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S. 1437 115th Congress Senate

Voter Empowerment Act of 2017

Official title: A bill to modernize voter registration, promote access to voting for individuals with disabilities, protect the ability of individuals to exercise the right to… Show full official titleShow less

Official title: A bill to modernize voter registration, promote access to voting for individuals with disabilities, protect the ability of individuals to exercise the right to vote in elections for Federal office, and for other purposes.

Introduced: September 5, 2017 Introduced by: Kirsten E. Gillibrand Democratic · New York See on congress.gov
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This bill died when the 115th Congress ended
It never became law before the 115th Congress (2017–2018) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Jun 26, 2017
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration.
Jun 26, 2017
Introduced in Senate
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 Latest action June 26, 2017

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Voter Empowerment Act of 2017

Voter Registration Modernization Act of 2017

This bill amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require states to make available online voter registration.

The federal criminal code is amended to prohibit hindering, interfering with, or preventing voter registration.

The Help America Vote Act of 2002 is amended to require states to promote access to voter registration and voting for individuals with disabilities.

The Election Assistance Commission (EAC) must support pilot programs enabling individuals with disabilities to register and vote at their residences.

The bill reauthorizes support for state and local governments to ensure voting access for individuals with disabilities.

States must notify individuals convicted of a criminal offense under state law, upon release or upon sentence to probation, of their right to vote in federal elections.

Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2017

This bill revises auditing requirements for voting systems.

Voting systems must use individual, durable, voter-verified paper ballots.

The National Science Foundation must support the study and development of accessible ballot voting and best practices to enhance the accessibility of voting for certain individuals.

With exceptions, states must audit federal election results.

The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act is amended to extend the guarantee of voting residency to family members of absent military personnel.

The EAC must support poll-worker recruitment and training and develop materials for a model program.

The Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 is amended to prohibit a chief state election administration official, unless the official or a family member is a candidate, from taking part in political management or in a political campaign for federal office over which the official has supervisory authority.

The EAC is reauthorized and its exemption from certain contracting requirements is repealed.

 Related & companion bills 8
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 1437: Voter Empowerment Act of 2017. 115th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/115-S-1437/
MLA
"S. 1437: Voter Empowerment Act of 2017." 115th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/115-S-1437/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 1437, 115th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/115-S-1437/.
Markdown link
[S. 1437: Voter Empowerment Act of 2017](https://openamerica.io/bill/115-S-1437/)
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