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S 1992 97th Congress Senate

Voting Rights Act Amendments of 1982

Official title: A bill to amend the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to extend the effect of certain provisions, and for other purposes.

Introduced: May 25, 1982 See on congress.gov
Government Operations and Politics Bilingual election requirementsBilingualismBlindCivil Rights and Liberties
More subjectsShow fewer subjects
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority IssuesElection administrationEskimosLiteracy testsMinoritiesNative AmericansPhysically handicappedVoter registrationVotingVoting rights
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This bill died when the 97th Congress ended
It never became law before the 97th Congress (1981–1982) 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 31 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Dec 2, 1982
Indefinitely postponed by Senate by Unanimous Consent.
Jun 18, 1982
Senate passed companion measure H.R. 3112 in lieu of this measure by Yea-Nay Vote. 85-8. Record Vote No: 190.
Jun 18, 1982
Senate incorporated this measure in H.R. 3112 as an amendment.
Jun 18, 1982
Considered by Senate.
Jun 17, 1982
Senate vitiated previous vote of rejection on SP1868 by unanimous consent.
Jun 17, 1982
Motion to proceed to consideration of measure agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 97-0. Record Vote No: 174.
Jun 17, 1982
Motion to proceed considered in Senate.
Jun 16, 1982
Motion to proceed considered in Senate.
Jun 15, 1982
Cloture on the motion to proceed invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 86-8. Record Vote No: 172.
Jun 15, 1982
Motion to proceed to the bill considered in Senate.
Jun 14, 1982
Cloture motion on motion to consider presented in Senate.
Jun 14, 1982
Motion to proceed to the consideration of the bill considered.
Jun 9, 1982
Motion to proceed to consideration of measure made in Senate.
May 25, 1982
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under Regular Orders. Calendar No. 598.
May 25, 1982
Committee on Judiciary. Reported to Senate by Senator Thurmond with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 97-417.
May 4, 1982
Committee on Judiciary. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
Apr 29, 1982
Committee on Judiciary. Committee consideration and Mark Up Session held.
Apr 28, 1982
Committee on Judiciary. Committee consideration and Mark Up Session held.
Mar 24, 1982
Subcommittee on Constitution. Approved for full committee consideration with an amendment favorably.
Mar 1, 1982
Subcommittee on Constitution. Hearings held.
Feb 25, 1982
Subcommittee on Constitution. Hearings held.
Feb 12, 1982
Subcommittee on Constitution. Hearings held.
Feb 11, 1982
Subcommittee on Constitution. Hearings held.
Feb 4, 1982
Subcommittee on Constitution. Hearings held.
Feb 2, 1982
Subcommittee on Constitution. Hearings held.
Feb 1, 1982
Subcommittee on Constitution. Hearings held.
Jan 28, 1982
Subcommittee on Constitution. Hearings held.
Jan 27, 1982
Subcommittee on Constitution. Hearings held.
Dec 22, 1981
Referred to Subcommittee on Constitution.
Dec 16, 1981
Read second time and referred to Senate Committee on Judiciary.
Dec 16, 1981
Introduced in Senate
 Amendments to this bill 49

Amendments propose changes to this bill. Members vote on amendments separately before the final bill vote. An agreed amendment becomes part of the bill; a failed amendment does not.

6 agreed to 15 failed 28 pending / other

AmendmentSponsorPurposeStatusLatest action
SAMDT 1,898 – To provide for the application of preclearance provisions to all States and political subdivisions and to pro… Failed Jun 18, 1982
SAMDT 1,879 – To repeal certain provisions relating to bilingual election requirements. Failed Jun 18, 1982
SAMDT 1,876 – To make the new bailout standard effective on August 6, 1982; to strike the provision regarding no final judg… Failed Jun 18, 1982
SUAMDT 1,035 – To apply the extension to bilingual election requirements only to members of single language minority who do … Agreed to Jun 18, 1982
SUAMDT 1,034 – To guarantee the right to vote in States with abnormally low percentages of black registration. Failed Jun 18, 1982
SUAMDT 1,033 – To exempt 42 counties in North Carolina from sections 4 and 5. Failed Jun 18, 1982
SUAMDT 1,032 – To modify the expiration date of the provisions of section 4. Failed Jun 18, 1982
SUAMDT 1,031 – To clarify the phrases "anywhere in the territory" and "all governmental units within its territory" under th… Failed Jun 18, 1982
SUAMDT 1,030 – To assure a timely decision by the Attorney General under the preclearance provision. Failed Jun 18, 1982
SUAMDT 1,029 – To change the bailout provision in the bill so as to permit a State to bail out even if some of its counties … Failed Jun 18, 1982
SUAMDT 1,028 – To provide for a modification of the bailout provision under the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Failed Jun 18, 1982
SAMDT 1,897 – To limit the jurisdiction of the courts to require proportional representation or quotas in the election of m… Failed Jun 17, 1982
SAMDT 1,883 – To provide that the amendments made in section 5 become effective January 1, 1984. Agreed to Jun 17, 1982
SAMDT 1,875 – To strike section 3. Failed Jun 17, 1982
SAMDT 1,868 – To provide a reasonable bailout provision under section 4(a). Failed Jun 17, 1982
SAMDT 1,865 – To change the venue provisions under sections 4 and 5. Failed Jun 17, 1982
SUAMDT 1,027 – To affirm the right of the Attorney General to consent to a judgment under the bailout provision of the Votin… Agreed to Jun 17, 1982
SUAMDT 1,026 – – Agreed to Jun 17, 1982
SUAMDT 1,025 – To allow the Courts to order proportional representation as a remedy. Failed Jun 17, 1982
SUAMDT 1,024 – To make technical corrections. Agreed to Jun 17, 1982
SUAMDT 1,023 – To make technical corrections. Agreed to Jun 17, 1982
SAMDT 1,900 – To modify the provisions relating to language minorities. Pending –
SAMDT 1,899 – To provide a reasonable bailout under the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Pending –
SAMDT 1,896 – To change the venue for section 4 relating to the bailout provisions. Pending –
SAMDT 1,895 – To provide a reasonable bailout under the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Pending –
SAMDT 1,894 – To modify the provisions relating to language minorities. Pending –
SAMDT 1,892 – To add a proviso clarifying that the practice of electing representatives and officials to staggered terms sh… Pending –
SAMDT 1,891 – To add a proviso clarifying that annexations of additional territory by a political subdivision shall not be … Pending –
SAMDT 1,890 – To extend the provisions of section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to women and religious minorities. Pending –
SAMDT 1,889 – – Pending –
SAMDT 1,888 – To exempt from section 2 political subdivisions having a population composed of less than 25 per centum membe… Pending –
SAMDT 1,887 – To exempt from section 2 political subdivisions having a population composed of less than 15 per centum membe… Pending –
SAMDT 1,886 – To exempt from section 2 political subdivisions having a population composed of less than 5 per centum member… Pending –
SAMDT 1,885 – To require a balanced and improved procedure in the administration of the preclearance provisions. Pending –
SAMDT 1,884 – To establish standards and an appropriate burden of proof for interposing objection to voting changes under s… Pending –
SAMDT 1,882 – To require a registry to be kept in States not now covered by Section 5, relating to preclearance, under whic… Pending –
SAMDT 1,880 – To modify the provisions relating to language minorities. Pending –
SAMDT 1,878 – To delete section 4. Pending –
SAMDT 1,874 – To eliminate the requirement that States and local political subdivisions permit voting assistants to accompa… Pending –
SAMDT 1,873 – To strike section 5. Pending –
SAMDT 1,872 – To limit the jurisdiction of the court to require the election of members of a protected class in numbers equ… Pending –
SAMDT 1,871 – To limit the jurisdiction of the court to require the election of members of a protected class in numbers equ… Pending –
SAMDT 1,870 – To limit the authority of the court to require the election of members of a protected class in numbers equal … Pending –
SAMDT 1,869 – To limit the authority of the court and the Department of Justice to require the election of members of a pro… Pending –
SAMDT 1,867 – To add a proviso clarifying that at-large elections do not violate section 2. Pending –
SAMDT 1,866 – To establish standards and an appropriate burden of proof for interposing objections to voting changes under … Pending –
SAMDT 1,864 – To require that any action brought under section 2 be brought in the United States district court in the Dist… Pending –
SAMDT 1,863 – To extend the provisions of section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to women. Pending –
SAMDT 1,862 – To extend the provisions of section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to religious minorities. Pending –
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 Latest action December 2, 1982

Indefinitely postponed by Senate by Unanimous Consent.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Amends the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to extend from August 6, 1982, to August 6, 1984, the current preclearance requirements (under which jurisdictions covered through the triggering mechanism must submit proposed electoral changes to the Department of Justice). Establishes a new standard for jurisdictions to "bail-out" of these requirements effective August 6, 1984.

Permits political subdivisions of covered States to bail-out independently of the State.

Conditions a declaratory judgment for bail-out on the jurisdiction's showing that it and all its political subdivisions have met the bail-out requirements for a ten-year period prior to the filing of the suit.

Includes among the requirements for bail-out that: (1) no test or device has been used to discriminate on account of race, color, or language; (2) no actions alleging voting discrimination are pending or have gone to final judgment; (3) no Federal examiner has served in the jurisdiction seeking bail-out; (4) the jurisdiction and all its subdivisions have complied with the preclearance requirements; and (5) the jurisdiction and its subdivisions have taken affirmative steps to protect voting rights.

Stipulates that lawsuits filed during pendency of the bail-out litigation will not bar bail-out. Subjects the jurisdiction to the preclearance requirements if any such lawsuit alleging voting violations is successful after bail-out.

Restates the prohibition against voting discrimination to include as a violation conduct which has the effect of discrimination. Stipulates that the failure of a minority to be proportionately represented does not itself constitute a violation.

Extends the bilingual election requirements from August 6, 1985, to August 6, 1992.

Declares that nothing in the Voting Rights Act shall be construed to permit assistance within the voting booth, unless the voter is blind or physically incapacitated.

 Related & companion bills 1
  • HR 3112 Related bill An act to amend the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to extend the effect of certain provisions, and for other purposes.
 Committees of jurisdiction 2
 Cosponsors 1
All 1 Republican 1
R
Grassley, Chuck
Iowa · May 25, 1982
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 1992: Voting Rights Act Amendments of 1982. 97th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/97-S-1992/
MLA
"S. 1992: Voting Rights Act Amendments of 1982." 97th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/97-S-1992/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 1992, 97th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/97-S-1992/.
Markdown link
[S. 1992: Voting Rights Act Amendments of 1982](https://openamerica.io/bill/97-S-1992/)
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