S. 1728: Safeguarding Elections for our Nation's Troops through Reforms and Improvements (SENTRI) Act

113th Congress · introduced 2013-11-19 · Government Operations and Politics · Latest: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 355.

federal

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Where it came from: introduced 2013-11-19 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 355. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
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

Safeguarding Elections for our Nation's Troops through Reforms and Improvements (SENTRI) Act

Plain summary

Safeguarding Elections for our Nation's Troops through Reforms and Improvements (SENTRI) Act - Makes amendments to the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act to expand access to voting in federal elections for members of the uniformed services and U.S. citizens residing abroad (overseas voters). Title I: Amendments Related to the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act - (Sec. 101) Requires the chief election official of a state to report, not later than 43 days before any federal election held in the state, on the total number of absentee ballots validly requested by absent uniformed services voters and overseas voters whose requests were received by the 47th day before the election. (Sec. 102) Eliminates the hardship waiver allowed for states from the requirement to provide absentee voters ballots 46 days prior to an election. Requires express delivery of an absentee ballot that is not timely transmitted, unless a state permits transmission and return of an absentee ballot by electronic means. Requires a state to notify the Attorney General as soon as practicable and take all actions necessary, including seeking necessary judicial review, to ensure that affected absent uniformed services voters and overseas voters are provided a reasonable opportunity to receive and return their absentee ballots in time to be counted. (Sec. 104) Prohibits a state from disqualifying any voter who has registered to vote using the official post card form prescribed by the National Voter Registration Act of 1993. (Sec. 105) Prohibits a state from rejecting a voter registration or absentee ballot application from an overseas voter because of early submission. Allows an absentee voter to use a single absentee ballot application for subsequent elections. Requires the presidential designee to ensure that the official postcard form prescribed under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act enables a voter using the form to request: (1) an absentee ballot for each election for federal office held in a state through the next regularly scheduled general election, including any runoff elections; or (2) an absentee ballot for a specific election or elections for federal office. (Sec. 106) Makes the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act applicable to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. (Sec. 107) Revises reporting requirements for voting assistance programs for members of the uniformed services and overseas voters to require a biennial report by the presidential designee on June 30 of each odd-numbered year (currently, March 31 of each year) on the effectiveness of such programs. Requires the Comptroller General (GAO) to review such biennial reports for elections held in calendar years 2014 through 2020 and report to Congress on such review. (Sec. 108) Makes the amendments made by this title effective on January 1, 2015. Title II: Provision of Voter Assistance to Members of the Armed Forces - Directs the Secretary of Defense (DOD), in coordination with the Secretary of each military department, to: (1) affirmatively offer, on an annual basis, each member of the Armed Forces on active duty (other than active duty for training) the opportunity, through an online system, to register to vote in a federal election, update voter registration information, or request an absentee ballot; (2) implement an online system for such purposes; and (3) implement a system to track a change of address or duty status of a member of the Armed Forces on active duty to provide an automatic notice to such member of voter registration requirements. Requires the Secretary to prescribe regulations to implement such voter assistance measures and report to the House Committees on Appropriations, Armed Services, and Administration and the Senate Committees on Appropriations, Armed Services, and Rules and Administration on such implementation. Title III: Electronic Voting Systems - Amends the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002 to repeal the demonstration project allowing absent members of the uniformed services to vote in the regularly scheduled general election for federal office for November 2002 through an electronic voting system.

Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to Senate with amendment(s)), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Safeguarding Elections for our Nation's Troops through Reforms and Improvements (SENTRI) Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to Senate with amendment(s))

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX] · 14 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Roger F. Wicker (R-MS), Angus S. King, Jr. (I-ME), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX] reported raising $8.6 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (4)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Authorization: A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Fiscal year: The 12-month period a government uses for its budget. The federal fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30 and is named for the calendar year in which it ends. Most states use July 1 to June 30.
Rulemaking: The process agencies use to write regulations that carry out laws passed by Congress or a legislature. Usually an agency publishes a proposed rule, takes public comments, then publishes a final rule.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to Senate with amendment(s))
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-113s1728.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/113/s>

Record fed-us-cong113-s1728 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong113 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong113