Emergency Assistance for Secure Elections Act of 2008
Latest action · Apr 15, 2008 On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Failed by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 239 - 178 (Roll no. 188).
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedJan 17, 2008
- Passed HouseNot reached
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Emergency Assistance for Secure Elections Act of 2008 - Directs the Election Assistance Commission to reimburse certain jurisdictions for the costs of: (1) converting from electronic or other voting systems to paper ballot voting systems for the general elections for federal office to be held in November 2008; (2) retrofitting direct recording electronic voting systems to produce voter verifiable paper records; and (3) providing backup paper ballots if the jurisdiction uses a direct recording electronic voting system which happens to fail. Authorizes appropriations.
Directs the Commission to reimburse any state for the documented reasonable costs it incurs in conducting manual audits of the results of any of the regularly scheduled general elections for federal office in November 2008 (including, at state option, manual audits of state and local elections).
Requires the state to: (1) reimburse immediately counties and other jurisdictions for the costs incurred as a result of a state audit; and (2) submit to the Commission a report on audit results in order to receive a payment under this Act. Authorizes appropriations.
Provides for payments for state, county, or equivalent locations conducting hand counts of the results of 2008 general elections. Authorizes appropriations.
Provides that if a state, county, or equivalent location uses a direct recording electronic voting system to conduct an election, the state, county, or equivalent location may not receive a payment for conducting a hand count of the votes cast in the election unless it certifies to the Commission that its system produces a paper record printout of the marked ballot verifiable by the voter at the time the vote is cast.
Requires the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to study, test, and develop products and practices that ensure the accessibility of paper ballot verification and casting for individuals with disabilities, for voters whose primary language is not English, and for voters with difficulties in literacy. Authorizes appropriations.
Recorded votes 1
Newest first. Open one to see how every member voted.
| Roll call | Question | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| House 188 | On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended | Failed239–178 | Apr 15, 2008 |
Cosponsors 92
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Jan 17, 2008 to Mar 31, 2008; 36 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-NJ | Albio Sires | Original | Jan 17, 2008 |
| D-NY | Anthony D. Weiner | Original | Jan 17, 2008 |
| D-MA | Barney Frank | Original | Jan 17, 2008 |
| D-NY | Carolyn B. Maloney | Original | Jan 17, 2008 |
| D-PA | Chaka Fattah | Original | Jan 17, 2008 |
| D-IL | Danny K. Davis | Original | Jan 17, 2008 |
| D-IA | David Loebsack | Original | Jan 17, 2008 |
| D-CA | Diane E. Watson | Original | Jan 17, 2008 |
| D-OR | Earl Blumenauer | Original | Jan 17, 2008 |
| D-CA | George Miller | Original | Jan 17, 2008 |
| D-CA | Henry A. Waxman | Original | Jan 17, 2008 |
| D-CA | Howard L. Berman | Original | Jan 17, 2008 |
| D-IL | Janice D. Schakowsky | Original | Jan 17, 2008 |
| D-WA | Jay Inslee | Original | Jan 17, 2008 |
| D-MI | John Conyers, Jr. | Original | Jan 17, 2008 |
| D-GA | John Lewis | Original | Jan 17, 2008 |
| D-MA | John W. Olver | Original | Jan 17, 2008 |
| D-NY | Joseph Crowley | Original | Jan 17, 2008 |
| D-TX | Lloyd Doggett | Original | Jan 17, 2008 |
| D-OH | Marcy Kaptur | Original | Jan 17, 2008 |
| D-NY | Maurice D. Hinchey | Original | Jan 17, 2008 |
| D-HI | Mazie K. Hirono | Original | Jan 17, 2008 |
| D-PA | Michael F. Doyle | Original | Jan 17, 2008 |
| D-CA | Michael M. Honda | Original | Jan 17, 2008 |
| D-HI | Neil Abercrombie | Original | Jan 17, 2008 |
| D-OR | Peter A. DeFazio | Original | Jan 17, 2008 |
| D-IL | Phil Hare | Original | Jan 17, 2008 |
| D-IL | Rahm Emanuel | Original | Jan 17, 2008 |
| D-AZ | Raúl M. Grijalva | Original | Jan 17, 2008 |
| D-FL | Robert Wexler | Original | Jan 17, 2008 |
| D-FL | Ron Klein | Original | Jan 17, 2008 |
| D-CA | Sam Farr | Original | Jan 17, 2008 |
| D-NJ | Steven R. Rothman | Original | Jan 17, 2008 |
| D-WI | Tammy Baldwin | Original | Jan 17, 2008 |
| D-OH | Tim Ryan | Original | Jan 17, 2008 |
| R-VA | Tom Davis | Original | Jan 17, 2008 |
| D-OH | Betty Sutton | Jan 18, 2008 | |
| D-NC | David E. Price | Jan 18, 2008 | |
| D-MA | James P. McGovern | Jan 18, 2008 | |
| D-MN | Keith Ellison | Jan 18, 2008 | |
| D-CA | Lois Capps | Jan 18, 2008 | |
| D-FL | Allen Boyd | Jan 22, 2008 | |
| D-FL | Corrine Brown | Jan 22, 2008 | |
| D-CA | Ellen O. Tauscher | Jan 22, 2008 | |
| D-AZ | Gabrielle Giffords | Jan 22, 2008 | |
| D-TX | Al Green | Jan 23, 2008 | |
| D-CA | Mike Thompson | Jan 23, 2008 | |
| D-MD | Albert Russell Wynn | Jan 29, 2008 | |
| D-TN | Bart Gordon | Jan 29, 2008 | |
| D-MI | Carolyn C. Kilpatrick | Jan 29, 2008 | |
| D-FL | Debbie Wasserman Schultz | Jan 29, 2008 | |
| D-TX | Eddie Bernice Johnson | Jan 29, 2008 | |
| D-NJ | Frank Pallone, Jr. | Jan 29, 2008 | |
| D-TX | Gene Green | Jan 29, 2008 | |
| D-VA | James P. Moran | Jan 29, 2008 | |
| D-PA | Jason Altmire | Jan 29, 2008 | |
| D-IL | Jesse L. Jackson, Jr. | Jan 29, 2008 | |
| D-TN | Jim Cooper | Jan 29, 2008 | |
| D-CA | Lynn C. Woolsey | Jan 29, 2008 | |
| D-MI | Sander M. Levin | Jan 29, 2008 | |
| D-TX | Sheila Jackson Lee | Jan 29, 2008 | |
| D-KY | Ben Chandler | Feb 6, 2008 | |
| D-MI | Dale E. Kildee | Feb 6, 2008 | |
| D-AZ | Ed Pastor | Feb 6, 2008 | |
| D-GA | John Barrow | Feb 6, 2008 | |
| D-CA | Linda T. Sánchez | Feb 6, 2008 | |
| D-PA | Patrick J. Murphy | Feb 6, 2008 | |
| D-TN | Steve Cohen | Feb 6, 2008 | |
| D-CA | Xavier Becerra | Feb 6, 2008 | |
| D-NY | Yvette D. Clarke | Feb 6, 2008 | |
| D-PA | Allyson Y. Schwartz | Feb 12, 2008 | |
| D-MA | Bill Delahunt | Feb 12, 2008 | |
| D-NH | Carol Shea-Porter | Feb 12, 2008 | |
| D-CA | Fortney Pete Stark | Feb 12, 2008 | |
| D-CT | Joe Courtney | Feb 12, 2008 | |
| D-MA | John F. Tierney | Feb 12, 2008 | |
| D-MO | Wm. Lacy Clay | Feb 14, 2008 | |
| D-IA | Bruce L. Braley | Feb 25, 2008 | |
| D-CO | Diana DeGette | Feb 25, 2008 | |
| D-NJ | Donald M. Payne | Feb 25, 2008 | |
| D-NY | Eliot L. Engel | Feb 25, 2008 | |
| D-CA | Doris O. Matsui | Feb 28, 2008 | |
| D-GA | Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. | Feb 28, 2008 | |
| D-UT | Jim Matheson | Feb 28, 2008 | |
| D-NY | Nita M. Lowey | Mar 4, 2008 | |
| D-NY | Charles B. Rangel | Mar 6, 2008 | |
| D-NY | Michael R. McNulty | Mar 10, 2008 | |
| D-CA | Barbara Lee | Mar 31, 2008 | |
| D-PA | John P. Murtha | Mar 31, 2008 | |
| D-CO | Mark Udall | Mar 31, 2008 | |
| D-VA | Rick Boucher | Mar 31, 2008 | |
| D-AR | Vic Snyder | Mar 31, 2008 |
Committees 2
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Committee on House Administration | Referred Jan 17, 2008Markup Apr 2, 2008Reported Apr 14, 2008 |
| House | Science, Space, and Technology Committee | Referred Jan 17, 2008Discharged Apr 14, 2008 |
| Technology Subcommittee | Referred Jan 28, 2008 |
Actions 14
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Apr 15, 2008Ms. Lofgren, Zoe moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Apr 15, 2008Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H2289-2297; text of measure as reported in House: CR H2289-2292)
- Apr 15, 2008DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 5036.
- Apr 15, 2008At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
- Apr 15, 2008Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H2306-2307)
In the Congressional Record 5
Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extensions | Debate and remarks E684 | Michael E. Capuano D-MA | Apr 22, 2008 |
| Extensions | Debate and remarks E654 | Michael M. Honda D-CA | Apr 17, 2008 |
| Extensions | Debate and remarks E623 | Stephanie Tubbs Jones D-OH | Apr 16, 2008 |
| House | Debate and remarks H2289–H2297Text printed H2289–H2292Recorded votes H2306enact | Dennis J. Kucinich D-OH, Janice D. Schakowsky D-IL, John L. Mica R-FL, Lois Capps D-CA, Ralph Regula R-OH, Roy Blunt R-MO, Rush Holt D-NJ, Steve King R-IA, Vernon J. Ehlers R-MI, Zoe Lofgren D-CA | Apr 15, 2008 |
| House | Debate and remarks H1223 | Rush Holt D-NJ | Mar 5, 2008 |
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Committee report
Congressional Budget Office cost estimates 2
- Apr 10, 2008H.R. 5036, Emergency Assistance for Secure Elections Act of 2008<p>Cost estimate for the bill as ordered reported by the Committee on House Administration on April 2, 2008</p>
- Apr 10, 2008H.R. 5036, Emergency Assistance for Secure Elections Act of 2008Cost estimate for the bill as ordered reported by the Committee on House Administration on April 2, 2008
Printed hearings 2
Hearings whose printed record names this bill, newest first: hearings on it, and wider hearings where it came up.
| Number | Hearing | Committee | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | MARKUP OF H.R. 5803; H.R. 5893, LIBRARY OF CONGRESS SOUND RECORDING AND FILM PRESERVATION PROGRAMS REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2008; AND H.R. 5972, U.S. CAPITOL POLICE ADMINISTRATIVE TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS ACT OF 2008100 pages | Committee on House Administration | May 7, 2008 |
| — | MARKUP OF H. RES. 1068, H.R. 5493, H.R. 3032, H.R. 281, H.R. 5036; AND AN AMENDMENT TO REGULATIONS GOVERNING THE USE OF OFFICIAL FUNDS148 pages | Committee on House Administration | Apr 2, 2008 |
Titles 3
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To direct the Administrator of General Services to reimburse certain jurisdictions for the costs of obtaining paper ballot voting systems for the general elections for Federal office to be held in November 2008, to reimburse jurisdictions for the costs incurred in conducting audits or hand counting of the results of the general elections for Federal office to be held in November 2008, and for other purposes.
- Short Titles as Introduced
- Emergency Assistance for Secure Elections Act of 2008
- Short Titles as Reported to House for portions of this bill
- Emergency Assistance for Secure Elections Act of 2008
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Government Operations and Politics.
- Ballots
- Congress
- Congressional elections
- Disabled
- Economics and Public Finance
- Government Operations and Politics
- Grants-in-aid
- Illiteracy
- Language and languages
- Paper and paper products
- Presidential elections
- Product development
- Research and development
- Science, Technology, Communications
- Self-help devices for the disabled
- Voting machines
Text 2
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Apr 14, 2008Reported in House
- Jan 17, 2008Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
