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H.R. 4910: Sustaining Our Democracy Act

This bill, titled the "Sustaining Our Democracy Act," aims to enhance the administration of federal elections in the United States through the establishment of a Democracy Advancement and Innovation Program. Here’s an outline of its major provisions:

1. Establishment of the Program

The bill creates a program that will allocate funds from a newly established "State Election Assistance and Innovation Trust Fund" to each state for various democracy promotion activities. The funding will be available for each fiscal year starting from 2026.

2. Fund for Democracy Advancement

The Trust Fund will have an initial appropriation of $2.5 billion for each fiscal year from 2026 through 2035. The amounts will be utilized to finance state-specific allocations under the Democracy Advancement and Innovation Program.

3. Activities Funded

States can use these funds for several key democracy promotion activities, including:

Improving election administration: Upgrading voting equipment, enhancing voter registration systems, securing voting locations, expanding polling places, and promoting cybersecurity measures.
Recruiting and training election officials: Especially focusing on nonpartisan election workers and protecting them from potential threats during their work.
Increasing access to voting: Particularly for underserved communities and individuals with disabilities, including expanding access to early voting and mail-in ballots.

4. State Plans

To receive funds, each state must submit a plan detailing how they intend to use the allocations for the aforementioned activities. The plan must address:

The specific activities the state will undertake.
The intention to retain and reserve funds for future use.
Strategies to address geographic and racial disparities in resource distribution.
A detailed budget for proposed activities and uses of the funds.

5. Payment and Transparency Provisions

The bill includes measures for transparency, requiring states to publicly report how they use the allocated funds within 90 days after the end of the fiscal year. Additionally, the Director of the Office of Democracy Advancement and Innovation will maintain a publicly accessible website detailing state plans, approval statuses, and reports on fund usage.

6. Office of Democracy Advancement and Innovation

The bill establishes an independent Office of Democracy Advancement and Innovation to oversee the program. The office will be headed by a director appointed by the President. Responsibilities will include administering the program, monitoring the trust fund, providing oversight, and ensuring compliance with regulations.

7. Prohibitions and Regulations

The bill includes provisions that prohibit the misuse of funds. States cannot use the funds for activities that would demean voting rights or intimidate voters. This includes activities that threaten election integrity or restrict voter participation.

Furthermore, states must establish administrative complaint procedures to address any violations of the act, with provisions for public notification and review of complaints.

8. Effective Dates

The provisions of this act will be effective from the fiscal year 2026 and continue thereafter.

Relevant Companies

LDOS (Leidos Holdings, Inc.) - May be impacted through contracts related to cybersecurity and elections technology.
ESSA (Essence Group Holdings Corporation) - Potential engagement in voting outreach technology or services.

This is an AI-generated summary of the bill text. There may be mistakes.

Actions

2 actions

Date	Action
Aug. 05, 2025	Introduced in House
Aug. 05, 2025	Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.

Corporate Lobbying

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Potentially Relevant Congressional Stock Trades

Estimated excess return of the underlying stock since the transaction

Politician	Stock	Transaction	Filed	Traded
Gerald E. Connolly D / House	LDOS LEIDOS HOLDINGS, INC. COMMON STOCK	Sale $1,001 - $15,000	May 17, 2025	May 13, 2025	-29.09%
Gerald E. Connolly D / House	LDOS LEIDOS HOLDINGS, INC. COMMON STOCK	Sale $1,001 - $15,000	Feb 06, 2025	Feb 05, 2025	-16.25%
Gerald E. Connolly D / House	LDOS LEIDOS HOLDINGS, INC. COMMON STOCK	Sale $1,001 - $15,000	Oct 11, 2024	Oct 10, 2024	-36.50%
Gerald E. Connolly D / House	LDOS LEIDOS HOLDINGS, INC. COMMON STOCK	Sale $1,001 - $15,000	Jul 05, 2024	Jul 02, 2024	-31.43%