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S. 1: For the People Act of 2021

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S. 1: For the People Act of 2021

117th Congress · introduced 2021-03-17 · Government Operations and Politics · Latest: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 123.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2021-03-17 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: 1 recorded vote in our records. Latest: Senate vote 358 (2021): On the Motion to Discharge, S1 (2021-08-11), Motion to Discharge Agreed to. See all
  4. Where it stands now: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 123. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  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

For the People Act of 2021

Plain summary

For the People Act of 2021 This bill addresses voter access, election integrity and security, campaign finance, and ethics for the three branches of government. Specifically, the bill expands voter registration (e.g., automatic and same-day registration) and voting access (e.g., vote-by-mail and early voting). It also limits removing voters from voter rolls. The bill requires states to establish independent redistricting commissions to carry out congressional redistricting. Additionally, the bill sets forth provisions related to election security, including sharing intelligence information with state election officials, supporting states in securing their election systems, developing a national strategy to protect U.S. democratic institutions, establishing in the legislative branch the National Commission to Protect United States Democratic Institutions, and other provisions to improve the cybersecurity of election systems. Further, the bill addresses campaign finance, including by expanding the prohibition on campaign spending by foreign nationals, requiring additional disclosure of campaign-related fundraising and spending, requiring additional disclaimers regarding certain political advertising, and establishing an alternative campaign funding system for certain federal offices. The bill addresses ethics in all three branches of government, including by requiring a code of conduct for Supreme Court Justices, prohibiting Members of the House from serving on the board of a for-profit entity, and establishing additional conflict-of-interest and ethics provisions for federal employees and the White House. The bill requires the President, the Vice President, and certain candidates for those offices to disclose 10 years of tax returns.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), 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

For the People Act of 2021

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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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: Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] · 48 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Richard J. Durbin (D-IL), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Kirsten E. Gillibrand (D-NY), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael F. Bennet (D-CO), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Cory A. Booker (D-NJ), Christopher Murphy (D-CT), Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Patty Murray (D-WA), Gary C. Peters (D-MI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Angus S. King, Jr. (I-ME), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Christopher A. Coons (D-DE), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Margaret Wood Hassan (D-NH), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), John W. Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Raphael G. Warnock (D-GA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jon Ossoff (D-GA)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] reported raising $5.4 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

Recorded votes

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

Record fed-us-cong117-s1 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong117 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong117