A. AUTOMATIC REGISTRATION BY STATE MOTOR VEHICLE AUTHORITY.

 ``

    (a) 

=== Definitions. ===
-In this section--
 ``

    (1) Applicable agency.--The term `applicable agency' 
 means, with respect to a State, the State motor vehicle 
 authority responsible for motor vehicle driver's licenses under 
 State law.
 ``

    (2) Applicable transaction.--The term `applicable 
 transaction' means--
 ``
        (A) an application to an applicable agency for a 
 motor vehicle driver's license; and
 ``
        (B) any other service or assistance (including 
 for a change of address) provided by an applicable 
 agency.
 ``

    (3) Automatic registration.--The term `automatic 
 registration' means a system that registers an individual to 
 vote and updates existing voter registration in elections for 
 Federal office in a State, if eligible, by electronically 
 transferring the information necessary for registration from 
 the applicable agency to election officials of the State in 
 order that, unless the individual affirmatively declines to be 
 registered or to update any voter registration, the individual 
 will be registered to vote in those elections.
 ``

    (4) Eligible individual.--The term `eligible individual' 
 means, with respect to an election for Federal office, an 
 individual who is otherwise qualified to vote in that election.
 ``

    (5) Register to vote.--The term `register to vote' 
 includes updating the existing voter registration of an 
 individual.
 ``

    (b) Establishment.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--The chief State election official of 
 each State shall establish and operate a system of automatic 
 registration for the registration of eligible individuals to 
 vote for elections for Federal office in the State, in 
 accordance with the provisions of this section.
 ``

    (2) Registration of voters based on new agency records.--
 ``
        (A) In general.--The chief State election 
 official shall--
 ``
            (i) subject to subparagraph
        (B) , ensure 
 that each eligible individual who completes an 
 applicable transaction and does not decline to 
 register to vote is registered to vote--
 ``
            (I) in the next election for 
 Federal office (and subsequent 
 elections for Federal office), if an 
 applicable agency transmits information 
 under subsection
            (c) (1)
        (E) with respect 
 to the individual not later than the 
 applicable date; and
 ``
            (II) in subsequent elections for 
 Federal office, if an applicable agency 
 transmits information under subsection
            (c) (1)
        (E) with respect to the 
 individual after the applicable date; 
 and
 ``
            (ii) not later than 60 days after the 
 receipt of information described in subsection
            (c) (1)
        (E) with respect to an individual, send 
 written notice to the individual, in addition 
 to other means of notice established under this 
 section, of the voter registration status of 
 the individual.
 ``
        (B) Applicable date.--For purposes of this 
 subsection, the term `applicable date' means, with 
 respect to any election for Federal office, the later 
 of--
 ``
            (i) the date that is 28 days before the 
 date of the election; or
 ``
            (ii) the last day of the period provided 
 by State law for voter registration with 
 respect to such election.
 ``
            (C) Clarification.--Nothing in this subsection 
 shall prevent a chief State election official from 
 registering an eligible individual to vote in the next 
 election for Federal office in the State, including if 
 an applicable agency transmits information under 
 subsection
            (c) (1)
        (E) with respect to the individual 
 after the applicable date.
 ``

    (3) Treatment of individuals under 18 years of age.--
 ``
        (A) In general.--Except as provided in 
 subparagraph
        (B) , a State may not refuse to treat an 
 individual as an eligible individual for purposes of 
 this section on the grounds that the individual is less 
 than 18 years of age on the date on which an applicable 
 agency receives information with respect to the 
 individual, provided that the individual is not less 
 than 16 years of age at that time.
 ``
        (B) Exception.--Nothing in subparagraph
        (A) may 
 be construed to require a State to permit an individual 
 who is less than 18 years of age on the date of an 
 election for Federal office to vote in the election.
 ``
            (c) Applicable Agency Responsibilities.--
 ``

