(a) Short title.—This Act may be cited as the “Restoring Confidence in America’s Elections Act”.

(b) Table of Contents.—The table of contents of this Act is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.

Section 301 of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21081) is amended—

(1) by redesignating subsections (c) and (d) as subsections (d) and (e); and

(2) by inserting after subsection (b) the following new subsection:

“(c) Moratorium on acquisition of certain direct recording electronic voting systems and certain other voting systems.—Beginning on the date of the enactment of the Restoring Confidence in America’s Elections Act, no State or jurisdiction may purchase or otherwise acquire for use in an election for Federal office a direct recording electronic voting system or other electronic voting system that does not produce a voter-verified paper record as required by section 301(a)(2) (as amended by such Act).”.

(a) In general.—Section 301(a)(2) of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21081(a)(2)) is amended to read as follows:

“(2) PAPER BALLOT REQUIREMENT.—

“(A) VOTER-VERIFIED PAPER BALLOTS.—

“(i) PAPER BALLOT REQUIREMENT.— (I) The voting system shall require the use of an individual, durable, voter-verified, paper ballot of the voter’s vote that shall be marked and made available for inspection and verification by the voter before the voter’s vote is cast and counted, and which shall be counted by hand or read by an optical character recognition device or other counting device. For purposes of this subclause, the term ‘individual, durable, voter-verified, paper ballot’ means a paper ballot marked by the voter by hand or a paper ballot marked through the use of a nontabulating ballot marking device or system, so long as the voter shall have the option to mark his or her ballot by hand.

“(II) The voting system shall provide the voter with an opportunity to correct any error on the paper ballot before the permanent voter-verified paper ballot is preserved in accordance with clause (ii).

“(III) The voting system shall not preserve the voter-verified paper ballots in any manner that makes it possible, at any time after the ballot has been cast, to associate a voter with the record of the voter’s vote without the voter’s consent.

“(ii) PRESERVATION AS OFFICIAL RECORD.—The individual, durable, voter-verified, paper ballot used in accordance with clause (i) shall constitute the official ballot and shall be preserved and used as the official ballot for purposes of any recount or audit conducted with respect to any election for Federal office in which the voting system is used.

“(iii) MANUAL COUNTING REQUIREMENTS FOR RECOUNTS AND AUDITS.— (I) Each paper ballot used pursuant to clause (i) shall be suitable for a manual audit, and shall be counted by hand in any recount or audit conducted with respect to any election for Federal office.

“(II) In the event of any inconsistencies or irregularities between any electronic vote tallies and the vote tallies determined by counting by hand the individual, durable, voter-verified, paper ballots used pursuant to clause (i), and subject to subparagraph (B), the individual, durable, voter-verified, paper ballots shall be the true and correct record of the votes cast.

“(iv) APPLICATION TO ALL BALLOTS.—The requirements of this subparagraph shall apply to all ballots cast in elections for Federal office, including ballots cast by absent uniformed services voters and overseas voters under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act and other absentee voters.

“(B) SPECIAL RULE FOR TREATMENT OF DISPUTES WHEN PAPER BALLOTS HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO BE COMPROMISED.—

“(i) IN GENERAL.—In the event that—

“(I) there is any inconsistency between any electronic vote tallies and the vote tallies determined by counting by hand the individual, durable, voter-verified, paper ballots used pursuant to subparagraph (A)(i) with respect to any election for Federal office; and

“(II) it is demonstrated by clear and convincing evidence (as determined in accordance with the applicable standards in the jurisdiction involved) in any recount, audit, or contest of the result of the election that the paper ballots have been compromised (by damage or mischief or otherwise) and that a sufficient number of the ballots have been so compromised that the result of the election could be changed,

the determination of the appropriate remedy with respect to the election shall be made in accordance with applicable State law, except that the electronic tally shall not be used as the exclusive basis for determining the official certified result.

“(ii) RULE FOR CONSIDERATION OF BALLOTS ASSOCIATED WITH EACH VOTING MACHINE.—For purposes of clause (i), only the paper ballots deemed compromised, if any, shall be considered in the calculation of whether or not the result of the election could be changed due to the compromised paper ballots.”.

(b) Conforming amendment clarifying applicability of alternative language accessibility.—Section 301(a)(4) of such Act (52 U.S.C. 21081(a)(4)) is amended by inserting “(including the paper ballots required to be used under paragraph (2))” after “voting system”.

(c) Other conforming amendments.—Section 301(a)(1) of such Act (52 U.S.C. 21081(a)(1)) is amended—

(1) in subparagraph (A)(i), by striking “counted” and inserting “counted, in accordance with paragraphs (2) and (3)”;

(2) in subparagraph (A)(ii), by striking “counted” and inserting “counted, in accordance with paragraphs (2) and (3)”;

(3) in subparagraph (A)(iii), by striking “counted” each place it appears and inserting “counted, in accordance with paragraphs (2) and (3)”; and

(4) in subparagraph (B)(ii), by striking “counted” and inserting “counted, in accordance with paragraphs (2) and (3)”.

(a) In general.—Section 301(a)(3)(B) of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21081(a)(3)(B)) is amended to read as follows:

“(B) (i) satisfy the requirement of subparagraph (A) through the use of at least one voting system equipped for individuals with disabilities, including nonvisual and enhanced visual accessibility for the blind and visually impaired, and nonmanual and enhanced manual accessibility for the mobility and dexterity impaired, at each polling place; and

“(ii) meet the requirements of subparagraph (A) and paragraph (2)(A) by using a system that—

“(I) allows the voter to privately and independently verify the permanent paper ballot through the presentation, in accessible form, of the printed or marked vote selections from the same printed or marked information that would be used for any vote counting or auditing; and

“(II) allows the voter to privately and independently verify and cast the permanent paper ballot without requiring the voter to manually handle the paper ballot; and”.

(b) Specific requirement of study, testing, and development of accessible paper ballot verification mechanisms.—

(1) STUDY AND REPORTING.—Subtitle C of title II of such Act (52 U.S.C. 21081 et seq.) is amended—

(A) by redesignating section 247 as section 248; and

(B) by inserting after section 246 the following new section:

(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents of such Act is amended—

(A) by redesignating the item relating to section 247 as relating to section 248; and

(B) by inserting after the item relating to section 246 the following new item:

“Sec. 247. Study and report on accessible paper ballot verification mechanisms.”.

(c) Clarification of accessibility standards under voluntary voting system guidance.—In adopting any voluntary guidance under subtitle B of title III of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 with respect to the accessibility of the paper ballot verification requirements for individuals with disabilities, the Election Assistance Commission shall include and apply the same accessibility standards applicable under the voluntary guidance adopted for accessible voting systems under such subtitle.

(d) Permitting Use of Funds for Protection and Advocacy Systems To Support Actions To Enforce Election-Related Disability Access.—Section 292(a) of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21062(a)) is amended by striking “; except that” and all that follows and inserting a period.

(a) Requirements described.—Section 301(a) of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21081(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraphs:

“(7) REQUIRING AVAILABILITY OF PAPER BALLOTS IN CASE OF EMERGENCY.—

“(A) IN GENERAL.—In the event of a failure of voting equipment or other circumstance at a polling place in an election for Federal office that causes an unreasonable delay, the appropriate election official at the polling place shall—

“(i) immediately advise any individual who is waiting at the polling place to cast a ballot in the election at the time of the failure that the individual has the right to use an emergency paper ballot; and

“(ii) upon the individual’s request, provide the individual with an emergency paper ballot for the election and the supplies necessary to mark the ballot.

“(B) TREATMENT OF BALLOTS.—Any paper ballot which is cast by an individual under this clause shall be counted and otherwise treated as a regular ballot for all purposes (including by incorporating it into the final unofficial vote count (as defined by the State) for the precinct) and not as a provisional ballot, unless the individual casting the ballot would have otherwise been required to cast a provisional ballot.

“(8) PROHIBITING USE OF UNCERTIFIED ELECTION-DEDICATED VOTING SYSTEM TECHNOLOGIES; DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS.—

“(A) IN GENERAL.—A voting system used in an election for Federal office in a State may not at any time during the election contain or use any election-dedicated voting system technology—

“(i) which has not been certified by the State for use in the election; and

“(ii) which has not been deposited with an accredited laboratory described in section 231 to be held in escrow and disclosed in accordance with this section.

“(B) REQUIREMENT FOR DISCLOSURE AND LIMITATION ON RESTRICTING DISCLOSURE.—An accredited laboratory under section 231 with whom an election-dedicated voting system technology has been deposited shall—

“(i) hold the technology in escrow; and

“(ii) disclose technology and information regarding the technology to another person if—

“(I) the person is a qualified person described in subparagraph (C) who has entered into a nondisclosure agreement with respect to the technology which meets the requirements of subparagraph (D); or

“(II) the laboratory is permitted or required to disclose the technology to the person under State law, in accordance with the terms and conditions applicable under such law.

“(C) QUALIFIED PERSONS DESCRIBED.—With respect to the disclosure of election-dedicated voting system technology by a laboratory under subparagraph (B)(ii)(I), a ‘qualified person’ is any of the following:

“(i) A governmental entity with responsibility for the administration of voting and election-related matters for purposes of reviewing, analyzing, or reporting on the technology.

“(ii) A party to pre- or postelection litigation challenging the result of an election or the administration or use of the technology used in an election, including but not limited to election contests or challenges to the certification of the technology, or an expert for a party to such litigation, for purposes of reviewing or analyzing the technology to support or oppose the litigation, and all parties to the litigation shall have access to the technology for such purposes.

“(iii) A person not described in clause (i) or (ii) who reviews, analyzes, or reports on the technology solely for an academic, scientific, technological, or other investigation or inquiry concerning the accuracy or integrity of the technology.

“(D) REQUIREMENTS FOR NONDISCLOSURE AGREEMENTS.—A nondisclosure agreement entered into with respect to an election-dedicated voting system technology meets the requirements of this subparagraph if the agreement—

“(i) is limited in scope to coverage of the technology disclosed under subparagraph (B) and any trade secrets and intellectual property rights related thereto;

“(ii) does not prohibit a signatory from entering into other nondisclosure agreements to review other technologies under this paragraph;

“(iii) exempts from coverage any information the signatory lawfully obtained from another source or any information in the public domain;

“(iv) remains in effect for not longer than the life of any trade secret or other intellectual property right related thereto;

“(v) prohibits the use of injunctions barring a signatory from carrying out any activity authorized under subparagraph (C), including injunctions limited to the period prior to a trial involving the technology;

“(vi) is silent as to damages awarded for breach of the agreement, other than a reference to damages available under applicable law;

“(vii) allows disclosure of evidence of crime, including in response to a subpoena or warrant;

“(viii) allows the signatory to perform analyses on the technology (including by executing the technology), disclose reports and analyses that describe operational issues pertaining to the technology (including vulnerabilities to tampering, errors, risks associated with use, failures as a result of use, and other problems), and describe or explain why or how a voting system failed or otherwise did not perform as intended; and

“(ix) provides that the agreement shall be governed by the trade secret laws of the applicable State.

“(E) ELECTION-DEDICATED VOTING SYSTEM TECHNOLOGY DEFINED.—For purposes of this paragraph:

“(i) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘election-dedicated voting system technology’ means the following:

“(I) The source code used for the trusted build and its file signatures.

“(II) A complete disk image of the prebuild, build environment, and any file signatures to validate that it is unmodified.

“(III) A complete disk image of the postbuild, build environment, and any file signatures to validate that it is unmodified.

“(IV) All executable code produced by the trusted build and any file signatures to validate that it is unmodified.

“(V) Installation devices and software file signatures.

“(ii) EXCLUSION.—Such term does not include ‘commercial-off-the-shelf’ software and hardware defined under the 2015 voluntary voting system guidelines adopted by the Commission under section 222.

“(9) PROHIBITION OF USE OF WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS DEVICES IN SYSTEMS OR DEVICES.—No system or device upon which ballots are marked or votes are cast or tabulated shall contain, use, or be accessible by any wireless, powerline, or concealed communication device, except that enclosed infrared communications devices which are certified for use in such device by the State and which cannot be used for any remote or wide area communications or used without the knowledge of poll workers shall be permitted.

“(10) PROHIBITING CONNECTION OF SYSTEM TO THE INTERNET.—

“(A) IN GENERAL.—No system or device upon which ballots are programmed or votes are cast or tabulated shall be connected to the Internet at any time.

“(B) PROHIBITING ACCEPTANCE OF BALLOTS TRANSMITTED ONLINE.—The voting system may not accept any voted ballot which is transmitted to an election official online.

“(C) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing contained in this paragraph shall be deemed to prohibit the Commission from conducting the studies under section 242 or to conduct other similar studies under any other provision of law in a manner consistent with this paragraph.

“(11) SECURITY STANDARDS FOR VOTING SYSTEMS USED IN FEDERAL ELECTIONS.—

“(A) IN GENERAL.—No voting system may be used in an election for Federal office unless the manufacturer of such system and the election officials using such system meet the applicable requirements described in subparagraph (B).

“(B) REQUIREMENTS DESCRIBED.—The requirements described in this subparagraph are as follows:

“(i) The manufacturer and the election officials shall document the secure chain of custody for the handling of all software, hardware, vote storage media, blank ballots, and completed ballots used in connection with voting systems, and shall make the information available upon request to the Commission.

“(ii) The manufacturer shall disclose to an accredited laboratory under section 231 and to the appropriate election official any information required to be disclosed under paragraph (8).

“(iii) After the appropriate election official has certified the election-dedicated and other voting system software for use in an election, the manufacturer may not—

“(I) alter such software; or

“(II) insert or use in the voting system any software, software patch, or other software modification not certified by the State for use in the election.

“(iv) At the request of the Commission—

“(I) the appropriate election official shall submit information to the Commission regarding the State’s compliance with this subparagraph; and

“(II) the manufacturer shall submit information to the Commission regarding the manufacturer’s compliance with this subparagraph.

“(C) DEVELOPMENT AND PUBLICATION OF BEST PRACTICES OF SECURE CHAIN OF CUSTODY.—Not later than August 1, 2019, the Commission shall develop and make publicly available best practices regarding the requirement of subparagraphs (B)(i) and (B)(iii), and in the case of subparagraph (B)(iii), shall include best practices for certifying software patches and minor software modifications under short deadlines.

“(D) DISCLOSURE OF SECURE CHAIN OF CUSTODY.—The Commission shall make information provided to the Commission under subparagraph (B)(i) available to any person upon request.

“(12) DURABILITY AND READABILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR BALLOTS.—

“(A) DURABILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR PAPER BALLOTS.—

“(i) IN GENERAL.—All voter-verified paper ballots required to be used under this Act shall be marked or printed on durable paper.

“(ii) DEFINITION.—For purposes of this Act, paper is ‘durable’ if it is capable of withstanding multiple counts and recounts by hand without compromising the fundamental integrity of the ballots, and capable of retaining the information marked or printed on them for the full duration of a retention and preservation period of 22 months.

“(B) READABILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR PAPER BALLOTS MARKED BY BALLOT MARKING DEVICE.—All voter-verified paper ballots completed by the voter through the use of a ballot marking device shall be clearly readable by the voter without assistance (other than eyeglasses or other personal vision-enhancing devices) and by an optical character recognition device or other device equipped for individuals with disabilities.

“(13) REQUIREMENTS FOR PUBLICATION OF POLL TAPES.—

“(A) REQUIREMENTS.—Each State shall meet the following requirements:

“(i) Upon the closing of the polls at each polling place, the appropriate election official, under the observation of the certified tabulation observers admitted to the polling place under subparagraph (E) (if any), shall announce the vote orally, post a copy of the poll tape reflecting the totals from each voting machine upon which votes were cast in the election at the polling place, and prepare and post a statement of the total number of individuals who appeared at the polling place to cast ballots, determined by reference to the number of signatures in a sign-in book or other similar independent count. Such officials shall ensure that each of the certified tabulation observers admitted to the polling place has full access to observe the process by which the poll tapes and statement are produced and a reasonable period of time to review the poll tapes and statement before the polling place is closed, and (if feasible) shall provide such observers with identical duplicate copies of the poll tapes and statement.

“(ii) As soon as practicable, but in no event later than noon of the day following the date of the election, the appropriate election official shall display (at a prominent location accessible to the public during regular business hours and in or within reasonable proximity to the polling place) a copy of each poll tape and statement prepared under clause (i), and the information shall be displayed on the official public Web sites of the applicable local election official and chief State election official, together with the name of the designated voting official who entered the information and the date and time the information was entered.

“(iii) Each Web site on which information is posted under clause (ii) shall include information on the procedures by which discrepancies shall be reported to election officials. If any discrepancy exists between the posted information and the relevant poll tape or statement, the appropriate election official shall display information on the discrepancy on the Web site on which the information is posted under clause (ii) not later than 24 hours after the official is made aware of the discrepancy, and shall maintain the information on the discrepancy and its resolution (if applicable) on such website during the entire period for which results of the election are typically maintained on such Web site.

“(iv) The appropriate election official shall preserve archived copies of the poll tapes and statements prepared under clause (i) and reports of discrepancies filed by certified tabulation observers for the period of time during which records and papers are required to be retained and preserved pursuant to title III of the Civil Rights Act of 1960 (42 U.S.C. 1974 et seq.) or for the same duration for which archived copies of other records of the election are required to be preserved under applicable State law, whichever is longer.

“(B) TREATMENT OF BALLOTS CAST AT EARLY VOTING SITES.—

“(i) APPLICATION.—The requirements of this subparagraph shall apply with respect to poll tapes and statements of the number of voters who voted in person at designated sites prior to the date of the election.

“(ii) DAILY COUNT OF VOTERS.—At the close of business on each day on which ballots described in clause (i) may be cast prior to the date of the election, the appropriate election official at each such site shall—

“(I) under the observation of certified tabulation observers admitted to the site under subparagraph (E) (if any), prepare and post a statement of the total number of individuals who appeared at the site to cast ballots, determined by reference to the number of signatures in a sign-in book or other similar independent count, and the total number of ballots cast (excluding information on the votes received by individual candidates), and shall ensure that each of the certified tabulation observers admitted to the site has full access to observe the process by which the statement is produced and a reasonable period of time to review the statement before the site is closed; and

“(II) display at the site during regular business hours for the duration of the early voting period a paper copy of the statement prepared under subclause (I).

“(iii) APPLICATION OF GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR POLL TAPES AND STATEMENTS.—Upon the closing of the polls on the date of the election, the appropriate election official at each designated site described in this subparagraph shall meet the requirements of subparagraph (A) (including requirements relating to the role of certified tabulation observers) in the same manner as an election official at a polling place.

“(C) TREATMENT OF ABSENTEE BALLOTS.—

“(i) DAILY COUNT OF BALLOTS MAILED AND RECEIVED.—At the close of each business day on which a State mails or accepts absentee ballots cast in an election for Federal office prior to the date of the election, the appropriate election official shall—

“(I) under the observation of certified tabulation observers admitted under subparagraph (E) to the site at which the ballots are mailed and received (if any), prepare and post a statement of the total number of absentee ballots mailed and received by the official during that day and a separate count of the number of absentee ballots received but rejected (separated into categories of the reasons for rejection), and ensure that each of the certified tabulation observers admitted to the site has full access to observe the process by which the statement is produced and a reasonable period of time to review the statement before the site is closed; and

“(II) display at the site during regular business hours for the duration of the period during which absentee ballots are processed a paper copy of the statement prepared under subclause (I).

“(ii) APPLICATION OF GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR POLL TAPES AND STATEMENTS.—At the close of business on the last day on which absentee ballots are counted prior to the certification of the election, the appropriate election official at the site at which absentee ballots are received and counted shall meet the requirements of subparagraph (A) (including requirements relating to the role of certified tabulation observers) in the same manner as an election official at a polling place.

“(D) DAILY COUNT OF PROVISIONAL BALLOTS.—At the close of business on the day on which the appropriate election official determines whether or not provisional ballots cast in an election for Federal office will be counted as votes in the election (as described in section 302(a)(4)), the official shall—

“(i) under the observation of certified tabulation observers admitted under subparagraph (E) to the site at which the determination is made (if any), prepare and post a statement of the number of such ballots for which a determination was made, the number of ballots counted, and the number of ballots rejected (separated into categories of the reason for the rejection), and ensure that each of the certified tabulation observers admitted to the site has full access to observe the process by which the statement is produced and a reasonable period of time to review the statement before the site is closed; and

“(ii) display at the site during regular business hours for the duration of the period during which provisional ballots are processed a paper copy of the statement prepared under clause (i).

“(E) ADMISSION OF CERTIFIED TABULATION OBSERVERS.—

“(i) CERTIFIED TABULATION OBSERVER DEFINED.—In this paragraph, a ‘certified tabulation observer’ is an individual who is certified by an appropriate election official as authorized to carry out the responsibilities of a certified tabulation observer under this paragraph.

“(ii) SELECTION.—In determining which individuals to certify as tabulation observers and admit to a polling place or other location to serve as certified tabulation observers with respect to an election for Federal office, the election official shall give preference to individuals who are affiliated with a candidate in the election, except that—

“(I) the number of individuals admitted who are affiliated with the same candidate for Federal office may not exceed one; and

“(II) the maximum number of individuals who may be admitted shall equal the number of candidates in the election plus 3, or such greater number as may be authorized under State law.

“(iii) NO EFFECT ON ADMISSION OF OTHER OBSERVERS.—Nothing in this subparagraph may be construed to limit or otherwise affect the authority of other individuals to enter and observe polling place operations under any other law, including international observers authorized under any treaty or observers of the Federal Government authorized under the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

“(F) NO EFFECT ON OTHER TABULATION REQUIREMENTS.—Nothing in this Act may be construed to supersede any requirement that an election official at a polling place report vote totals to a central tabulation facility and address discrepancies the official finds in the aggregation of those totals with other vote totals.”.

(b) Requiring laboratories To meet standards prohibiting conflicts of interest as condition of accreditation for testing of voting system hardware and software.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 231(b) of such Act (52 U.S.C. 20971(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraphs:

“(3) PROHIBITING CONFLICTS OF INTEREST; ENSURING AVAILABILITY OF RESULTS.—

“(A) IN GENERAL.—A laboratory may not be accredited by the Commission for purposes of this section unless—

“(i) the laboratory certifies that the only compensation it receives for the testing carried out in connection with the certification, decertification, and recertification of the manufacturer’s voting system hardware and software is the payment made from the Testing Escrow Account under paragraph (4);

“(ii) the laboratory meets such standards as the Commission shall establish (after notice and opportunity for public comment) to prevent the existence or appearance of any conflict of interest in the testing carried out by the laboratory under this section, including standards to ensure that the laboratory does not have a financial interest in the manufacture, sale, and distribution of voting system hardware and software, and is sufficiently independent from other persons with such an interest;

“(iii) the laboratory certifies that it will permit an expert designated by the Commission or by the State requiring certification of the system being tested to observe any testing the laboratory carries out under this section; and

“(iv) the laboratory, upon completion of any testing carried out under this section, discloses the test protocols, results, and all communication between the laboratory and the manufacturer to the Commission.

“(B) AVAILABILITY OF RESULTS.—Upon receipt of information under subparagraph (A), the Commission shall make the information available promptly to election officials and the public.

“(4) PROCEDURES FOR CONDUCTING TESTING; PAYMENT OF USER FEES FOR COMPENSATION OF ACCREDITED LABORATORIES.—

“(A) ESTABLISHMENT OF ESCROW ACCOUNT.—The Commission shall establish an escrow account (to be known as the Testing Escrow Account) for making payments to accredited laboratories for the costs of the testing carried out in connection with the certification, decertification, and recertification of voting system hardware and software.

“(B) SCHEDULE OF FEES.—In consultation with the accredited laboratories, the Commission shall establish and regularly update a schedule of fees for the testing carried out in connection with the certification, decertification, and recertification of voting system hardware and software, based on the reasonable costs expected to be incurred by the accredited laboratories in carrying out the testing for various types of hardware and software.

“(C) REQUESTS AND PAYMENTS BY MANUFACTURERS.—A manufacturer of voting system hardware and software may not have the hardware or software tested by an accredited laboratory under this section unless—

“(i) the manufacturer submits a detailed request for the testing to the Commission; and

“(ii) the manufacturer pays to the Commission, for deposit into the Testing Escrow Account established under subparagraph (A), the applicable fee under the schedule established and in effect under subparagraph (B).

“(D) SELECTION OF LABORATORY.—Upon receiving a request for testing and the payment from a manufacturer required under subparagraph (C), the Commission shall select, from all laboratories which are accredited under this section to carry out the specific testing requested by the manufacturer, an accredited laboratory to carry out the testing.

“(E) PAYMENTS TO LABORATORIES.—Upon receiving a certification from a laboratory selected to carry out testing pursuant to subparagraph (D) that the testing is completed, along with a copy of the results of the test as required under paragraph (3)(A)(iv), the Commission shall make a payment to the laboratory from the Testing Escrow Account established under subparagraph (A) in an amount equal to the applicable fee paid by the manufacturer under subparagraph (C)(ii).

“(5) DISSEMINATION OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON ACCREDITED LABORATORIES.—

“(A) INFORMATION ON TESTING.—Upon completion of the testing of a voting system under this section, the Commission shall promptly disseminate to the public the identification of the laboratory which carried out the testing.

“(B) INFORMATION ON STATUS OF LABORATORIES.—The Commission shall promptly notify Congress, the chief State election official of each State, and the public whenever—

“(i) the Commission revokes, terminates, or suspends the accreditation of a laboratory under this section;

“(ii) the Commission restores the accreditation of a laboratory under this section which has been revoked, terminated, or suspended; or

“(iii) the Commission has credible evidence of significant security failure at an accredited laboratory.”.

(2) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 231 of such Act (52 U.S.C. 20971) is further amended—

(A) in subsection (a)(1), by striking “testing, certification,” and all that follows and inserting the following: “testing of voting system hardware and software by accredited laboratories in connection with the certification, decertification, and recertification of the hardware and software for purposes of this Act.”;

(B) in subsection (a)(2), by striking “testing, certification,” and all that follows and inserting the following: “testing of its voting system hardware and software by the laboratories accredited by the Commission under this section in connection with certifying, decertifying, and recertifying the hardware and software.”;

(C) in subsection (b)(1), by striking “testing, certification, decertification, and recertification” and inserting “testing”; and

(D) in subsection (d), by striking “testing, certification, decertification, and recertification” each place it appears and inserting “testing”.

(3) DEADLINE FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF STANDARDS, ESCROW ACCOUNT, AND SCHEDULE OF FEES.—The Election Assistance Commission shall establish the standards described in section 231(b)(3) of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 and the Testing Escrow Account and schedule of fees described in section 231(b)(4) of such Act (as added by paragraph (1)) not later than January 1, 2019.

(4) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are authorized to be appropriated to the Election Assistance Commission such sums as may be necessary to carry out the Commission’s duties under paragraphs (3) and (4) of section 231 of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (as added by paragraph (1)).

(c) Grants for research on development of election-Dedicated voting system software.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle D of title II of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21001 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new part:

(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents of such Act is amended by adding at the end of the items relating to subtitle D of title II the following:

(a) Extension of requirements payments for meeting revised requirements.—Section 257(a) of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21007(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

“(5) For each of the fiscal years 2018 and 2019, $600,000,000, except that any funds provided under the authorization made by this paragraph shall be used by a State only to meet the requirements of title III which are first imposed on the State pursuant to the amendments made by title I of the Restoring Confidence in America’s Elections Act, or to otherwise modify or replace its voting systems in response to such amendments.”.

(b) Use of revised formula for allocation of funds.—Section 252(b) of such Act (52 U.S.C. 21002(b)) is amended to read as follows:

“(b) State Allocation Percentage Defined.—

“(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in paragraph (2), the ‘State allocation percentage’ for a State is the amount (expressed as a percentage) equal to the quotient of—

“(A) the voting age population of the State (as reported in the most recent decennial census); and

“(B) the total voting age population of all States (as reported in the most recent decennial census).

“(2) SPECIAL RULE FOR PAYMENTS USED TO MEET REQUIREMENTS IMPOSED UNDER RESTORING CONFIDENCE IN AMERICA’S ELECTIONS ACT.—

“(A) IN GENERAL.—In the case of the requirements payment made to a State under the authorization made by section 257(a)(5) for fiscal year 2018 or 2019, the ‘State allocation percentage’ for a State is the amount (expressed as a percentage) equal to the quotient of—

“(i) the sum of the number of noncompliant precincts in the State and 50 percent of the number of partially noncompliant precincts in the State; and

“(ii) the sum of the number of noncompliant precincts in all States and 50 percent of the number of partially noncompliant precincts in all States.

“(B) NONCOMPLIANT PRECINCT DEFINED.—In this paragraph, a ‘noncompliant precinct’ means any precinct (or equivalent location) within a State for which the voting system used to administer the regularly scheduled general election for Federal office held in November 2018 did not meet either of the requirements described in subparagraph (D).

“(C) PARTIALLY NONCOMPLIANT PRECINCT DEFINED.—In this paragraph, a ‘partially noncompliant precinct’ means any precinct (or equivalent location) within a State for which the voting system used to administer the regularly scheduled general election for Federal office held in November 2018 met only one of the requirements described in subparagraph (D).

“(D) REQUIREMENTS DESCRIBED.—The requirements described in this subparagraph with respect to a voting system are as follows:

“(i) The primary voting system required the use of durable paper ballots (as described in sections 301(a)(2)(A)(i)(I) and 301(a)(12)(A), as amended or added by the Restoring Confidence in America’s Elections Act) for every vote cast.

“(ii) The voting system allowed the voter to privately and independently verify the permanent paper ballot through the presentation of the same printed or marked information used for vote counting and auditing and to privately and independently cast the permanent paper ballot without handling the ballot manually.”.

(c) Revised conditions for receipt of funds.—Section 253 of such Act (52 U.S.C. 21003) is amended—

(1) in subsection (a), by striking “A State is eligible” and inserting “Except as provided in subsection (f), a State is eligible”; and

(2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:

“(f) Special Rule for Payments Used To Meet Requirements Imposed Under Restoring Confidence in America’s Elections Act.—

“(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provision of this part, a State is eligible to receive a requirements payment under the authorization made by section 257(a)(5) for fiscal year 2018 or 2019 if, not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of the Restoring Confidence in America’s Elections Act, the chief executive officer of the State, or designee, in consultation and coordination with the chief State election official—

“(A) certifies to the Commission the number of noncompliant and partially noncompliant precincts in the State (as defined in section 252(b)(2));

“(B) certifies to the Commission that the State will reimburse each unit of local government in the State for any costs the unit incurs in carrying out the activities for which the payment may be used; and

“(C) files a statement with the Commission describing the State’s need for the payment and how the State will use the payment to meet the requirements of title III (in accordance with the limitations applicable to the use of the payment under section 257(a)(5)).

“(2) CERTIFICATIONS BY STATES THAT REQUIRE CHANGES TO STATE LAW.—In the case of a State that requires State legislation to carry out any activity covered by any certification submitted under this subsection, the State shall be permitted to make the certification notwithstanding that the legislation has not been enacted at the time the certification is submitted and such State shall submit an additional certification once such legislation is enacted.”.

(d) Permitting use of funds for reimbursement for costs previously incurred.—Section 251(c)(1) of such Act (52 U.S.C. 21001(c)(1)) is amended by striking the period at the end and inserting the following: “, or as a reimbursement for any costs incurred after November 2018 in meeting the requirements of title III which are imposed pursuant to the amendments made by title I of the Restoring Confidence in America’s Elections Act or in otherwise upgrading or replacing voting systems in a manner consistent with such amendments (so long as the voting systems meet any of the requirements that apply with respect to elections for Federal office held in 2020 and each succeeding year).”.

(e) Rule of construction regarding States receiving other funds for replacing punch card, lever, or other voting machines.—Nothing in the amendments made by this section or in any other provision of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 may be construed to prohibit a State which received or was authorized to receive a payment under title I or II of such Act for replacing punch card, lever, or other voting machines from receiving or using any funds which are made available under the amendments made by this section.

(f) Rule of construction regarding use of funds received in prior years.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Nothing contained in this Act or the Help America Vote Act of 2002 may be construed to prohibit a State from using funds received under title I or II of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to purchase or acquire by other means a voting system that meets the requirements of section 301 of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (as amended by this Act) in order to replace voting systems purchased with funds received under the Help America Vote Act of 2002 that do not meet such requirements.

(2) WAIVER OF NOTICE AND COMMENT REQUIREMENTS.—The requirements of subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) of section 254(a)(11) of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 shall not apply to any State using funds received under such Act for the purposes described in paragraph (1).

(a) Establishment of grant program.—

(1) GRANTS TO DEVELOP VOTING SYSTEMS.—The Election Assistance Commission (hereafter referred to as the “Commission”) shall establish and operate a program under which the Commission shall award grants to eligible entities for the development of voting systems that meet the requirements of paragraph (2) and that may be used by States and units of local government to administer elections for Federal office.

(2) REQUIREMENTS FOR VOTING SYSTEMS.—The requirements of this paragraph with respect to voting systems are as follows:

(A) The system produces a voter-verified paper record of each vote cast on the system.

(B) The system is demonstrably compatible with commodity accessibility devices.

(C) The system is fully accessible for the use of individuals with disabilities.

(b) Eligibility requirements for recipients.—An entity is eligible to receive a grant under the program under this section if the entity submits to the Commission, at such time and in such form as the Commission may require, an application containing—

(1) a certification that any voting system developed with the funds provided under this section shall meet the requirements of paragraph (2) of subsection (a); and

(2) such other information and assurances as the Commission may require.

(c) Applicability of regulations governing patent rights in Inventions made with Federal assistance.—Any invention made by the recipient of a grant under this section using funds provided under this section shall be subject to chapter 18 of title 35, United States Code (relating to patent rights in inventions made with Federal assistance).

(d) Report.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Each entity which receives a grant under this section shall submit to the Commission a report describing the activities carried out with the funds provided under the grant.

(2) DEADLINE.—An entity shall submit a report required under paragraph (1) not later than 60 days after the end of the fiscal year for which the entity received the grant which is the subject of the report.

(e) Authorization of appropriations.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be appropriated for grants under this section $60,000,000 for fiscal year 2018.

(2) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—Amounts appropriated pursuant to the authorization under this subsection shall remain available, without fiscal year limitation, until expended.

Section 301(d) of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21081(d)) is amended to read as follows:

“(d) Effective Date.—

“(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in paragraph (2), each State and jurisdiction shall be required to comply with the requirements of this section on and after January 1, 2006.

“(2) SPECIAL RULE FOR CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS.—

“(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in subparagraphs (B) and (C), the requirements of this section which are first imposed on a State and jurisdiction pursuant to the amendments made by title I of the Restoring Confidence in America’s Elections Act shall apply with respect to voting systems used for the regularly scheduled general election for Federal office held in 2020 and each succeeding election for Federal office.

“(B) 2-YEAR DELAY FOR JURISDICTIONS USING CERTAIN PAPER RECORD PRINTERS OR CERTAIN SYSTEMS USING OR PRODUCING VOTER-VERIFIABLE PAPER RECORDS IN 2018.—

“(i) DELAY.—In the case of a jurisdiction described in clause (ii), subparagraph (A) shall apply to a voting system in the jurisdiction as if the reference in such subparagraph to ‘2020’ were a reference to ‘2022’, but only with respect to the following requirements of this section:

“(I) Paragraph (2)(A)(i)(I) of subsection (a) (relating to the use of voter-marked paper ballots).

“(II) Paragraph (3)(B)(ii)(I) and (II) of subsection (a) (relating to access to verification from and casting of the durable paper ballot).

“(III) Paragraph (12) of subsection (a) (relating to durability and readability requirements for ballots).

“(ii) JURISDICTIONS DESCRIBED.—A jurisdiction described in this clause is a jurisdiction—

“(I) which used voter verifiable paper record printers attached to direct recording electronic voting machines, or which used other voting systems that used or produced paper records of the vote verifiable by voters but that are not in compliance with paragraphs (2)(A)(i)(I), (3)(B)(ii)(I) and (II), and (12) of subsection (a) (as amended or added by the Restoring Confidence in America’s Elections Act), for the administration of the regularly scheduled general election for Federal office held in November 2018; and

“(II) which will continue to use such printers or systems for the administration of elections for Federal office held prior to the regularly scheduled general election for Federal office held in 2020.

“(iii) MANDATORY AVAILABILITY OF PAPER BALLOTS AT POLLING PLACES USING GRANDFATHERED PRINTERS AND SYSTEMS.—

“(I) REQUIRING BALLOTS TO BE OFFERED AND PROVIDED.—The appropriate election official at each polling place that uses a printer or system described in clause (ii)(I) for the administration of elections for Federal office shall offer each individual who is eligible to cast a vote in the election at the polling place the opportunity to cast the vote using a blank preprinted paper ballot which the individual may mark by hand and which is not produced by the direct recording electronic voting machine or other such system. The official shall provide the individual with the ballot and the supplies necessary to mark the ballot, and shall ensure (to the greatest extent practicable) that the waiting period for the individual to cast a vote is the lesser of 30 minutes or the average waiting period for an individual who does not agree to cast the vote using such a paper ballot under this clause.

“(II) TREATMENT OF BALLOT.—Any paper ballot which is cast by an individual under this clause shall be counted and otherwise treated as a regular ballot for all purposes (including by incorporating it into the final unofficial vote count (as defined by the State) for the precinct) and not as a provisional ballot, unless the individual casting the ballot would have otherwise been required to cast a provisional ballot.

“(III) POSTING OF NOTICE.—The appropriate election official shall ensure there is prominently displayed at each polling place a notice that describes the obligation of the official to offer individuals the opportunity to cast votes using a preprinted blank paper ballot.

“(IV) TRAINING OF ELECTION OFFICIALS.—The chief State election official shall ensure that election officials at polling places in the State are aware of the requirements of this clause, including the requirement to display a notice under subclause (III), and are aware that it is a violation of the requirements of this title for an election official to fail to offer an individual the opportunity to cast a vote using a blank preprinted paper ballot.

“(V) PERIOD OF APPLICABILITY.—The requirements of this clause apply only during the period in which the delay is in effect under clause (i).

“(C) SPECIAL RULE FOR JURISDICTIONS USING CERTAIN NONTABULATING BALLOT MARKING DEVICES.—In the case of a jurisdiction which uses a nontabulating ballot marking device, subparagraph (A) shall apply to a voting system in the jurisdiction as if the reference in such subparagraph to ‘the regularly scheduled general election for Federal office held in 2020’ were a reference to ‘the first election for Federal office held in 2022’, but only with respect to paragraph (3)(B)(ii)(II) of subsection (a) (relating to nonmanual casting of the durable paper ballot).”.

Title III of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21081 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new subtitle:

Section 401 of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21111) is amended by striking “sections 301, 302, and 303” and inserting “title III”.

(a) In general.—Not later than May 1, 2020, the Director of the National Institute for Standards and Technology shall establish guidance for States that wish to establish alternative audit mechanisms under section 322(b) of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (as added by section 201). Such guidance shall be based upon scientifically and statistically reasonable assumptions for the purpose of creating an alternative audit mechanism that will be consistent with the principles for approval described in section 322(b)(2) of such Act (as so added).

(b) Authorization of appropriations.—There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out subsection (a) $100,000, to remain available until expended.

The table of contents of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 is amended by adding at the end of the items relating to title III the following:

(a) In General.—Title III of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (52 U.S.C. 30101 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 319 the following new section:

(b) Effective Date.—The amendments made by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to elections for Federal office held after December 2018.

(a) In general.—Title III of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21081 et seq.) is amended—

(1) by redesignating sections 304 and 305 as sections 305 and 306; and

(2) by inserting after section 303 the following new section:

(b) Clerical amendment.—The table of contents of such Act is amended—

(1) by redesignating the items relating to sections 304 and 305 as relating to sections 305 and 306; and

(2) by inserting after the item relating to section 303 the following new item:

“Sec. 304. Mandatory training for poll workers.”.

(a) Internet posting of list of individuals proposed To be removed from list.—Section 8 of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20507) is amended—

(1) by redesignating subsection (j) as subsection (k); and

(2) by inserting after subsection (i) the following new subsection:

“(j) Additional due process requirements for individuals proposed To be removed from list of eligible voters.—

“(1) INTERNET POSTING OF NAMES.—On an ongoing basis, the chief State election official shall post on the Internet a list showing the name and address of each individual whom the State intends to remove from the official list of eligible voters in elections for Federal office in the State, together with instructions on how an individual may challenge the proposed removal of the individual’s name from the list.

“(2) REQUIRING OPPORTUNITY TO CORRECT RECORD.—The State may not remove any individual from the official list of eligible voters in elections for Federal office in the State until the expiration of the 60-day period which begins on the date the chief State election official posts the individual’s name and address on the Internet under paragraph (1).

“(3) PUBLICIZING INFORMATION ON DUE PROCESS REQUIREMENTS.—The chief State election official shall disseminate information to the general public regarding the Internet posting of names and addresses under paragraph (1) and the opportunity for individuals to correct records under paragraph (2), including by sending information to media outlets in the State and by preparing information for distribution and display by offices of the State motor vehicle authority.”.

(b) Effective date.—The amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to elections for Federal office held during 2020 or any succeeding year.

(a) Mandatory response to allegations.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 30 days after receiving an allegation described in subsection (b) from any person, the Attorney General shall—

(A) initiate an investigation of the allegation; or

(B) provide the person with a written statement that the Attorney General will not investigate the allegation, and include in the statement the Attorney General’s reasons for not investigating the allegation.

(2) SPECIAL RULE FOR ALLEGATIONS RECEIVED WITHIN 30 DAYS OF ELECTION.—If the Attorney General receives an allegation described in subsection (b) during the 30-day period which ends on the date of an election for Federal office, the Attorney General shall meet the requirements of paragraph (1) not later than 48 hours after receiving the allegation.

(b) Allegations described.—An allegation described in this subsection is—

(1) an allegation that a law enforcement officer or other official of a State or local government has intimidated, threatened, or coerced, or attempted to intimidate, threaten, or coerce, any individual for voting, or for attempting to vote, in an election for Federal office; or

(2) an allegation that an election official of a State or local government has engaged or has attempted to engage in voter suppression activity.

(a) In general.—Section 302 of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21082) is amended—

(1) by redesignating subsection (d) as subsection (f); and

(2) by inserting after subsection (c) the following new subsections:

“(d) Statewide counting of provisional ballots.—

“(1) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of subsection (a)(4), notwithstanding the precinct or polling place at which a provisional ballot is cast within the State, the appropriate election official shall count each vote on such ballot for each election in which the individual who cast such ballot is eligible to vote.

“(2) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This subsection shall apply with respect to elections held on or after January 1, 2018.

“(e) Uniform and nondiscriminatory standards.—

“(1) ESTABLISHMENT OF STANDARDS BY COMMISSION.—The Commission shall establish uniform and nondiscriminatory standards for the issuance, handling, and counting of provisional ballots, consistent with the requirements of this section.

“(2) COMPLIANCE WITH STANDARDS.—Each State shall comply with the standards established by the Commission under this subsection.

“(3) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This subsection shall apply with respect to elections held on or after January 1, 2018.”.

(b) Conforming amendment relating to effective date.—Section 302(f) of such Act (52 U.S.C. 21082(f)), as redesignated by subsection (a), is amended by striking “Each State” and inserting “Except as provided in subsections (d)(2) and (e)(3), each State”.

(a) Prohibition.—Title III of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21081 et seq.), as amended by section 201, is amended by adding at the end the following new subtitle:

(b) Conforming amendments relating to adoption of voluntary guidance by Election Assistance Commission.—

(1) APPLICABILITY OF VOLUNTARY GUIDANCE.—Section 311(a) of such Act (52 U.S.C. 21101(a)) is amended by striking “subtitle A” and inserting “subtitle A and subtitle D”.

(2) DEADLINE FOR ADOPTION.—Section 311(b) of such Act (52 U.S.C. 21101(b)) is amended—

(A) by striking “and” at the end of paragraph (2);

(B) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (3) and inserting “; and”; and

(C) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

“(4) in the case of the recommendations with respect to subtitle D, June 30, 2018.”.

(c) Clerical amendment.—The table of contents of such Act is amended by adding at the end of the items relating to title III the following:

(a) Mandatory availability.—Subtitle D of title III of the Help America Vote Act of 2002, as added by section 312(a), is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

(b) Clerical amendment.—The table of contents of such Act, as amended by section 312(c), is amended by adding at the end of the items relating to subtitle D of title III the following:

“Sec. 332. Mandatory availability of early voting.”.

(a) Requiring States To meet requirements.—Subtitle D of title III of the Help America Vote Act of 2002, as added by section 312(a) and as amended by section 313(a), is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

(b) Clerical amendment.—The table of contents of such Act, as amended by section 312(c) and section 313(b), is amended by adding at the end of the items relating to subtitle D of title III the following:

“Sec. 333. Availability of sufficient polling places, equipment, and resources.”.

(a) Rulemaking authority.—The Help America Vote Act of 2002 is amended by striking section 209 (52 U.S.C. 20929).

(b) Clerical amendment.—The table of contents of such Act is amended by striking the item relating to section 209.