S.1383 — Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act
House Roll Call
S.1383
| Bill | S.1383 — Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act |
|---|---|
| Vote question | On Passage |
| Vote type | Yea-and-Nay |
| Result | Passed |
| Totals | Yea 218 / Nay 213 / Present 0 / Not Voting 1 |
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | 217 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| D | 1 | 213 | 0 | 0 |
| I | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Research Brief
On Passage
Bill Analysis
S. 1383 – Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE Act)
119th Congress
S. 1383 amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA) and related federal election laws to require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship for federal voter registration and to tighten verification, data-sharing, and enforcement mechanisms against noncitizen voting.
Core provisions
- Proof of citizenship requirement: Applicants for federal voter registration (including via mail, motor-voter, and other NVRA channels) must provide documentary evidence of U.S. citizenship (e.g., U.S. passport, birth certificate, naturalization certificate, or other specified documents). States are prohibited from registering an individual for federal elections without such proof.
- Verification and data matching: States must use available federal and state databases to verify citizenship status of applicants and, where feasible, existing registrants. This includes access to DHS, SSA, and other relevant systems, subject to interagency agreements.
- List maintenance: States are directed to identify and remove noncitizens from federal voter rolls following specified notice and confirmation procedures, and to maintain records of removals and attempted registrations by noncitizens.
- Criminal and civil penalties: The bill enhances or clarifies federal penalties for knowingly registering, attempting to register, or voting in a federal election as a noncitizen, and for officials who knowingly facilitate such registration. It also authorizes DOJ enforcement actions against jurisdictions that fail to comply.
- Reporting and oversight: States must report data on noncitizen registration attempts and removals to the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) and/or the Attorney General. Periodic reports to Congress summarize compliance and identified violations.
Agencies and programs affected
- State election officials must redesign registration forms, procedures, and database practices.
- Department of Justice gains explicit enforcement and litigation roles.
- DHS and SSA are required to support verification through data access.
- EAC assumes expanded data collection and reporting functions.
Beneficiaries and regulated parties
- U.S. citizens eligible to vote in federal elections are the intended beneficiaries (through stricter roll integrity).
- Noncitizens are more explicitly barred and subject to heightened detection and penalties.
- States and local election officials face new compliance, documentation, and reporting obligations.
Key timelines
- The bill sets phased implementation deadlines (e.g., within months for form changes and interagency agreements; within 1–2 federal election cycles for full verification and list maintenance), with ongoing reporting at regular intervals thereafter.
Yea (218)
K
Ken Calvert
S
Scott Franklin
L
Lisa McClain
J
John Rutherford
D
David Schweikert
P
Pete Sessions
Nay (213)
J
Jason Crow
L
Lloyd Doggett
J
John Garamendi
J
John Mannion
L
Lucy McBath
C
Christian Menefee
E
Eric Swalwell
R
Rashida Tlaib
N
Nydia Velázquez
D
Debbie Wasserman Schultz
