H.R. 8118: Election Infrastructure Integrity Act

This bill, known as the Election Infrastructure Integrity Act, aims to enhance transparency regarding private vendors involved in election administration for federal offices in the United States. Here are the key components of the bill:

Database Requirement

The bill mandates the Election Assistance Commission to create and maintain a publicly accessible database that includes information about private vendors. These vendors provide, support, or maintain various parts of election systems. This applies to any private company involved in election infrastructure for federal elections.

Information Submission by States

Every state and local government responsible for administering federal elections is required to submit specific information about their private vendors. This submission must take place within 30 days after each federal election. The information required includes:

• The identity of the vendor.
• The terms of any contract or agreement with the vendor, excluding any security-related information.
• Details on the ownership of the vendor, including parent companies and any foreign ownership or controlling interests.

Federal Funding Prohibition for Noncompliance

If a state does not comply with the requirements of this bill, it will not receive federal funds for administering elections for federal office. This means that states have a financial incentive to comply with the database submission requirements to ensure funding continues.

Definitions

The bill provides definitions for several terms to clarify the legislation. Key definitions include:

• Beneficial owner: A person who meets the criteria for being a beneficial owner as defined by federal regulations.
• Election system: Includes various voting systems, election management systems, voter registration websites, and other related information systems critical to federal elections.
• Voting system: Defined according to existing law pertaining to voting systems.

Implementation Timeline

The changes introduced by this bill are set to take effect for federal elections starting in 2026 and will apply to subsequent federal elections thereafter.

Amendments to Existing Laws

The bill involves amendments to the Help America Vote Act of 2002, to accommodate the new requirements regarding vendor transparency and compliance incentives.

Summary

In summary, the Election Infrastructure Integrity Act creates a framework for improving transparency and accountability among private vendors involved in federal elections. By establishing a database and requiring states to report vendor information, the bill seeks to enhance public trust in the electoral process.

Relevant Companies

• NEE (NextEra Energy): If this company, which may be involved in providing energy or technology solutions for election infrastructure, is identified as a vendor, they will need to report their contracts and ownership details.
• ACN (Accenture): As a consulting firm that could provide technology solutions for election systems, Accenture would be impacted by the reporting requirements if involved in electoral contracts.