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H.R. 5036: Emergency Assistance for Secure Elections Act of 2008

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H.R. 5036: Emergency Assistance for Secure Elections Act of 2008

110th Congress · introduced 2008-01-17 · Government Operations and Politics · Latest: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Failed by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 239 - 178 (Roll no. 188).

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2008-01-17 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Holt, Rush [D-NJ-12] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: 1 recorded vote in our records. Latest: House roll call 188 (2008): On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended, HR5036 (2008-04-15), Failed. See all
  4. Where it stands now: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Failed by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 239 - 178 (Roll no. 188). (final step reached)
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Emergency Assistance for Secure Elections Act of 2008

Plain summary

Emergency Assistance for Secure Elections Act of 2008 - Directs the Election Assistance Commission to reimburse certain jurisdictions for the costs of: (1) converting from electronic or other voting systems to paper ballot voting systems for the general elections for federal office to be held in November 2008; (2) retrofitting direct recording electronic voting systems to produce voter verifiable paper records; and (3) providing backup paper ballots if the jurisdiction uses a direct recording electronic voting system which happens to fail. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Commission to reimburse any state for the documented reasonable costs it incurs in conducting manual audits of the results of any of the regularly scheduled general elections for federal office in November 2008 (including, at state option, manual audits of state and local elections). Requires the state to: (1) reimburse immediately counties and other jurisdictions for the costs incurred as a result of a state audit; and (2) submit to the Commission a report on audit results in order to receive a payment under this Act. Authorizes appropriations. Provides for payments for state, county, or equivalent locations conducting hand counts of the results of 2008 general elections. Authorizes appropriations. Provides that if a state, county, or equivalent location uses a direct recording electronic voting system to conduct an election, the state, county, or equivalent location may not receive a payment for conducting a hand count of the votes cast in the election unless it certifies to the Commission that its system produces a paper record printout of the marked ballot verifiable by the voter at the time the vote is cast. Requires the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to study, test, and develop products and practices that ensure the accessibility of paper ballot verification and casting for individuals with disabilities, for voters whose primary language is not English, and for voters with difficulties in literacy. Authorizes appropriations.

Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to House amended, Part I), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Emergency Assistance for Secure Elections Act of 2008

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to House amended, Part I)

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Holt, Rush [D-NJ-12] · 92 cosponsors

Cost estimate: CBO cost estimate: H.R. 5036, Emergency Assistance for Secure Elections Act of 2008 (2008-04-10); CBO cost estimate: H.R. 5036, Emergency Assistance for Secure Elections Act of 2008 (2008-04-10)

Cosponsors on this site

Janice D. Schakowsky (D-IL), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Danny K. Davis (D-IL), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), James P. McGovern (D-MA), Mike Thompson (D-CA), Al Green (D-TX), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and 32 more.

Recorded votes

Words on this page, explained (2)
Appropriation
Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Jurisdiction
The area or the matters a government or court has authority over.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong110-hr5036 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong110 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong110