H.R. 6673 · 116th Congress
Federal Election Failsafe Act
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Never voted on. It didn't reach a floor vote before the 116th Congress ended, so it expired. A bill has to be introduced again to be considered in a new Congress.
D
Jackson LeeSponsorNo cosponsors.
This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish guidelines that states must meet for the continuing administration of federal elections in the event of a terrorist attack, an election cybersecurity incident, or a public health emergency.
What it does: CRS summary · Introduced in House · May 1, 2020
Federal Election Failsafe Act
This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish guidelines that states must meet for the continuing administration of federal elections in the event of a terrorist attack, an election cybersecurity incident, or a public health emergency.
Specifically, DHS must establish guidelines for the administration of federal elections by states in the event that a state's ability to carry out federal elections is adversely affected by a terrorist attack, an election cybersecurity incident, or a public health emergency. Such guidelines must include, among other elements, guidelines for ensuring that voting systems are resilient to attack so that systems accurately capture and report each vote cast by voters.
States must establish and implement plans to provide for the continuing administration of federal elections which meet the guidelines established by DHS, including plans to continue elections through remote voting. Additionally, state and local election officials must carry out exercises to respond to simulated attacks.
The Election Assistance Commission must provide grants to state and local election officials to assist with meeting the bill's requirements.
The bill also requires the Government Accountability Office to study the risks and benefits associated with relying on electronic voting technology in federal elections.
Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov
About this bill and sources
Official title: Federal Election Failsafe Act
Latest action (Jun 1, 2020): Referred to the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Innovation.
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics · Origin: House · Introduced: May 1, 2020
Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)
No recorded floor vote found.