    (1) Instructions on automatic registration for agencies 
 collecting citizenship information.--
 ``
        (A) In general.--Except as otherwise provided in 
 this section, in the case of any applicable transaction 
 for which an applicable agency (in the normal course of 
 the operations) requests (either directly or as part of 
 the overall application submitted for the applicable 
 transaction) that an individual affirm that the 
 individual is a United States citizen, the applicable 
 agency shall inform each such individual who is a 
 citizen of the United States of the following:
 ``
            (i) Unless the individual declines to 
 register to vote, or is found ineligible to 
 vote--
 ``
            (I) the individual will be 
 registered to vote; or
 ``
            (II) if applicable, the voter 
 registration of the individual will be 
 updated.
 ``
            (ii) With respect to the qualification to 
 register to vote--
 ``
            (I) the substantive 
 qualifications of an elector in the 
 State as listed in the mail voter 
 registration application form for 
 elections for Federal office prescribed 
 pursuant to 

section 9;
 ``
            (II) the consequences of false 
 registration; and
 ``
            (III) how the individual should 
 decline to register to vote if the 
 individual does not meet requirements 
 for eligibility to vote in a Federal 
 election.
 ``
            (iii) In the case of a State in which 
 affiliation or enrollment with a political 
 party is required in order to participate in an 
 election for Federal office to select the 
 candidate of the political party, the 
 requirement that the individual must, in 
 registering to vote, affiliate or enroll with a 
 political party in order to participate in such 
 an election.
 ``
            (iv) With respect to voter registration 
 by an individual--
 ``
            (I) voter registration is 
 voluntary;
 ``
            (II) whether the individual 
 registers or declines to register to 
 vote shall not affect the availability 
 of any service or benefit; and
 ``
            (III) information relating to 
 whether the individual registers or 
 declines to register to vote may not be 
 used for other purposes.
 ``
        (B) Individuals with limited english 
 proficiency.--
 ``
            (i) Covered individual.--For purposes of 
 this subparagraph, the term `covered 
 individual' means an individual conducting an 
 applicable transaction--
 ``
            (I) who is a member of a group 
 that constitutes not less than 3 
 percent of the overall population of 
 the State, as determined by the United 
 States Census Bureau, served by the 
 applicable agency; and
 ``
            (II) who is limited English 
 proficient.
 ``
            (ii) Requirement.--In providing 
 information pursuant to subparagraph
        (A) , an 
 applicable agency shall provide the information 
 to any covered individual served by the 
 applicable agency in a language understood by 
 the covered individual.
 ``
            (C) Clarification of procedures for ineligible 
 voters.--An applicable agency may not provide an 
 individual who did not affirm United States 
 citizenship, or for whom the applicable agency has 
 conclusive documentary evidence obtained through the 
 normal course of operations of the applicable agency 
 that the individual is not a United States citizen, the 
 opportunity to register to vote under subparagraph
        (A) .
 ``
            (D) Opportunity to decline registration 
 required.--
 ``
            (i) In general.--Except as otherwise 
 provided in this section, each applicable 
 agency shall ensure that each applicable 
 transaction described in subparagraph
        (A) may 
 not be completed unless the individual is given 
 the opportunity to decline to be registered to 
 vote.
 ``
            (ii) Language requirement.--If an 
 individual is a covered individual, as defined 
 in subparagraph
        (B)
            (i) , the covered individual 
 shall be given the opportunity to decline to be 
 registered to vote in a language understood by 
 the covered individual.
 ``
        (E) Information transmittal.--Not later than 10 
 days after an applicable transaction with an eligible 
 individual, if the eligible individual did not decline 
 to be registered to vote, the applicable agency shall 
 electronically transmit to the appropriate State 
 election official the following information with 
 respect to the eligible individual:
 ``
            (i) The given name and surname of the 
 eligible individual.
 ``
            (ii) The date of birth of the eligible 
 individual.
 ``
            (iii) The residential address of the 
 individual.
 ``
            (iv) Information showing that the 
 individual is a citizen of the United States.
 ``
            (v) The date on which information 
 pertaining to the eligible individual was 
 collected or most recently updated.
 ``
            (vi) If available, the signature of the 
 eligible individual in electronic form.
 ``
            (vii) In the case of a State in which 
 affiliation or enrollment with a political 
 party is required in order to participate in an 
 election to select the candidate of the 
 political party in an election for Federal 
 office, information relating to the affiliation 
 or enrollment of the eligible individual with a 
 political party, if the eligible individual 
 provides that information.
 ``
            (viii) Any additional information listed 
 in the mail voter registration application form 
 for elections for Federal office prescribed 
 pursuant to 

section 9, including, if the 
 eligible individual provides such information--
 ``
            (I) the valid driver's license 
 number of the eligible individual; and
 ``
            (II) the last 4 digits of the 
 social security number of the eligible 
 individual.
 ``
        (F) Provision of information relating to 
 participation in primary elections.--In the case of a 
 State in which affiliation or enrollment with a 
 political party is required in order to participate in 
 an election to select the candidate of a political 
 party in an election for Federal office, if the 
 information transmitted under subparagraph
        (E) with 
 respect to an eligible individual does not include 
 information regarding the affiliation or enrollment 
 with a political party of the eligible individual, the 
 chief State election official shall--
 ``
            (i) notify the eligible individual that 
 such affiliation or enrollment is required to 
 participate in any primary election for Federal 
 office; and
 ``
            (ii) provide an opportunity for the 
 eligible individual to update the registration 
 of the eligible individual to denote the party 
 affiliation or enrollment of the eligible 
 individual.
 ``
        (G) Clarification.--Nothing in this section shall 
 be construed to require an applicable agency to 
 transmit to an election official the information 
 described in subparagraph
        (E) with respect to an 
 individual who is ineligible to vote in an election for 
 Federal office in the State, except to the extent 
 required to pre-register a citizen between 16 and 18 
 years of age.
 ``

    (2) Alternate procedure for certain other applicable 
 agencies.--With each applicable transaction for which an 
 applicable agency (in the normal course of the operations of 
 the applicable agency) does not request an individual to affirm 
 United States citizenship (either directly or as part of the 
 overall application for service or assistance), the applicable 
 agency shall--
 ``
        (A) complete the requirements under 

section 5;
 ``
        (B) ensure that each transaction by an individual 
 with the applicable agency may not be completed unless 
 the individual indicates whether the individual wishes 
 to register to vote or declines to register to vote in 
 elections for Federal office held in the State; and
 ``
            (C) for each individual who wishes to register to 
 vote, transmit the information relating to the 
 individual described in paragraph

    (1)
        (E) , unless the 
 applicable agency has conclusive documentary evidence 
 obtained through the normal course of operations of the 
 applicable agency that the individual is not a United 
 States citizen.
 ``

    (3) Required availability of automatic registration 
 opportunity with each application for service or assistance.--
 Each applicable agency shall offer each eligible individual, in 
 conducting each applicable transaction, the opportunity to 
 register to vote as prescribed by this section without regard 
 to whether the individual previously declined an opportunity to 
 register to vote.
 ``
            (d) Voter Protection.--
 ``

    (1) Protection of information by applicable agencies.--
 Nothing in this section may be construed to authorize an 
 applicable agency to collect, retain, transmit, or publicly 
 disclose any of the following, except as necessary to comply 
 with title III of the Civil Rights Act of 1960 (52 U.S.C. 20701 
 et seq.):
 ``
        (A) The decision of an individual to decline to 
 register to vote.
 ``
        (B) The decision of an individual not to affirm 
 the citizenship of the individual.
 ``
            (C) Any information that an applicable agency 
 transmits pursuant to subsection
            (c) (1)
        (E) , except in 
 carrying out the ordinary course of business of the 
 applicable agency.
 ``

    (2) Protection of information by elections officials.--
 ``
        (A) Public disclosure prohibited.--
 ``
            (i) In general.--Except as provided in 
 clause
            (ii) , with respect to any individual 
 with respect to whom any appropriate State 
 election official receives information from an 
 applicable agency, the State election official 
 shall not publicly disclose--
 ``
            (I) any information not necessary 
 to voter registration;
 ``
            (II) any information of the 
 individual otherwise protected from 
 disclosure pursuant to 

section 8

    (a) or 
 State law;
 ``
            (III) any portion of the social 
 security number of the individual;
 ``
            (IV) any portion of the motor 
 vehicle driver's license number of the 
 individual;
 ``
            (V) the signature of the 
 individual;
 ``
            (VI) the telephone number of the 
 individual; or
 ``
            (VII) the email address of the 
 individual.
 ``
            (ii) Special rule for individuals 
 registered to vote.--The prohibition on public 
 disclosure under clause
            (i) shall not apply 
 with respect to the telephone number or email 
 address of any individual--
 ``
            (I) for whom any State election 
 official receives information from the 
 applicable agency; and
 ``
            (II) who, on the basis of such 
 information, is registered to vote in 
 the State under this section.
 ``

    (e) Miscellaneous Provisions.--
 ``

    (1) Accessibility of registration services.--Each 
 applicable agency shall ensure that the voter registration 
 services the applicable agency provides under this section are 
 made available to individuals with disabilities to the same 
 extent as services are made available to all other individuals.
 ``

    (2) Transmission through secure third party permitted.--
 Nothing in the Register America to Vote Act of 2025 or this 
 section shall be construed to prevent an applicable agency from 
 contracting with a third party to assist the applicable agency 
 in meeting the information transmittal requirements under this 
 section, provided that the information transmittal complies 
 with the applicable requirements of this section, including 
 provisions relating privacy and security.
 ``

    (3) Nonpartisan, nondiscriminatory provision of 
 services.--The services made available by applicable agencies 
 under this section shall be made in a manner consistent with 
 paragraphs

    (4) ,

    (5) , and

    (6)
            (C) of 

section 7

    (a) .
 ``

    (4) Notices.--
 ``
        (A) Electronic notices.--Each State may send 
 notices under this section via electronic mail if the 
 individual has provided an electronic mail address and 
 consented to electronic mail communications for 
 election-related materials.
 ``
        (B) Response.--Any notice sent pursuant to this 
 section that requires a response shall offer the 
 individual to whom the notice is sent the opportunity 
 to respond to the notice at no cost to the individual.
 ``

    (5) Registration at other state offices permitted.--
 Nothing in this section may be construed to prohibit a State 
 from offering voter registration services described in this 
 section at offices of the State other than the State motor 
 vehicle authority.
 ``

    (f) Applicability.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--This section shall not apply to an 
 exempt State.
 ``

    (2) Exempt state.--The term `exempt State' means a State 
 that, under law that is in effect on or after the date of 
 enactment of this Act, either--
 ``
        (A) has no voter registration requirement for any 
 voter in the State with respect to a Federal election; 
 or
 ``
        (B) operates a system of automatic registration 
 (as defined in subsection

    (a) )--
 ``
            (i) at the motor vehicle authority of the 
 State; or
 ``
            (ii) a Permanent Dividend Fund of the 
 State under which an individual is provided the 
 opportunity to decline to register to vote--
 ``
            (I) during the transaction; or
 ``
            (II) by notice sent by mail or 
 electronically after the 
 transaction.''.

    (b) Conforming Amendments.--

    (1) Section 4

    (a) of the National Voter Registration Act of 
 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20503

    (a) ) is amended by--
        (A) redesignating paragraphs

    (2) and

    (3) as 
 paragraphs

    (3) and

    (4) , respectively; and
        (B) inserting after paragraph

    (1) the following:
 ``

    (2) by application made simultaneously with an 
 application for a motor vehicle driver's license pursuant to 
 

section 5A;''.

    (2) Section 4

    (b) of the National Voter Registration Act of 
 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20503

    (b) ) is amended--
        (A) by redesignating paragraphs

    (1) and

    (2) as 
 subparagraphs
        (A) and
        (B) , respectively, and indenting 
 appropriately;
        (B) by striking ``States.--This Act'' and inserting 
 ``States.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph

    (2) , 
 this Act''; and
            (C) by adding at the end the following new 
 paragraph:
 ``

    (2) Application of automatic registration requirements.--
 

Section 5A shall apply to a State described in paragraph

    (1) , 
 unless the State is an exempt State as defined in subsection

    (f)

    (2) of that section.''.

    (3) Section 8

    (a)

    (1) of the National Voter Registration Act 
 of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20507

    (a)

    (1) ) is amended by redesignating 
 subparagraphs
        (B) ,
            (C) , and
            (D) as subparagraphs
            (C) ,
            (D) , and
        (E) , respectively, and by inserting after subparagraph
        (A) the 
 following:
 ``
        (B) in the case of registration under 

section 5A, 
 within the period provided in 

section 5A

    (b)

    (2) ;''.

SEC. 6. VOTER PROTECTION AND SECURITY IN AUTOMATIC REGISTRATION.

    (a) Protections for Errors in Registration.--An individual shall 
not be prosecuted under any Federal or State law, adversely affected in 
any civil adjudication concerning immigration status or naturalization, 
or subject to an allegation in any legal proceeding that the individual 
is not a citizen of the United States for any of the following reasons:

    (1) The individual notifies an election office of the 
 individual's automatic registration to vote.

    (2) The individual is not eligible to vote in elections for 
 Federal office but was automatically registered to vote due to 
 individual or applicable agency error.

    (3) The individual was automatically registered to vote at 
 an address that is not the correct residential address of the 
 individual.

    (4) The individual declined the opportunity to register to 
 vote or did not make an affirmation of citizenship when 
 registering to vote, including through automatic registration.

    (b) Limits on Use of Automatic Registration.--The automatic 
registration (as defined in 

section 5A of the National Voter 
Registration Act of 1993) of any individual, or the fact that an 
individual declined the opportunity to register to vote or did not make 
an affirmation of citizenship (including through automatic 
registration), may not be used as evidence against that individual in 
any State or Federal law enforcement proceeding or any civil 
adjudication concerning immigration status or naturalization, and the 
lack of knowledge or willfulness of the individual in such registration 
may be demonstrated by the testimony of the individual alone.
            (c) Protection of Election Integrity.--Nothing in subsection

    (a) or

    (b) shall be construed to prohibit or restrict any action under color 
of law against an individual who--

    (1) knowingly and willfully makes a false statement to 
 effectuate or perpetuate automatic voter registration by any 
 individual; or

    (2) casts a ballot knowingly and willfully in violation of 
 State law or the laws of the United States.
            (d) Protection of Information by Elections Officials.--

    (1) Voter record changes.--Each State shall maintain for 
 not fewer than 2 years, and shall make available for public 
 inspection (and, where available, photocopying at a reasonable 
 cost), including in electronic form and through electronic 
 methods, all records of changes to voter records, including 
 removals, the reasons for removals, and updates.

    (2) Database management standards.--Not later than 1 year 
 after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director of the 
 National Institute of Standards and Technology, in consultation 
 with State and local election officials representing geographic 
 and socio-economic diversity, and the Election Assistance 
 Commission, shall, after providing the public with notice and 
 the opportunity to comment--
        (A) establish standards governing the comparison of 
 data for voter registration list maintenance purposes, 
 identifying as part of those standards the specific 
 data elements, the matching rules used, and how a State 
 may use the data to determine and deem that an 
 individual is ineligible under State law to vote in an 
 election, or to deem a record to be a duplicate or 
 outdated;
        (B) ensure that the standards developed under this 
 paragraph are uniform and nondiscriminatory and are 
 applied in a uniform and nondiscriminatory manner;
            (C) not later than 45 days after the deadline for 
 public notice and comment;
            (i) publish the standards developed under 
 this paragraph on the website of the National 
 Institute of Standards and Technology; and
            (ii) make the standards developed under 
 this paragraph available in written form upon 
 request; and
            (D) ensure that the standards developed under this 
 paragraph are maintained and updated in a manner that 
 reflects innovations and best practices in the security 
 of database management.

    (3) Security 

=== policy ===
-
        (A) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the 
 date of enactment of this Act, the Director of the 
 National Institute of Standards and Technology shall, 
 after providing the public with notice and the 
 opportunity to comment, publish privacy and security 
 standards for voter registration information not later 
 than 45 days after the deadline for public notice and 
 comment.
        (B) Requirement.--The standards developed under 
 this paragraph shall require the chief State election 
 official of each State to adopt a policy that shall 
 specify--
            (i) each class of users who have authorized 
 access to the computerized statewide voter 
 registration list--
            (I) specifying for each class the 
 permission and levels of access to be 
 granted; and
            (II) setting forth other safeguards 
 to protect the privacy, security, and 
 accuracy of the information on voter 
 registration lists; and
            (ii) security safeguards to protect 
 personal information transmitted through--
            (I) the information transmittal 
 processes of 

section 5A

    (b) of the 
 National Voter Registration Act of 
 1993;
            (II) any telephone interface;
            (III) the maintenance of the voter 
 registration database; and
            (IV) any audit procedure to track 
 access to the system.
            (C) Maintenance and updating.--The Director of the 
 National Institute of Standards and Technology shall 
 ensure that the standards developed under this 
 paragraph are maintained and updated in a manner that 
 reflects innovations and best practices in the privacy 
 and security of voter registration information.

    (4) State compliance with national standards.--
        (A) Certification.--Each chief State election 
 official of the State shall annually file with the 
 Election Assistance Commission a statement certifying 
 to the Director of the National Institute of Standards 
 and Technology that the State is in compliance with the 
 standards developed under paragraphs

    (2) and

    (3) , which 
 requirement may be met if the chief State election 
 official submits to the Election Assistance Commission 
 a statement that states, ``_____ hereby certifies that 
 _____ is in compliance with the standards referred to 
 in paragraphs

    (2) and

    (3) of 

section 6
            (d) of the 
 Register America to Vote Act of 2025.'', with the blank 
 spaces to be completed with the name of the relevant 
 State.
        (B) Publication of policies and procedures.--The 
 chief State election official of a State shall--
            (i) publish on the website of the chief 
 State election official the policies and 
 procedures established under this section; and
            (ii) make those policies and procedures 
 available in written form upon public request.
            (C) Funding dependent on certification.--If a State 
 does not timely file the certification required under 
 subparagraph
        (A) , it shall not receive any payment 
 under this Act for the upcoming fiscal year in which 
 the State fails to make such certification.
            (D) Compliance of states that require changes to 
 state law.--In the case of a State that requires State 
 legislation to carry out an activity covered by any 
 certification submitted under this paragraph--
            (i) for a period of not more than 2 years, 
 the State shall be permitted to make the 
 certification notwithstanding that the 
 legislation has not been enacted on the date on 
 which the State submits the certification; and
            (ii) the State shall submit an additional 
 certification once such legislation is enacted.

    (e) Restrictions on Use of Information.--No person acting under 
color of law may discriminate against any individual based on, or use 
for any purpose other than voter registration, election administration, 
juror selection, or enforcement relating to an election crime, any of 
the following:

    (1) Voter registration records.

    (2) The declination of an individual to register to vote or 
 complete an affirmation of citizenship under 

section 5A of the 
 National Voter Registration Act of 1993.

    (3) The voter registration status of an individual.

    (f) Prohibition on the Use of Voter Registration Information for 
Commercial 

=== Purposes ===
-

    (1) In general.--Information collected under this Act or 
 the amendments made by this Act shall not be used for 
 commercial purposes.

    (2) Dissemination for political 

=== purposes ===
-Nothing in this 
 subsection shall be construed to prohibit the transmission, 
 exchange, or dissemination of information for political 
 purposes, including the support of campaigns for election for 
 Federal, State, or local public office or the activities of 
 political committees (including committees of political 
 parties) under the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (52 
 U.S.C. 30101 et seq.).

SEC. 7. PAYMENTS AND GRANTS.

    (a) In General.--The Election Assistance Commission shall make 
grants to each eligible State under subsection

    (b) to assist the State 
in implementing the requirements of this Act and the amendments made by 
this Act (or, in the case of an exempt State, in implementing the 
existing automatic voter registration program of the exempt State or 
expanding the automatic voter registration program of the State in a 
manner consistent with the requirements of this Act) with respect to 
the offices of the State motor vehicle authority and any other offices 
of the State at which the State offers voter registration services as 
described in this Act and the amendments made by this Act.

    (b) Eligibility; Application.--A State is eligible to receive a 
grant under this section if the State submits to the Election 
Assistance Commission, at such time and in such form as the Election 
Assistance Commission may require, an application containing--

    (1) a description of the activities the State will carry 
 out with the grant;

    (2) an assurance that the State shall carry out such 
 activities without partisan bias and without promoting any 
 particular point of view regarding any issue; and

    (3) any other information and assurances as the Election 
 Assistance Commission may require.
            (c) Amount of Grant; Priorities.--

    (1) Amount.--The Commission shall determine the amount of a 
 grant made to an eligible State under this section.

    (2) Priorities.--In determining the amount of a grant, the 
 Election Assistance Commission shall give priority to providing 
 funds for those activities that are most likely to accelerate 
 compliance with the requirements of this Act (or, in the case 
 of an exempt State, that are most likely to enhance the ability 
 of the exempt State to automatically register individuals to 
 vote through the existing automatic voter registration program 
 of the exempt State), including--
        (A) investments supporting electronic information 
 transfer, including electronic collection and transfer 
 of signatures, between applicable agencies (as defined 
 in 

section 5A of the National Voter Registration Act of 
 1993) and the appropriate State election officials;
        (B) updates to online or electronic voter 
 registration systems already operating as of the date 
 of the enactment of this Act;
            (C) introduction of online voter registration 
 systems in jurisdictions in which those systems did not 
 previously exist; and
            (D) public education on the availability of new 
 methods of registering to vote, updating registration, 
 and correcting registration.
            (d) Exempt State.--For purposes of this section, the term ``exempt 
State''--

    (1) has the meaning given that term under 

section 5A

    (f)

    (2) of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993; and

    (2) includes a State in which, under law in effect on or 
 after the date of the enactment of the National Voter 
 Registration Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20501 et seq.), there is no 
 voter registration requirement for any voter in the State with 
 respect to an election for Federal office.

    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--

    (1) Authorization.--There are authorized to be appropriated 
 to carry out this section--
        (A) $3,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2026; and
        (B) such sums as may be necessary for each 
 succeeding fiscal year.

    (2) Continuing availability of funds.--Any amounts 
 appropriated pursuant to this subsection shall remain available 
 without fiscal year limitation until expended.

SEC. 8. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS.

    (a) Enforcement.--

Section 11 of the National Voter Registration Act 
of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20510), relating to civil enforcement and the 
availability of private rights of action, shall apply with respect to 
this Act in the same manner as such section applies to the National 
Voter Registration Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20501 et seq.).

    (b) Relation to Other Laws.--Except as provided, nothing in this 
Act or the amendments made by this Act may be construed to authorize or 
require conduct prohibited under, or to supersede, restrict, or limit 
the application of any of the following:

    (1) The Voting Rights Act of 1965 (52 U.S.C. 10301 et 
 seq.).

    (2) The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act 
 (52 U.S.C. 20301 et seq.).

    (3) Except as provided by the amendment made under 

section 5 of this Act, the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (52 
 U.S.C. 20501 et seq.).

    (4) The Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 20901 et 
 seq.).

    (5) The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 
 12101 et seq.).

SEC. 9. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    (a) In General.--Except as provided in subsection

    (b) , this Act and 
the amendments made by this Act shall apply on and after January 1, 
2026.

    (b) Waiver.--If a State certifies to the Elections Assistance 
Commission not later than January 1, 2026, that the State will not meet 
the deadline described in subsection

    (a) because it would be 
impracticable to do so and includes in the certification the reasons 
for the failure to meet that deadline, subsection

    (a) shall apply to 
the State as if the reference in such subsection to ``January 1, 2026'' 
were a reference to ``January 1, 2028''.
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