US HB4 | 2019-2020 | 116th Congress

Status

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 230-0)
Status: Engrossed on December 9 2019 - 50% progression, died in chamber
Action: 2020-07-27 - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Con. Res. 107, enrollment corrections on H.R. 4 have been made.
Text: Latest bill text (Engrossed) [PDF]

Summary

Establishes new criteria for determining which states and political subdivisions must obtain preclearance before changes to voting practices in these areas may take effect. (Preclearance is the process of receiving preapproval from the Department of Justice or the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before making legal changes that would affect voting rights.) A state and all of its political subdivisions shall be subject to preclearance of voting practice changes for a 10-year period if (1) 15 or more voting rights violations occurred in the state during the previous 25 years; or (2) 10 or more violations occurred during the previous 25 years, at least one of which was committed by the state itself. A political subdivision as a separate unit shall also be subject to preclearance for a 10-year period if three or more voting rights violations occurred there during the previous 25 years. A state or political subdivision that obtains a declaratory judgment that it has not used a voting practice to deny or abridge the right to vote shall be exempt from preclearance. All jurisdictions must preclear changes to requirements for documentation to vote that make the requirements more stringent than federal requirements for voters who register by mail or state law. The bill specifies practices jurisdictions meeting certain thresholds regarding racial minority groups, language minority groups, or minority groups on Indian land, must preclear before implementing. These practices include changes to methods of election, changes to jurisdiction boundaries, redistricting, changes to voting locations and opportunities, and changes to voter registration list maintenance. The bill expands the circumstances under which (1) a court may retain the authority to preclear voting changes made by a state or political subdivision, or (2) the Department of Justice may assign election observers. States and political subdivisions must notify the public of changes to voting practices. The bill revises the circumstances under which a court must grant preliminary injunctive relief in a challenge to voting practices.

Tracking Information

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Title

Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2019

Sponsors

Rep. Terri Sewell [D-AL]Rep. John Lewis [D-GA]Rep. Nancy Pelosi [D-CA]Rep. Steny Hoyer [D-MD]
Rep. James Clyburn [D-SC]Sen. Ben Lujan [D-NM]Rep. Judy Chu [D-CA]Rep. Joaquin Castro [D-TX]
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries [D-NY]Rep. Alma Adams [D-NC]Rep. Pete Aguilar [D-CA]Rep. Colin Allred [D-TX]
Rep. Karen Bass [D-CA]Rep. Joyce Beatty [D-OH]Rep. Ami Bera [D-CA]Rep. Don Beyer [D-VA]
Rep. Sanford Bishop [D-GA]Rep. Earl Blumenauer [D-OR]Rep. Lisa Rochester [D-DE]Rep. Suzanne Bonamici [D-OR]
Rep. Brendan Boyle [D-PA]Rep. Anthony Brown [D-MD]Rep. Julia Brownley [D-CA]Rep. Cheri Bustos [D-IL]
Rep. G. Butterfield [D-NC]Rep. Tony Cardenas [D-CA]Rep. Andre Carson [D-IN]Rep. Matthew Cartwright [D-PA]
Rep. David Cicilline [D-RI]Rep. Gil Cisneros [D-CA]Rep. Katherine Clark [D-MA]Rep. Yvette Clarke [D-NY]
Rep. Lacy Clay [D-MO]Rep. Emanuel Cleaver [D-MO]Rep. Gerald Connolly [D-VA]Rep. Jim Cooper [D-TN]
Rep. Jim Costa [D-CA]Rep. TJ Cox [D-CA]Rep. Angela Craig [D-MN]Rep. Charlie Crist [D-FL]
Rep. Elijah Cummings [D-MD]Rep. Danny Davis [D-IL]Rep. Madeleine Dean [D-PA]Rep. Diana DeGette [D-CO]
Rep. Rosa DeLauro [D-CT]Rep. Suzan DelBene [D-WA]Rep. Antonio Delgado [D-NY]Rep. Val Demings [D-FL]
Rep. Theodore Deutch [D-FL]Rep. Debbie Dingell [D-MI]Rep. Lloyd Doggett [D-TX]Rep. Michael Doyle [D-PA]
Rep. Eliot Engel [D-NY]Rep. Veronica Escobar [D-TX]Rep. Anna Eshoo [D-CA]Rep. Adriano Espaillat [D-NY]
Rep. Ruben Gallego [D-AZ]Rep. John Garamendi [D-CA]Rep. Jimmy Gomez [D-CA]Rep. Josh Gottheimer [D-NJ]
Rep. Al Green [D-TX]Rep. Debra Haaland [D-NM]Rep. Alcee Hastings [D-FL]Rep. Denny Heck [D-WA]
Rep. Brian Higgins [D-NY]Rep. Katie Hill [D-CA]Rep. James Himes [D-CT]Rep. Steven Horsford [D-NV]
Rep. Jared Huffman [D-CA]Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee [D-TX]Rep. Pramila Jayapal [D-WA]Rep. Eddie Johnson [D-TX]
Rep. Henry Johnson [D-GA]Rep. William Keating [D-MA]Rep. Robin Kelly [D-IL]Rep. Ro Khanna [D-CA]
Rep. Derek Kilmer [D-WA]Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick [D-AZ]Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi [D-IL]Rep. Ann Kuster [D-NH]
Rep. Conor Lamb [D-PA]Rep. Rick Larsen [D-WA]Rep. John Larson [D-CT]Rep. Brenda Lawrence [D-MI]
Rep. Al Lawson [D-FL]Rep. Barbara Lee [D-CA]Rep. Ted Lieu [D-CA]Rep. Alan Lowenthal [D-CA]
Rep. Nita Lowey [D-NY]Rep. Stephen Lynch [D-MA]Rep. Carolyn Maloney [D-NY]Rep. Sean Maloney [D-NY]
Rep. Doris Matsui [D-CA]Rep. Lucy McBath [D-GA]Rep. Betty McCollum [D-MN]Rep. Donald McEachin [D-VA]
Rep. James McGovern [D-MA]Rep. Gregory Meeks [D-NY]Rep. Grace Meng [D-NY]Rep. Gwen Moore [D-WI]
Rep. Joseph Morelle [D-NY]Rep. Seth Moulton [D-MA]Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell [D-FL]Rep. Stephanie Murphy [D-FL]
Rep. Grace Napolitano [D-CA]Rep. Donald Norcross [D-NJ]Rep. Eleanor Norton [D-DC]Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez [D-NY]
Rep. Ilhan Omar [D-MN]Rep. Frank Pallone [D-NJ]Rep. Jimmy Panetta [D-CA]Rep. Christopher Pappas [D-NH]
Rep. Bill Pascrell [D-NJ]Rep. Ed Perlmutter [D-CO]Rep. Scott Peters [D-CA]Rep. Stacey Plaskett [D-VI]
Rep. Mark Pocan [D-WI]Rep. Ayanna Pressley [D-MA]Rep. David Price [D-NC]Rep. Mike Quigley [D-IL]
Rep. Jamie Raskin [D-MD]Rep. Kathleen Rice [D-NY]Rep. Harley Rouda [D-CA]Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard [D-CA]
Rep. C.A. Ruppersberger [D-MD]Rep. Bobby Rush [D-IL]Rep. Tim Ryan [D-OH]Rep. Linda Sanchez [D-CA]
Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon [D-PA]Rep. Janice Schakowsky [D-IL]Rep. Adam Schiff [D-CA]Rep. Bradley Schneider [D-IL]
Rep. Kim Schrier [D-WA]Rep. Robert Scott [D-VA]Rep. David Scott [D-GA]Rep. Jose Serrano [D-NY]
Rep. Donna Shalala [D-FL]Rep. Brad Sherman [D-CA]Rep. Rebecca Sherrill [D-NJ]Rep. Albio Sires [D-NJ]
Rep. Adam Smith [D-WA]Rep. Darren Soto [D-FL]Rep. Abigail Spanberger [D-VA]Rep. Jackie Speier [D-CA]
Rep. Thomas Suozzi [D-NY]Rep. Eric Swalwell [D-CA]Rep. Mark Takano [D-CA]Rep. Bennie Thompson [D-MS]
Rep. Dina Titus [D-NV]Rep. Rashida Tlaib [D-MI]Rep. Paul Tonko [D-NY]Rep. Norma Torres [D-CA]
Rep. Lori Trahan [D-MA]Rep. Filemon Vela [D-TX]Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz [D-FL]Rep. Bonnie Coleman [D-NJ]
Sen. Peter Welch [D-VT]Rep. Susan Wild [D-PA]Rep. Frederica Wilson [D-FL]Rep. Ed Case [D-HI]
Rep. Sean Casten [D-IL]Rep. Kathy Castor [D-FL]Rep. Steve Cohen [D-TN]Rep. Sharice Davids [D-KS]
Rep. Mark DeSaulnier [D-CA]Rep. Abby Finkenauer [D-IA]Rep. Elizabeth Fletcher [D-TX]Rep. Bill Foster [D-IL]
Rep. Henry Cuellar [D-TX]Rep. Jason Crow [D-CO]Rep. Marcia Fudge [D-OH]Rep. Daniel Kildee [D-MI]
Rep. Ron Kind [D-WI]Rep. Andy Levin [D-MI]Rep. Mike Levin [D-CA]Rep. David Loebsack [D-IA]
Rep. Zoe Lofgren [D-CA]Rep. Joseph Neguse [D-CO]Rep. Jerry McNerney [D-CA]Rep. Dean Phillips [D-MN]
Rep. Chellie Pingree [D-ME]Rep. Raul Ruiz [D-CA]Rep. John Sarbanes [D-MD]Rep. Elissa Slotkin [D-MI]
Rep. Greg Stanton [D-AZ]Rep. Haley Stevens [D-MI]Rep. Mike Thompson [D-CA]Rep. Lauren Underwood [D-IL]
Rep. Marc Veasey [D-TX]Rep. Nydia Velazquez [D-NY]Rep. Maxine Waters [D-CA]Rep. Jennifer Wexton [D-VA]
Rep. Katie Porter [D-CA]Rep. Juan Vargas [D-CA]Rep. Jesus Garcia [D-IL]Rep. Vicente Gonzalez [D-TX]
Rep. David Trone [D-MD]Rep. Joe Courtney [D-CT]Rep. Kendra Horn [D-OK]Rep. Nanette Barragan [D-CA]
Rep. Susan Davis [D-CA]Rep. Dwight Evans [D-PA]Rep. Lois Frankel [D-FL]Rep. Raul Grijalva [D-AZ]
Rep. Jahana Hayes [D-CT]Rep. Jerrold Nadler [D-NY]Rep. Joseph Kennedy [D-MA]Rep. Chrissy Houlahan [D-PA]
Rep. John Yarmuth [D-KY]Rep. Suzanne Lee [D-NV]Rep. Andy Kim [D-NJ]Rep. Sylvia Garcia [D-TX]
Rep. Salud Carbajal [D-CA]Rep. Peter DeFazio [D-OR]Rep. Tom O'Halleran [D-AZ]Rep. Max Rose [D-NY]
Rep. Donald Payne [D-NJ]Rep. Elaine Luria [D-VA]Rep. Cindy Axne [D-IA]Rep. Richard Neal [D-MA]
Rep. Tom Malinowski [D-NJ]Rep. James Langevin [D-RI]Rep. Tulsi Gabbard [D-HI]Rep. Marcy Kaptur [D-OH]
Rep. Peter Visclosky [D-IN]Rep. Luis Correa [D-CA]Rep. Kurt Schrader [D-OR]Rep. Xochitl Torres Small [D-NM]
Rep. Jared Golden [D-ME]Rep. Joe Cunningham [D-SC]

Roll Calls

2019-12-06 - House - On passage RC# 654 (Y: 228 N: 187 NV: 16 Abs: 0) [PASS]
2019-12-06 - House - On motion to recommit with instructions RC# 653 (Y: 200 N: 215 NV: 15 Abs: 0) [FAIL]

History

DateChamberAction
2020-07-27HousePursuant to the provisions of H. Con. Res. 107, enrollment corrections on H.R. 4 have been made.
2019-12-09SenateReceived in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
2019-12-06HouseMotion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
2019-12-06HouseOn passage Passed by recorded vote: 228 - 187 (Roll no. 654). (text: CR H9308-9312)
2019-12-06HouseOn motion to recommit with instructions Failed by recorded vote: 200 - 215 (Roll no. 653).
2019-12-06HouseThe previous question on the motion to recommit with instructions was ordered without objection.
2019-12-06HouseDEBATE - The House proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Rodney Davis (IL) motion to recommit with instructions. The instructions contained in the motion seek to require the bill to be reported back to the House with an amendment inserting a new section entitled rule of construction which states that nothing in this Act may be construed to allow fines or other amounts paid to the United States in connection with a violation of title I of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 including any amount paid pursuant to a settlement agreement, to be used to make a payment in support of a campaign for election for the office of Senator or Representative in, or Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, the Congress.
2019-12-06HouseMr. Davis, Rodney moved to recommit with instructions to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text: CR H9331)
2019-12-06HousePursuant to clause 1(c) of Rule XIX proceedings on H.R. 4 resumed. (consideration: CR H9331-9334)
2019-12-06HousePOSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - Pursuant to clause 1(c) of rule XIX, the Chair postponed further proceedings on H.R. 4.
2019-12-06HouseThe previous question was ordered without objection.
2019-12-06HouseDEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H.R. 4.
2019-12-06HouseThe resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 4 under a closed rule with one hour of general debate. Also, the resolution provides for consideration of H. Res. 326 under a closed rule with one hour of general debate. The rule provides that the amendments to H. Res. 326 and preamble, modified by the amendments in Part B of the report are considered as adopted.
2019-12-06HouseConsidered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 741. (consideration: CR H9308-9330)
2019-12-04HouseRules Committee Resolution H. Res. 741 Reported to House. The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 4 under a closed rule with one hour of general debate. Also, the resolution provides for consideration of H. Res. 326 under a closed rule with one hour of general debate. The rule provides that the amendments to H. Res. 326 and preamble, modified by the amendments in Part B of the report are considered as adopted.
2019-11-29HousePlaced on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 258.
2019-11-29HouseReported (Amended) by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 116-317.
2019-10-23HouseCommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
2019-10-23HouseOrdered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 19 - 6.
2019-10-22HouseSubcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties Discharged.
2019-03-25HouseReferred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.
2019-02-26HouseReferred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
2019-02-26HouseIntroduced in House

Same As/Similar To

SB561 (Related) 2019-02-26 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
HB1799 (Related) 2019-05-03 - Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.
HR741 (Related) 2019-12-05 - Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
HCR107 (Related) 2020-07-29 - Received in the Senate.
SB4263 (Related) 2020-07-22 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Subjects


US Congress State Sources


Bill Comments

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