Sec. 8001. Democracy Advancement and Innovation Program
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There is established a program to be known as the Democracy Advancement and Innovation Program under which the Director of the Office of Democracy Advancement and Innovation shall make allocations to each State for each fiscal year to carry out democracy promotion activities described in subsection (b). The democracy promotion activities described in this subsection are as follows: Activities to promote innovation to improve efficiency and smooth functioning in the administration of elections for Federal office and to secure the infrastructure used in the administration of such elections, including making upgrades to voting equipment and voter registration systems, securing voting locations, expanding polling places and the availability of early and mail voting, recruiting and training nonpartisan election officials, and promoting cybersecurity.
Activities to ensure equitable access to democracy, including the following: Enabling candidates who seek office in the State to receive payments as participating candidates under title V of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (as added by subtitle B), but only if the State will enable candidates to receive such payments during an entire election cycle. Operating a Democracy Credit Program under part 1 of subtitle B, but only if the State will operate the program during an entire election cycle.
Other activities to ensure equitable access to democracy, including administering a ranked-choice voting system and carrying out Congressional redistricting through independent commissions. Activities to increase access to voting in elections for Federal office by underserved communities, individuals with disabilities, racial and language minority groups, individuals entitled to vote by absentee ballot under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, and voters residing in Indian lands.
A State may retain and reserve an allocation received for a fiscal year to carry out democracy promotion activities in any subsequent fiscal year. A State shall receive an allocation under the Program for a fiscal year if— not later than 90 days before the first day of the fiscal year, the chief State election official of the State submits to the Director the State plan described in section 8002; and not later than 45 days before the first day of the fiscal year, the Director, in consultation with the Election Assistance Commission and the Federal Election Commission as described in paragraph (3), determines that the State plan will enable the State to carry out democracy promotion activities and approves the plan.
If the Director does not approve the State plan as submitted by the State under paragraph
(1)with respect to a fiscal year, the State shall receive a payment under the Program for the fiscal year if, at any time prior to the end of the fiscal year— the chief State election official of the State submits a revised version of the State plan; and the Director, in consultation with the Election Assistance Commission and the Federal Election Commission as described in paragraph (3), determines that the revised version of the State plan will enable the State to carry out democracy promotion activities and approves the plan. With respect to a State plan submitted under paragraph
(1)or a revised plan submitted under paragraph (2)— the Director shall, prior to making a determination on approval of the plan, consult with the Election Assistance Commission with respect to the proposed State activities described in subsection (b)(1) and with the Federal Election Commission with respect to the proposed State activities described in subsection (b)(2)(A) and (b)(2)(B); and the Election Assistance Commission and the Federal Election Commission shall submit to the Director a written assessment with respect to whether the proposed activities of the plan satisfy the requirements of this Act. The chief State election official of the State shall develop the State plan submitted under paragraph
(1)and the revised plan submitted under paragraph
(2)in consultation with the majority party and minority party leaders of each house of the State legislature. Not later than 90 days after the last day of a fiscal year for which an allocation was made to the State under the Program, the chief State election official of the State shall submit a report to the Director describing how the State used the allocation, including a description of the democracy promotion activities the State carried out with the allocation. The Director shall make available on a publicly accessible website the following: State plans submitted under paragraph
(1)of subsection
(d)and revised plans submitted under paragraph
(2)of subsection (d). The Director’s notifications of determinations with respect to such plans under subsection (d). Reports submitted by States under subsection (e). The Director may redact information required to be made available under paragraph
(1)if the information would be properly withheld from disclosure under section 552 of title 5, United States Code, or if the public disclosure of the information is otherwise prohibited by law. This section shall apply with respect to fiscal year 2025 and each succeeding fiscal year.