H.R. 5053: Protecting Election Administration from Interference Act of 2021

117th Congress · introduced 2021-08-20 · Government Operations and Politics · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2021-08-20 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Allred, Colin Z. [D-TX-32] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties. 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

Protecting Election Administration from Interference Act of 2021

Plain summary

Protecting Election Administration from Interference Act of 2021 This bill revises preservation and retention requirements for federal election records. It also revises criminal penalties related to election records and the voting process. Under current law, election officials must, for a period of 22 months from the federal election, retain and preserve all election-related records and papers. This bill extends the requirement to electronic records and electronic equipment. Next, the bill directs the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to issue minimum standards and best practices for retaining and preserving records (including electronic records), papers, and electronic equipment, including protocols for observing their preservation, security, and transfer by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and a representative of each political party. In addition, the bill revises the federal criminal offense related to election records or papers to include reckless disregard of election record requirements resulting in the theft, destruction, concealment, mutilation, or alteration of a record, paper, or electronic equipment. Further, the bill allows DOJ to demand electronic records and electronic equipment for inspection and generally prohibits DOJ from disclosing this information. The bill allows DOJ and candidates for federal office to bring an action in a district court to compel compliance with election record requirements. Finally, the bill extends criminal penalties related to voting interference to include intimidating, threatening, or coercing (or attempting to do so) an individual for processing or scanning ballots, tabulating, canvassing, or certifying voting results.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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A “Nay” vote

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Protecting Election Administration from Interference Act of 2021

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Allred, Colin Z. [D-TX-32] · 6 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Marc A. Veasey (D-TX), Veronica Escobar (D-TX), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Ted Lieu (D-CA)

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-117hr5053.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/117/hr>

Record fed-us-cong117-hr5053 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong117 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong117