52 USC 21007 - Authorization of appropriations

Collapse to view only § 21007. Authorization of appropriations

§ 21001. Requirements payments
§ 21002. Allocation of funds
§ 21003. Condition for receipt of funds
§ 21004. State plan
§ 21005. Process for development and filing of plan; publication by Commission
§ 21006. Requirement for public notice and comment
§ 21007. Authorization of appropriations
§ 21008. Reports

§ 21001. Requirements payments

(a) In general

(b) Use of funds

(1) In general

(2) Other activities

A State may use a requirements payment to carry out other activities to improve the administration of elections for Federal office if the State certifies to the Commission that—

(A) the State has implemented the requirements of subchapter III; or

(B) the amount expended with respect to such other activities does not exceed an amount equal to the minimum payment amount applicable to the State under section 21002(c) of this title.

(3) Activities under Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act

(1) In general

(2) Special rule regarding multiyear contracts

(d) Adoption of Commission guidelines and guidance not required to receive payment

(e) Schedule of payments

(f) Limitation

A State may not use any portion of a requirements payment—

(1) to pay costs associated with any litigation, except to the extent that such costs otherwise constitute permitted uses of a requirements payment under this subpart; or

(2) for the payment of any judgment.

(Pub. L. 107–252, title II, § 251, Oct. 29, 2002, 116 Stat. 1692; Pub. L. 111–84, div. A, title V, § 588(a), Oct. 28, 2009, 123 Stat. 2333.)

§ 21002. Allocation of funds

(a) In general

Subject to subsection (c), the amount of a requirements payment made to a State for a year shall be equal to the product of—

(1) the total amount appropriated for requirements payments for the year pursuant to the authorization under section 21007 of this title; and

(2) the State allocation percentage for the State (as determined under subsection (b)).

(b) State allocation percentage defined

The “State allocation percentage” for a State is the amount (expressed as a percentage) equal to the quotient of—

(1) the voting age population of the State (as reported in the most recent decennial census); and

(2) the total voting age population of all States (as reported in the most recent decennial census).

The amount of a requirements payment made to a State for a year may not be less than—

(1) in the case of any of the several States or the District of Columbia, one-half of 1 percent of the total amount appropriated for requirements payments for the year under section 21007 of this title; or

(2) in the case of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, or the United States Virgin Islands, one-tenth of 1 percent of such total amount.

(d) Pro rata reductions

(e) Continuing availability of funds after appropriation

(Pub. L. 107–252, title II, § 252, Oct. 29, 2002, 116 Stat. 1693.)

§ 21003. Condition for receipt of funds

(a) In general

(b) State plan requirement; certification of compliance with applicable laws and requirementsThe requirements referred to in this subsection are as follows:

(1) The State has filed with the Commission a State plan covering the fiscal year which the State certifies—

(A) contains each of the elements described in section 21004(a) of this title (or, for purposes of determining the eligibility of a State to receive a requirements payment appropriated pursuant to the authorization provided under section 21007(a)(4) of this title, contains the element described in paragraph (14) of such section) with respect to the fiscal year;

(B) is developed in accordance with section 21005 of this title; and

(2)

(A) Subject to subparagraph (B), the State has filed with the Commission a plan for the implementation of the uniform, nondiscriminatory administrative complaint procedures required under section 21112 of this title (or has included such a plan in the State plan filed under paragraph (1)), and has such procedures in place for purposes of meeting the requirements of such section. If the State does not include such an implementation plan in the State plan filed under paragraph (1), the requirements of sections 21005(b) and 21006 of this title shall apply to the implementation plan in the same manner as such requirements apply to the State plan.

(3) The State is in compliance with each of the laws described in section 21145 of this title, as such laws apply with respect to this chapter.

(4) To the extent that any portion of the requirements payment is used for activities other than meeting the requirements of subchapter III—

(A) the State’s proposed uses of the requirements payment are not inconsistent with the requirements of subchapter III; and

(B) the use of the funds under this paragraph is consistent with the requirements of section 21001(b) of this title.

(5)

(A) Subject to subparagraph (B), the State has appropriated funds for carrying out the activities for which the requirements payment is made in an amount equal to 5 percent of the total amount to be spent for such activities (taking into account the requirements payment and the amount spent by the State) and, in the case of a State that uses a requirements payment as a reimbursement under section 21001(c)(2) of this title, an additional amount equal to the amount of such reimbursement.

(B) Subparagraph (A) shall not apply for purposes of determining the eligibility of a State to receive a requirements payment appropriated pursuant to the authorization provided under section 21007(a)(4) of this title for fiscal year 2010, except that if the State does not appropriate funds in accordance with subparagraph (A) prior to the last day of fiscal year 2011, the State shall repay to the Commission the requirements payment which is appropriated pursuant to such authorization.

(d) Timing for filing of certification

(e) Chief State election official defined

(Pub. L. 107–252, title II, § 253, Oct. 29, 2002, 116 Stat. 1693; Pub. L. 111–84, div. A, title V, § 588(b)(1)(B)–(3), Oct. 28, 2009, 123 Stat. 2333; Pub. L. 112–74, div. C, title VI, § 622(2), Dec. 23, 2011, 125 Stat. 927.)

§ 21004. State plan

(a) In generalThe State plan shall contain a description of each of the following:

(1) How the State will use the requirements payment to meet the requirements of subchapter III, and, if applicable under section 21001(a)(2) of this title, to carry out other activities to improve the administration of elections.

(2) How the State will distribute and monitor the distribution of the requirements payment to units of local government or other entities in the State for carrying out the activities described in paragraph (1), including a description of—

(A) the criteria to be used to determine the eligibility of such units or entities for receiving the payment; and

(B) the methods to be used by the State to monitor the performance of the units or entities to whom the payment is distributed, consistent with the performance goals and measures adopted under paragraph (8).

(3) How the State will provide for programs for voter education, election official education and training, and poll worker training which will assist the State in meeting the requirements of subchapter III.

(4) How the State will adopt voting system guidelines and processes which are consistent with the requirements of section 21081 of this title.

(5) How the State will establish a fund described in subsection (b) for purposes of administering the State’s activities under this subpart, including information on fund management.

(6) The State’s proposed budget for activities under this subpart, based on the State’s best estimates of the costs of such activities and the amount of funds to be made available, including specific information on—

(A) the costs of the activities required to be carried out to meet the requirements of subchapter III;

(B) the portion of the requirements payment which will be used to carry out activities to meet such requirements; and

(7) How the State, in using the requirements payment, will maintain the expenditures of the State for activities funded by the payment at a level that is not less than the level of such expenditures maintained by the State for the fiscal year ending prior to November 2000.

(8) How the State will adopt performance goals and measures that will be used by the State to determine its success and the success of units of local government in the State in carrying out the plan, including timetables for meeting each of the elements of the plan, descriptions of the criteria the State will use to measure performance and the process used to develop such criteria, and a description of which official is to be held responsible for ensuring that each performance goal is met.

(9) A description of the uniform, nondiscriminatory State-based administrative complaint procedures in effect under section 21112 of this title.

(10) If the State received any payment under subchapter I, a description of how such payment will affect the activities proposed to be carried out under the plan, including the amount of funds available for such activities.

(11) How the State will conduct ongoing management of the plan, except that the State may not make any material change in the administration of the plan unless notice of the change—

(A) is developed and published in the Federal Register in accordance with section 21005 of this title in the same manner as the State plan;

(B) is subject to public notice and comment in accordance with section 21006 of this title in the same manner as the State plan; and

(C) takes effect only after the expiration of the 30-day period which begins on the date notice of the change is published in the Federal Register in accordance with subparagraph (A).

(12) In the case of a State with a State plan in effect under this part during the previous fiscal year, a description of how the plan reflects changes from the State plan for the previous fiscal year and of how the State succeeded in carrying out the State plan for such previous fiscal year.

(13) A description of the committee which participated in the development of the State plan in accordance with section 21005 of this title and the procedures followed by the committee under such section and section 21006 of this title.

(14) How the State will comply with the provisions and requirements of and amendments made by the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act.

(b) Requirements for election fund

(1) Election fund describedFor purposes of subsection (a)(5), a fund described in this subsection with respect to a State is a fund which is established in the treasury of the State government, which is used in accordance with paragraph (2), and which consists of the following amounts:

(A) Amounts appropriated or otherwise made available by the State for carrying out the activities for which the requirements payment is made to the State under this subpart.

(B) The requirements payment made to the State under this subpart.

(D) Interest earned on deposits of the fund.

(2) Use of fund

(3) Treatment of States that require changes to State law

(1) In general

(2) Exception for criminal acts

(Pub. L. 107–252, title II, § 254, Oct. 29, 2002, 116 Stat. 1694; Pub. L. 111–84, div. A, title V, § 588(b)(1)(A), Oct. 28, 2009, 123 Stat. 2333; Pub. L. 112–74, div. C, title VI, § 622(3), (4), Dec. 23, 2011, 125 Stat. 927.)

§ 21005. Process for development and filing of plan; publication by Commission

(a) In general

(b) Publication of plan by Commission

(Pub. L. 107–252, title II, § 255, Oct. 29, 2002, 116 Stat. 1697; Pub. L. 112–74, div. C, title VI, § 622(1), Dec. 23, 2011, 125 Stat. 926.)

§ 21006. Requirement for public notice and comment

For purposes of section 21001(a)(1)(C) 1

1 See References in Text note below.

of this title, a State plan meets the public notice and comment requirements of this section if—

(1) not later than 30 days prior to the submission of the plan, the State made a preliminary version of the plan available for public inspection and comment;

(2) the State publishes notice that the preliminary version of the plan is so available; and

(3) the State took the public comments made regarding the preliminary version of the plan into account in preparing the plan which was filed with the Commission.

(Pub. L. 107–252, title II, § 256, Oct. 29, 2002, 116 Stat. 1697.)

§ 21007. Authorization of appropriations

(a) In general

In addition to amounts transferred under section 20904(c) of this title, there are authorized to be appropriated for requirements payments under this subpart the following amounts:

(1) For fiscal year 2003, $1,400,000,000.

(2) For fiscal year 2004, $1,000,000,000.

(3) For fiscal year 2005, $600,000,000.

(4) For fiscal year 2010 and subsequent fiscal years, such sums as are necessary for purposes of making requirements payments to States to carry out the activities described in section 21001(b)(3) of this title.

(b) Availability

(Pub. L. 107–252, title II, § 257, Oct. 29, 2002, 116 Stat. 1697; Pub. L. 111–84, div. A, title V, § 588(c), Oct. 28, 2009, 123 Stat. 2334.)

§ 21008. Reports

Not later than 6 months after the end of each fiscal year for which a State received a requirements payment under this subpart, the State shall submit a report to the Commission on the activities conducted with the funds provided during the year, and shall include in the report—

(1) a list of expenditures made with respect to each category of activities described in section 21001(b) of this title;

(2) the number and type of articles of voting equipment obtained with the funds; and

(3) an analysis and description of the activities funded under this subpart to meet the requirements of this chapter and an analysis and description of how such activities conform to the State plan under section 21004 of this title.

(Pub. L. 107–252, title II, § 258, Oct. 29, 2002, 116 Stat. 1697.)