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H.R. 4917: Expanding the Voluntary Opportunities for Translations in Elections Act

This bill, titled the "Expanding the Voluntary Opportunities for Translations in Elections Act," aims to enhance the availability of voting materials in multiple languages, particularly for language minority groups, to ensure inclusive access to the electoral process. Below is a summary of the main provisions of the bill:

1. Amendment of Voting Rights Act Provisions

The bill proposes amendments to Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which governs the provision of voting materials in languages other than English.

Definition of Voting Materials: The term "voting materials" will now encompass both digital and printed materials related to the electoral process, including registration forms, voting instructions, and ballots.
State Responsibility: States providing voting materials are required to comply with certain language requirements, even if the political subdivisions they serve do not meet specific thresholds for such requirements.
Prohibition Notice: The Attorney General is tasked with notifying states of thresholds related to language minority requirements.

2. Provision for American Indian and Alaska Native Languages

Further amendments specify that when states or political subdivisions provide voting materials, they must do so in the language of applicable minority groups, including American Indian and Alaska Native languages.

If a specific American Indian or Alaska Native language is unwritten, only oral instructions and assistance are required, provided that the Tribal government has made this known.
For other minority groups with unwritten languages, similar provisions apply.
Election workers must receive written translations of voting materials to ensure clarity and accuracy of translation.

3. Grants to Encourage Language Accessibility

The bill establishes a framework for the Election Assistance Commission to issue grants to states and local jurisdictions to support the provision of voting materials in languages not currently covered by Section 203.

States seeking grants must submit an application outlining their plans to engage with relevant communities.
Funding provided can only be used for reasonable costs associated with offering these materials.
Once a jurisdiction receives funding for a language minority group, they are required to continue providing materials in that language in future election cycles, unless the population drops significantly.

4. Study on Language Minority Requirements

The bill mandates a study conducted by the Comptroller General of the United States, in consultation with relevant agencies, to examine:

The potential reduction of thresholds for language minority provisions, making them more inclusive.
Expansion of the definition of language minorities to include speakers of Arabic, French, Haitian Creole, and others deemed appropriate.

The results of this study are to be reported to Congress within a year of the bill's enactment.

5. Funding Authorization

The bill authorizes an appropriation of $15 million to support the implementation of these provisions, which will remain available until spent.

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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 Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

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