HR 8941 · 116th Congress 2019–2021, ended

To secure the Federal voting rights of persons when released from incarceration.

Introduced Dec 10, 2020 Originated House Sponsor Kwanza Hall D-GA

Latest action · Dec 10, 2020 Referred to the House 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.

IntroducedDec 10, 2020
Passed HouseNot reached
Passed SenateNot reached
To the PresidentNot reached
Became lawNot reached

Summary

This bill establishes that an individual's right to vote in a federal election may not be abridged due to a criminal conviction unless the individual is incarcerated for a felony sentence at the time of the election. The bill also (1) requires incarcerated individuals to be notified of the restoration of their voting rights upon release, and (2) prohibits states and local governments that do not comply with this bill from receiving federal funds for constructing or improving prisons.

Cosponsors 1

Members who signed on, in the order they did. All signed on Dec 31, 2020.

Seat	Cosponsor		Signed on
D-TX	Sheila Jackson Lee		Dec 31, 2020

Committees 1

Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.

Chamber	Committee	What it did
House	Judiciary Committee	Referred Dec 10, 2020

Actions 2

Everything that happened, newest first.

Dec 10, 2020Introduced in House
Dec 10, 2020Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

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.

Constitutional authority

Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant to the following: This bill is enacted pursuant to the power granted to Congress under Article I of the United States Constitution and its subsequent amendments, and further clarified and interpreted by the Supreme Court of the United States.

The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 166, no. 209, December 10, 2020, page H7148.

Related bills 7

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

Bill	Title	Relationship	Latest action
HR 196	Democracy Restoration Act of 2019	Related bill	Jan 3, 2019
S 549	Voter Empowerment Act of 2019	Related bill	Feb 25, 2019
S 697	Next Step Act of 2019	Related bill	Mar 7, 2019
S 949	For the People Act of 2019	Related bill	Mar 28, 2019
S 1068	Democracy Restoration Act of 2019	Related bill	Apr 9, 2019
HR 1275	Voter Empowerment Act of 2019	Related bill	Mar 22, 2019
HR 1893	Next Step Act of 2019	Related bill	Apr 8, 2019

Titles 1

Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.

Official Title as Introduced: To secure the Federal voting rights of persons when released from incarceration.

Subjects

Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement.

Text 1

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

Dec 10, 2020Introduced in House

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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; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.