H.R. 5779: Automatic Voter Registration Act of 2016

114th Congress · introduced 2016-07-14 · Government Operations and Politics · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Research and Technology.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2016-07-14 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Brady, Robert A. [D-PA-1] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Research and Technology. 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

Automatic Voter Registration Act of 2016

Plain summary

Automatic Voter Registration Act of 2016 This bill requires the chief state election official of each state to establish and operate a system of automatic registration for the registration of eligible individuals to vote for elections for federal office in the state. The chief state election official shall ensure that all individuals who are eligible to be, but are not currently, registered to vote in federal elections in the state is promptly registered to vote, unless the individual declines registration by providing appropriate notice. Each contributing agency in a state, including the state motor vehicle authority, shall assist the state's chief election official in registering to vote all eligible individuals the agency serves. For each individual already listed in a contributing agency's records, and for whom the agency retains specified personal information, the agency shall promptly transmit that information to the appropriate state election official. No individual shall be prosecuted under any federal law, or adversely affected in any civil adjudication concerning immigration status or naturalization, or by an allegation in any legal proceeding that an individual who is not a U.S. citizen is removable or inadmissible: for notifying an election official of the individual's automatic registration; on the grounds that the individual is not an eligible voter and has been automatically registered to vote under this bill; or because the individual has been automatically registered to vote at the incorrect address. The bill allows correction of registration information at the polling place. Each state shall ensure that application for or any update to voter registration can be done online. The Election Assistance Commission shall make grants to each eligible state to assist it in implementing this bill.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), 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

Automatic Voter Registration Act of 2016

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Brady, Robert A. [D-PA-1] · 9 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

James E. Clyburn (D-SC), Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Juan Vargas (D-CA), Brendan F. Boyle (D-PA)

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 (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.
Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-114hr5779.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/114/hr>

Record fed-us-cong114-hr5779 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong114 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong114