S 2017 · 112th Congress 2011–2013, ended

Democracy Restoration Act of 2011

Introduced Dec 16, 2011 Originated Senate Sponsor Benjamin L. Cardin D-MD

Fact sheet

Latest action · Dec 16, 2011 Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

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.

  1. IntroducedDec 16, 2011
  2. Passed SenateNot reached
  3. Passed HouseNot reached
  4. To the PresidentNot reached
  5. Became lawNot reached

Summary

Democracy Restoration Act of 2011 - Declares that the right of a U.S. citizen to vote in any election for federal office shall not be denied or abridged because that individual has been convicted of a criminal offense unless, at the time of the election, such individual is serving a felony sentence in a correctional institution or facility. Provides for enforcement and remedies for violations of this Act.

Specifies that: (1) nothing in this Act shall be construed to prohibit a state from enacting any state law that affords the right to vote in any election for federal office on terms less restrictive than those terms established by this Act; and (2) the rights and remedies established by this Act shall be in addition to all other rights and remedies provided by law, and shall not supersede, restrict, or limit the application of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 or the National Voter Registration Act of 1993.

Prohibits any state, unit of local government, or other person from receiving or using any federal grant amounts to construct or improve a place of incarceration unless that person has a program to notify each U.S. citizen incarcerated in that person's jurisdiction, on release from such incarceration, of that individual's rights under this Act.

Cosponsors 4

Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Dec 16, 2011 to May 10, 2012, with 2 there on the day it was introduced.

SeatCosponsorSigned on
D-ILRichard J. DurbinOriginalDec 16, 2011
D-RISheldon WhitehouseOriginalDec 16, 2011
I-VTBernard SandersFeb 16, 2012
D-IATom HarkinMay 10, 2012

Actions 3

Everything that happened, newest first.

  1. Dec 16, 2011Introduced in Senate
  2. Dec 16, 2011Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  3. Dec 16, 2011Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S8737-8738)

Related bills 3

Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.

BillTitleRelationshipLatest action
HR 2212Democracy Restoration Act of 2011Related billAug 25, 2011
S 3608Voter Empowerment Act of 2012Related billSep 21, 2012
HR 5799Voter Empowerment Act of 2012Related billSep 26, 2012

Subjects

Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues.

Text 1

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

  1. Dec 16, 2011Introduced in Senate

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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.