H.R. 1562: SAFE Act

115th Congress · introduced 2017-03-16 · 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 2017-03-16 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2] · 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

SAFE Act

Plain summary

Secure America's Future Elections Act or the SAFE Act This bill directs the National Protection and Programs Directorate of the Department of Homeland Security to designate the infrastructure used to administer elections as critical infrastructure. The bill amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 with respect to: funding for states to upgrade the security of the information technology and cybersecurity elements of voting systems, voter registration lists, and voter registration processes; voting systems and cybersecurity standards; paper ballot and manual counting requirements; accessibility to voting systems and ballot verification for individuals with disabilities; durability and readability requirements for ballots; and mandatory manual audits of results of elections. The National Science Foundation shall make grants to study, test, and develop accessible paper ballot voting mechanisms and best practices to enhance the accessibility of paper ballot voting for voters with disabilities, voters whose primary language is not English, and voters with difficulties in literacy. The National Institute for Standards and Technology shall establish guidance for states that wish to establish alternative audit mechanisms. The Election Assistance Commission is made permanent.

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

SAFE Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2] · 25 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. (D-GA), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Ro Khanna (D-CA), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), Adam Smith (D-WA), Janice D. Schakowsky (D-IL), Frederica S. Wilson (D-FL), Mark Takano (D-CA)

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2] reported raising $1.0 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 (2)

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).
Securities: Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.

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-115hr1562.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/115/hr>

Record fed-us-cong115-hr1562 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong115 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong115