S 4573 · 117th Congress 2021–2023, ended

Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act of 2022

Introduced Jul 20, 2022 Originated Senate Sponsor Susan M. Collins R-ME

Fact sheet Spreadsheet

Latest action · Oct 18, 2022 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 529.

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. IntroducedJul 20, 2022
  2. Passed SenateNot reached
  3. Passed HouseNot reached
  4. To the PresidentNot reached
  5. Became lawNot reached

Summary

Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act of 2022

This bill revises the process of casting and counting electoral votes for presidential elections. The bill also revises provisions related to the presidential transition process.

The bill specifies that the choice of electors must occur in accordance with the laws of the state enacted prior to election day.

Additionally, the bill identifies each state's governor (unless otherwise identified in the laws or constitution of a state in effect on election day) as responsible for submitting the certificate of ascertainment identifying the state's electors. Further, the bill provides for expedited judicial review for any action brought by an aggrieved presidential or vice-presidential candidate arising under the U.S. Constitution or U.S. laws with respect to the issuance or transmission of such a certificate.

The bill revises the framework for the joint session of Congress to count electoral votes and make a formal declaration of which candidates have been elected President and Vice President. Among other changes, the bill (1) specifies that the role of the Vice President during the joint session shall be ministerial in nature, and (2) raises the objection threshold in Congress to at least one-fifth of the duly chosen and sworn members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

The bill also revises the presidential transition process, including to (1) allow more than one candidate to receive federal transition resources under certain circumstances, and (2) require additional reporting by the General Services Administration.

Cosponsors 38

Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Jul 20, 2022 to Dec 19, 2022; 15 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.

SeatCosponsorSigned on
R-NEBen SasseOriginalJul 20, 2022
D-MDBenjamin L. CardinOriginalJul 20, 2022
D-DEChristopher A. CoonsOriginalJul 20, 2022
D-CTChristopher MurphyOriginalJul 20, 2022
D-NHJeanne ShaheenOriginalJul 20, 2022
D-WVJoe Manchin IIIOriginalJul 20, 2022
I-AZKyrsten SinemaOriginalJul 20, 2022
R-SCLindsey GrahamOriginalJul 20, 2022
R-AKLisa MurkowskiOriginalJul 20, 2022
D-VAMark R. WarnerOriginalJul 20, 2022
R-UTMitt RomneyOriginalJul 20, 2022
R-OHRob PortmanOriginalJul 20, 2022
R-WVShelley Moore CapitoOriginalJul 20, 2022
R-NCThom TillisOriginalJul 20, 2022
R-INTodd YoungOriginalJul 20, 2022
R-IAChuck GrassleyAug 6, 2022
D-COJohn W. HickenlooperAug 6, 2022
D-CAAlex PadillaSep 21, 2022
D-COMichael F. BennetSep 21, 2022
R-PAPatrick J. ToomeySep 21, 2022
D-NHMargaret Wood HassanSep 22, 2022
D-MNAmy KlobucharSep 28, 2022
D-AZMark KellySep 28, 2022
R-KYMitch McConnellSep 28, 2022
R-MORoy BluntSep 28, 2022
D-NVCatherine Cortez MastoSep 29, 2022
D-NYCharles E. SchumerSep 29, 2022
D-CADianne FeinsteinSep 29, 2022
R-TXJohn CornynSep 29, 2022
R-SDJohn ThuneSep 29, 2022
D-DEThomas R. CarperSep 29, 2022
I-MEAngus S. King Jr.Nov 14, 2022
D-NJCory A. BookerNov 14, 2022
D-MIGary C. PetersNov 14, 2022
R-NCRichard BurrNov 14, 2022
D-ILRichard J. DurbinNov 14, 2022
D-OHSherrod BrownNov 14, 2022
D-NVJacky RosenDec 19, 2022

Committees 1

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

ChamberCommitteeWhat it did
SenateRules and Administration Committee
Referred Jul 20, 2022Markup Sep 27, 2022Reported Oct 18, 2022

Actions 5

Everything that happened, newest first.

  1. Oct 18, 2022Committee on Rules and Administration. Reported by Senator Klobuchar under authority of the order of the Senate of 10/14/2022 with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
  2. Oct 18, 2022Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 529.
  3. Sep 27, 2022Committee on Rules and Administration. Ordered to be reported with an amendment favorably.
  4. Jul 20, 2022Introduced in Senate
  5. Jul 20, 2022Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S3545-3546)

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.

WhereIn the RecordMembersDate
SenateDebate and remarks S7157Benjamin L. Cardin D-MDDec 14, 2022
HouseDebate and remarks H8230Rodney Davis R-IL, Zoe Lofgren D-CASep 29, 2022
SenateDebate and remarks S5038Mitch McConnell R-KYSep 27, 2022
SenateDebate and remarks S3586–S3588, S3600–S3602Benjamin L. Cardin D-MD, Christopher Murphy D-CTJul 21, 2022
SenateDebate and remarks S3544–S3546Joe Manchin III D-WV, Susan M. Collins R-MEJul 20, 2022

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.

CRS reports 3

Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this bill or the law it became, newest first.

Cite it 3

Products on other subjects that cite it, usually among other measures.

Related bills 2

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

BillTitleRelationshipLatest action
HR 8824Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act of 2022Identical billSep 14, 2022
HR 8846Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act of 2022Identical billSep 15, 2022

Titles 7

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

Official Title as Introduced
A bill to amend title 3, United States Code, to reform the Electoral Count Act, and to amend the Presidential Transition Act of 1963 to provide clear guidelines for when and to whom resources are provided by the Administrator of General Services for use in connection with the preparations for the assumption of official duties as President or Vice President.
Short Title(s) as Introduced
Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act of 2022
Short Title(s) as Reported to Senate
Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act of 2022
Short Title(s) as Introduced for portions of this bill
Presidential Transition Improvement Act
Electoral Count Reform Act of 2022
Short Title(s) as Reported to Senate for portions of this bill
Presidential Transition Improvement Act
Electoral Count Reform Act of 2022

Subjects

Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Government Operations and Politics.

Text 2

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

  1. Oct 18, 2022Reported to Senate
  2. Jul 20, 2022Introduced 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; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.