Sec. 2. Findings
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/bill/116/hr/8249/ih/section-2·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Congress makes the following findings: The 24th amendment to the Constitution of the United States prohibits Congress and States conditioning the right to vote in Federal elections on payment of any poll tax or any other tax, and this prohibition was extended to States under the 14th amendment in 1964 in Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections. The right to vote is the most basic constitutive act of citizenship. Regaining the right to vote reintegrates individuals with criminal convictions into free society, helping to enhance public safety.
An estimated 6,100,000 citizens of the United States, or about 1 in 40 adults in the United States, currently cannot vote as a result of a felony conviction. As of 2016, an estimated 6,100,000 citizens, or about 1 in 40 adults in the United States, could not vote as a result of a felony convictions. At least 8 States explicitly prohibit individuals who owe money associated with their criminal convictions from voting. At least 22 other States have laws that can implicitly prohibit individuals from voting because of unpaid legal debts, either through requirements that individuals complete parole or probation, which themselves hinge on payment of fines, fees or restitution, or clemency restrictions based on unpaid legal debts.
Across the Nation, approximately 10 million individuals owe a collective $50 billion in debt related to the criminal justice system, and findings from 14 States show that families on average owe $13,600 in fees and fines. State disenfranchisement laws additionally disproportionately impact racial and ethnic minorities. The right to vote additionally may not be abridged or denied by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, gender, or previous condition of servitude.
The 13th, 14th, 15th, 19th, and 26th Amendments to the Constitution of the United States empower Congress to enact measures to protect the right to vote. Continuing to disenfranchise individuals who have outstanding fees, fines, and restitution and who are living and working in the community serves no State interest and hinders their rehabilitation and reintegration into society.