Title X — Poll Worker Recruitment and Training

H.R. 12 · 113th Congress · Jan 23, 2013 · Lineage

X Poll Worker Recruitment and Training

Sec. 1001 Leave to serve as a poll worker for Federal employees

(a)

In general— Subchapter II of chapter 63 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

“6329. Absence in connection with serving as a poll worker

“(a) In general—An employee in or under an Executive agency is entitled to leave, without loss of or reduction in pay, leave to which otherwise entitled, credit for time or service, or performance or efficiency rating, not to exceed 6 days in a leave year, in order—

“(1) to provide election administration assistance to a State or unit of local government at a polling place on the date of any election for public office; or

“(2) to receive any training without which such employee would be ineligible to provide such assistance.

“(b) Regulations—The Director of the Office of Personnel Management may prescribe regulations for the administration of this section, including regulations setting forth the terms and conditions of the election administration assistance an employee may provide for purposes of subsection (a).”

(b)

Clerical amendment— The table of sections for chapter 63 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 6328 the following:

Sec. 1002 Grants to States for poll worker recruitment and training

(a)

Grants by Election Assistance Commission—

(1)

In general— The Election Assistance Commission (hereafter referred to as the “Commission”) shall make a grant to each eligible State for recruiting and training individuals to serve as nonpartisan poll workers on dates of elections for public office.

(2)

Use of Commission materials— In carrying out activities with a grant provided under this section, the recipient of the grant shall use the manual prepared by the Commission on successful practices for poll worker recruiting, training and retention as an interactive training tool, and shall develop training programs with the participation and input of experts in adult learning.

(b)

Requirements for Eligibility—

(1)

Application— Each State that desires to receive a payment under this section shall submit an application for the payment to the Commission at such time and in such manner and containing such information as the Commission shall require.

(2)

Contents of Application— Each application submitted under paragraph (1) shall—

(A)

describe the activities for which assistance under this section is sought;

(B)

provide assurances that the funds provided under this section will be used to supplement and not supplant other funds used to carry out the activities;

(C)

provide assurances that the State will furnish the Commission with information on the number of individuals who served as nonpartisan poll workers after recruitment and training with the funds provided under this section; and

(D)

provide such additional information and certifications as the Commission determines to be essential to ensure compliance with the requirements of this section.

(c)

Amount of Grant—

(1)

In general— The amount of a grant made to a State under this section shall be equal to the product of—

(A)

the aggregate amount made available for grants to States under this section; and

(B)

the voting age population percentage for the State.

(2)

Voting age population percentage defined— In paragraph (1), the “voting age population percentage” for a State is the quotient of—

(A)

the voting age population of the State (as determined on the basis of the most recent information available from the Bureau of the Census); and

(B)

the total voting age population of all States (as determined on the basis of the most recent information available from the Bureau of the Census).

(d)

Reports to Congress—

(1)

Reports by recipients of grants— Not later than 6 months after the date on which the final grant is made under this section, each recipient of a grant shall submit a report to the Commission on the activities conducted with the funds provided by the grant.

(2)

Reports by Commission— Not later than 1 year after the date on which the final grant is made under this section, the Commission shall submit a report to Congress on the grants made under this section and the activities carried out by recipients with the grants, and shall include in the report such recommendations as the Commission considers appropriate.

(e)

Funding—

(1)

Continuing availability of amount appropriated— Any amount appropriated to carry out this section shall remain available without fiscal year limitation until expended.

(2)

Administrative expenses— Of the amount appropriated for any fiscal year to carry out this section, not more than 3 percent shall be available for administrative expenses of the Commission.

Sec. 1003 Model poll worker training program

(a)

Development of program by Election Assistance Commission— Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Election Assistance Commission shall develop and provide to each State materials for a model poll worker training program which the State may use to train individuals to serve as poll workers in elections for Federal office.

(b)

Contents of materials— The materials for the model poll worker training program developed under this section shall include materials to provide training with respect to the following:

(1)

The relevant provisions of the Federal laws which apply to the administration of elections for Federal office in the State, including the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Help America Vote Act of 2002.

(2)

The provision of access to voting to individuals with disabilities in a manner which preserves the dignity and privacy of such individuals.

(3)

The provision of access to voting to individuals with limited English language proficiency, and to individuals who are members or racial or ethnic minorities, consistent with the protections provided for such individuals under relevant law, in a manner which preserves the dignity of such individuals.

(4)

Practical experience in the use of the voting machines which will be used in the election involved, including the accessibility features of such machines.

(5)

Such other election administration subjects as the Commission considers appropriate to ensure that poll workers are able to effectively assist with the administration of elections for Federal office.

Sec. 1004 State defined

In this title, the term State includes the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the United States Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Lineage

Jan 23, 2013viewing Introduced in House Mr. Lewis (for himself, Mr. Clyburn, Mr. Hoyer, Mr. Brady of Pennsylvania, Mr. Conyers, Mr. Andrews, Ms. Bass, Mrs. Beatty, Mr. Becerra, Mr. Bera of California, Mr. Bishop of Georgia, Mr. Bishop of New York, Mr. Blumenauer, Ms. Bonamici, Ms. Bordallo, Mr. Braley of Iowa, Ms. Brown of Florida, Ms. Brownley of California, Mrs. Bustos, Mr. Butterfield, Mrs. Capps, Mr. Cárdenas, Mr. Carson of Indiana, Mr. Cartwright, Ms. Castor of Florida, Mr. Castro of Texas, Mrs. Christensen, Ms. Chu, Mr. Cicilline, Ms. Clarke, Mr. Clay, Mr. Cleaver, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Connolly, Mr. Costa, Mr. Courtney, Mr. Crowley, Mr. Cummings, Mr. Danny K. Davis of Illinois, Mrs. Davis of California, Mr. DeFazio, Ms. DeGette, Mr. Delaney, Ms. DeLauro, Mr. Deutch, Mr. Dingell, Mr. Doggett, Mr. Doyle, Ms. Edwards, Mr. Ellison, Ms. Eshoo, Ms. Esty, Mr. Faleomavaega, Mr. Farr, Mr. Fattah, Mr. Foster, Ms. Frankel of Florida, Ms. Fudge, Ms. Gabbard, Mr. Garamendi, Mr. Al Green of Texas, Mr. Gene Green of Texas, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Gutierrez, Ms. Hahn, Ms. Hanabusa, Mr. Hastings of Florida, Mr. Higgins, Mr. Himes, Mr. Hinojosa, Mr. Holt, Mr. Honda, Mr. Horsford, Mr. Huffman, Mr. Israel, Ms. Jackson Lee, Mr. Jeffries, Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Ms. Kaptur, Mr. Keating, Mr. Kildee, Mr. Kind, Mrs. Kirkpatrick, Mr. Langevin, Mr. Larsen of Washington, Mr. Larson of Connecticut, Ms. Lee of California, Mr. Levin, Mr. Loebsack, Ms. Lofgren, Mr. Lowenthal, Mrs. Lowey, Mr. Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico, Ms. Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico, Mr. Maffei, Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney of New York, Ms. Matsui, Mrs. McCarthy of New York, Ms. McCollum, Mr. McDermott, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Meeks, Ms. Meng, Mr. Michaud, Mr. George Miller of California, Ms. Moore, Mr. Moran, Mr. Murphy of Florida, Mr. Nadler, Mrs. Napolitano, Mrs. Negrete McLeod, Mr. Nolan, Ms. Norton, Mr. O'Rourke, Mr. Pascrell, Mr. Payne, Mr. Peters of Michigan, Mr. Pierluisi, Ms. Pingree of Maine, Mr. Pocan, Mr. Polis, Mr. Price of North Carolina, Mr. Quigley, Mr. Rangel, Mr. Richmond, Mr. Ruiz, Mr. Ruppersberger, Mr. Rush, Mr. Ryan of Ohio, Mr. Sablan, Ms. Linda T. Sánchez of California, Ms. Loretta Sanchez of California, Mr. Sarbanes, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Schiff, Ms. Schwartz, Mr. David Scott of Georgia, Mr. Scott of Virginia, Mr. Serrano, Ms. Sewell of Alabama, Mr. Sherman, Mr. Sires, Ms. Slaughter, Mr. Smith of Washington, Mr. Swalwell of California, Mr. Takano, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, Mr. Thompson of California, Mr. Tierney, Ms. Titus, Mr. Tonko, Ms. Tsongas, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Vargas, Mr. Veasey, Ms. Velázquez, Mr. Visclosky, Ms. Wasserman Schultz, Ms. Waters, Mr. Watt, Mr. Waxman, Mr. Welch, Ms. Wilson of Florida, and Mr. Yarmuth) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Science, Space, and Technology, Veterans’ Affairs, Oversight and Government Reform, and Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned