Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Poll Tax Prohibition Act of 2016”.
Poll Tax Prohibition Act of 2016
A BILL
To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 and the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to prohibit an election official from requiring an individual to present a piece of identification that has an associated cost as a condition of voting or registering to vote in an election for Federal office, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Prohibition on certain voter identification requirements
In general— Subtitle A of title III of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21081 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 303 the following new section:
“303A. Prohibiting an election official from requiring identification with associated cost as condition for voting
“(a) In general—An election official may not require an individual to present a piece of identification that has an associated cost as a condition of voting in an election for Federal office or, in the case of an individual who wishes to vote by mail in such an election, a copy of a piece of identification that has an associated cost.
“(b) Associated cost—For purposes of this section, a piece of identification for an individual has an associated cost if, to obtain such identification, the individual is required—
“(1) to pay a fee for such identification; or
“(2) to provide a supplemental document that the individual is required to pay a fee to obtain.
“(c) Supplemental document—For purposes of this section, a supplemental document, in relation to a piece of identification, is a document that an individual is required to present in order to receive that piece of identification.
“(d) Definition of fee—For purposes of this section, the term “fee” includes any administrative fee or other cost that an individual must pay as a condition of receiving a piece of identification or supplemental document.”
Enforcement— Section 401 of such Act (52 U.S.C. 2111) is amended by striking “and 303” and inserting “303, and 303A”.
Effective date— The amendments made by this section shall apply with respect to elections held after the end of the 90-day period which begins on the date of the enactment of this Act.
Clerical amendment— The table of contents of such Act is amended by adding after the item relating to section 303 the following new item:
Sec. 3 Prohibition on certain voter registration requirements
in subsection (b)—
by striking “and” at the end of paragraph (3);
by striking the period at the end of paragraph (4) and inserting “; and”;
by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
“(5) may not require the inclusion of a piece of identification that has an associated cost or a copy of a piece of identification that has an associated cost.”
by adding at the end the following new subsection:
“(c) Special rules regarding cost of identification
“(1) Associated cost—For purposes of this section, a piece of identification for an individual has an associated cost if, to obtain such identification, the individual is required—
“(A) to pay a fee for such identification; or
“(B) to provide a supplemental document that the individual is required to pay a fee to obtain.
“(2) Supplemental document—For purposes of this section, a supplemental document, in relation to a piece of identification, is a document that an individual is required to present in order to receive that piece of identification.
“(3) Definition of fee—For purposes of this section, the term “fee” includes any administrative fee or other cost that an individual must pay as a condition of receiving a piece of identification or supplemental document.”
Effective date— The amendments made by this section shall apply with respect to voter registration forms submitted on or after the date that is 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. shall apply with respect to applications received on or after the date that is 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.