Voter Eligibility Verification Act of 2025
- Bill Number
- H.R. 1037
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Immigration
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-02-05: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Last Updated
- 2026-05-22T08:07:53Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The Voter Eligibility Verification Act of 2025 aims to ensure that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) quickly provides states with information on an individual's immigration status to help verify voter eligibility. This supports efforts to confirm that only eligible U.S. citizens participate in elections.
Key Provisions
- Amendment to Existing Law: The bill modifies Section 642(c) of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1373(c)), which generally requires federal agencies to share immigration status information with state and local governments upon request.
- Specific Requirements:
- DHS must provide immigration status details for individuals on a list of potential voters.
- Requests must come from a state's Attorney General (the top legal officer) or Secretary of State (the official overseeing elections).
- DHS is required to respond within 15 days of receiving the request.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- The original law mandates that DHS and other federal agencies respond to state inquiries about immigration status but does not specify timelines, formats, or contexts like voter lists.
- This bill adds a clear 15-day deadline and explicitly includes voter eligibility checks, making the process more structured and targeted toward election integrity.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: DHS will face stricter deadlines for processing state requests, potentially increasing administrative workload but streamlining information sharing. State election officials may gain faster access to data, improving voter roll maintenance.
- On Citizens: U.S. citizens could benefit from enhanced protections against non-citizen voting, though it may raise privacy concerns for individuals whose status is queried. Non-citizens, including legal immigrants, might experience indirect scrutiny if listed as potential voters.
- On International Relations: Minimal direct impact, as the bill focuses on domestic immigration enforcement and does not alter U.S. policies toward other countries.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Federal Level: Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for compliance and data provision.
- State Level: Attorneys General and Secretaries of State, who can submit requests to verify voter lists.
- Citizens and Voters: Eligible voters (to ensure election integrity) and immigrants (whose status may be checked, affecting privacy).
- Election Administrators: State and local officials managing voter rolls, who gain a tool for eligibility confirmation.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Strengthens federal-state cooperation on immigration enforcement under existing statutes, potentially reducing disputes over data sharing. It could lead to court challenges if seen as infringing on privacy rights or if responses are delayed beyond 15 days.
- Constitutional: Relates to federalism (balance of power between federal and state governments) and voting rights under the Constitution, emphasizing states' roles in elections while relying on federal immigration data. No direct conflict with constitutional provisions, but it supports the principle of secure elections.
- Political: Promotes voter integrity measures, which may appeal to those concerned about election security, but could spark debates on immigration, privacy, and potential overreach in targeting voter lists.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Van Duyne, Beth [R-TX-24]
Cosponsors (16)
Rep. Nehls, Troy E. [R-TX-22], Rep. Self, Keith [R-TX-3], Rep. Cline, Ben [R-VA-6], Rep. Scott, Austin [R-GA-8], Rep. Van Orden, Derrick [R-WI-3], Rep. Tiffany, Thomas P. [R-WI-7], Rep. Tenney, Claudia [R-NY-24], Rep. Perry, Scott [R-PA-10], Rep. Edwards, Chuck [R-NC-11], Rep. Biggs, Andy [R-AZ-5], Rep. Donalds, Byron [R-FL-19], Rep. Yakym, Rudy [R-IN-2], Rep. Rulli, Michael A. [R-OH-6], Rep. Shreve, Jefferson [R-IN-6], Rep. Schmidt, Derek [R-KS-2], Rep. Moore, Barry [R-AL-1]
Recent Actions
- 2025-02-05: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- 2025-02-05: Introduced in House
- 2025-02-05: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Voter Eligibility Verification Act of 2025 — issued 2025-02-05 — PDF (2 pages)