Democracy Restoration Act of 2019
Latest action · Apr 9, 2019 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.
- IntroducedApr 9, 2019
- Passed SenateNot reached
- Passed HouseNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Democracy Restoration Act of 2019
This bill addresses the voting rights of individuals convicted of a criminal offense and the restoration of their voting rights.
First, the bill 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. Further, the bill provides for enforcement of, and remedies for violations of, the bill.
In addition, it sets forth requirements for state and federal notification of individuals of the restoration of their voting rights.
Finally, the bill prohibits federal funding of construction or improvement of a place of incarceration unless U.S. citizens incarcerated in that jurisdiction are notified, upon release, of their voting rights.
Cosponsors 26
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Apr 9, 2019 to Sep 9, 2020; 20 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-MN | Amy Klobuchar | Original | Apr 9, 2019 |
| I-VT | Bernard Sanders | Original | Apr 9, 2019 |
| D-MD | Chris Van Hollen | Original | Apr 9, 2019 |
| D-DE | Christopher A. Coons | Original | Apr 9, 2019 |
| D-NJ | Cory A. Booker | Original | Apr 9, 2019 |
| D-MA | Edward J. Markey | Original | Apr 9, 2019 |
| D-MA | Elizabeth Warren | Original | Apr 9, 2019 |
| D-RI | Jack Reed | Original | Apr 9, 2019 |
| D-CA | Kamala D. Harris | Original | Apr 9, 2019 |
| D-NY | Kirsten E. Gillibrand | Original | Apr 9, 2019 |
| D-HI | Mazie K. Hirono | Original | Apr 9, 2019 |
| D-VT | Patrick J. Leahy | Original | Apr 9, 2019 |
| D-WA | Patty Murray | Original | Apr 9, 2019 |
| D-CT | Richard Blumenthal | Original | Apr 9, 2019 |
| D-IL | Richard J. Durbin | Original | Apr 9, 2019 |
| D-PA | Robert P. Casey Jr. | Original | Apr 9, 2019 |
| D-OR | Ron Wyden | Original | Apr 9, 2019 |
| D-RI | Sheldon Whitehouse | Original | Apr 9, 2019 |
| D-OH | Sherrod Brown | Original | Apr 9, 2019 |
| D-MN | Tina Smith | Original | Apr 9, 2019 |
| D-NJ | Robert Menendez | Apr 10, 2019 | |
| D-OR | Jeff Merkley | Jul 8, 2019 | |
| D-IL | Tammy Duckworth | Sep 9, 2019 | |
| D-NM | Tom Udall | Aug 6, 2020 | |
| D-NV | Jacky Rosen | Sep 9, 2020 | |
| D-CO | Michael F. Bennet | Sep 9, 2020 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| Senate | Judiciary Committee | Referred Apr 9, 2019 |
Actions 2
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Apr 9, 2019Introduced in Senate
- Apr 9, 2019Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
In the Congressional Record 1
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | Debate and remarks S1623 | Benjamin L. Cardin D-MD | Mar 9, 2020 |
Related bills 4
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 697 | Next Step Act of 2019 | Related bill | Mar 7, 2019 |
| HR 1893 | Next Step Act of 2019 | Related bill | Apr 8, 2019 |
| HR 8941 | To secure the Federal voting rights of persons when released from incarceration. | Related bill | Dec 10, 2020 |
Titles 2
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- A bill to secure the Federal voting rights of persons when released from incarceration.
- Short Title(s) as Introduced
- Democracy Restoration Act of 2019
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.
- Apr 9, 2019Introduced in Senate
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.
