Voters on the Move Registration Act of 2025

Bill Number

H.R. 4909

Origin Chamber

House

Congress

119th Congress, Session 1

Policy Area

Finance and Financial Sector

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2025-08-05: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.

Last Updated

2025-10-04T08:05:22Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose

The "Voters on the Move Registration Act of 2025" (H.R. 4909) aims to increase access to voter registration information for individuals involved in federally assisted rental housing and mortgage applications. It requires the distribution of a uniform statement explaining how to register to vote and outlining voting rights, targeting people who may move frequently or face barriers to voting, such as low-income renters.

Key Provisions

• Definitions: The bill defines key terms, including "Federal rental assistance" (covering programs like public housing, Housing Choice Vouchers, and homeless assistance under laws such as the Violence Against Women Act and the McKinney-Vento Act); "Federally backed multifamily mortgage loan" (loans for properties with 5+ units supported by federal agencies or entities like Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac); and "residential mortgage loan" (loans for 1-4 family homes or condos/co-ops).
• Uniform Statement Development: The Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), in consultation with the Election Assistance Commission, must create a standardized statement on voter registration processes and rights. This includes formatting, consumer testing, and content on voting laws. The statement must be available in English and the 10 most common languages spoken by limited English proficiency individuals (based on Census data), posted on the CFPB website.
• Distribution in Rental Housing:
• Public housing agencies must provide the statement with leases, income verification forms, and Housing Choice Vouchers.
• Owners of federally assisted rental units must include it with leases and income forms.
• Distribution in Mortgages:
• Creditors (lenders) must give the statement to residential mortgage applicants within 5 business days of application.
• For federally backed multifamily mortgages, property owners must provide it with leases.
• Voluntary Nature: No one is required to complete a voter registration form; the statement is informational only.
• Implementation: Federal agencies (e.g., those administering housing programs, HUD, FHFA, and CFPB) can issue regulations to enforce these requirements.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

This bill introduces new mandates not previously required under laws like the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) or Help America Vote Act (HAVA), which focus on voter registration at motor vehicle offices and other public services but do not specifically tie it to federal housing assistance or mortgage processes. It expands voter information delivery to housing and lending contexts, creating uniform federal standards for these distributions.

Potential Impacts

• On Citizens: Could simplify voter registration for low-income renters, voucher recipients, homeless individuals, and mortgage applicants by embedding information in routine documents, potentially boosting registration and turnout among mobile or underserved populations without adding burdens.
• On Government Agencies: Increases administrative responsibilities for agencies like the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), CFPB, and public housing agencies, including statement development, translation, distribution, and regulation enforcement, which may require additional resources or training.
• On International Relations: No direct impacts, as the bill focuses on domestic U.S. voting processes.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• Individuals: Recipients of federal rental assistance (e.g., low-income families in public housing or using vouchers), homeless persons, and applicants for residential mortgages, who gain easier access to voting information.
• Organizations and Entities: Public housing agencies, property owners of assisted housing, mortgage creditors/lenders, and federal entities like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, who must distribute the statement.
• Government Bodies: CFPB (leads statement development), HUD (oversees rental programs), FHFA (handles multifamily loans), and the Election Assistance Commission (provides voting content expertise).

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• Legal: Builds on existing voting rights frameworks (e.g., NVRA) by mandating information distribution in specific federal programs, potentially reducing barriers under the Voting Rights Act. It allows for regulations to ensure compliance without overriding state election laws.
• Constitutional: Supports equal protection under the 14th Amendment by promoting non-discriminatory access to voting information, particularly for transient or economically disadvantaged groups, without compelling speech or registration.
• Political: May enhance civic participation in demographics reliant on federal housing aid, such as minorities or urban residents, but could face debate over administrative costs or federal overreach into state-managed elections. The bill's bipartisan sponsorship (introduced by a large group of House members) suggests broad support for voter access initiatives.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Rep. Williams, Nikema [D-GA-5]

Cosponsors (51)

Rep. García, Jesús G. "Chuy" [D-IL-4], Rep. Sewell, Terri A. [D-AL-7], Rep. Veasey, Marc A. [D-TX-33], Rep. Scott, Robert C. "Bobby" [D-VA-3], Rep. Ansari, Yassamin [D-AZ-3], Rep. Brown, Shontel M. [D-OH-11], Rep. Carbajal, Salud O. [D-CA-24], Rep. Carson, André [D-IN-7], Rep. Case, Ed [D-HI-1], Rep. Casten, Sean [D-IL-6], Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick, Sheila [D-FL-20], Rep. Clarke, Yvette D. [D-NY-9], Rep. Crockett, Jasmine [D-TX-30], Rep. DelBene, Suzan K. [D-WA-1], Rep. Deluzio, Christopher R. [D-PA-17], Rep. Doggett, Lloyd [D-TX-37], Rep. Elfreth, Sarah [D-MD-3], Rep. Evans, Dwight [D-PA-3], Rep. Fields, Cleo [D-LA-6], Rep. Figures, Shomari [D-AL-2], Rep. Green, Al [D-TX-9], Rep. Horsford, Steven [D-NV-4], Rep. Jackson, Jonathan L. [D-IL-1], Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4], Rep. Kamlager-Dove, Sydney [D-CA-37], Rep. Kelly, Robin L. [D-IL-2], Rep. Krishnamoorthi, Raja [D-IL-8], Rep. Landsman, Greg [D-OH-1], Rep. Lee, Summer L. [D-PA-12], Rep. Lynch, Stephen F. [D-MA-8], Rep. McClain Delaney, April [D-MD-6], Rep. McClellan, Jennifer L. [D-VA-4], Rep. McIver, LaMonica [D-NJ-10], Rep. Meeks, Gregory W. [D-NY-5], Rep. Mfume, Kweisi [D-MD-7], Rep. Mullin, Kevin [D-CA-15], Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large], Rep. Ramirez, Delia C. [D-IL-3], Rep. Salinas, Andrea [D-OR-6], Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9], Rep. Simon, Lateefah [D-CA-12], Rep. Stanton, Greg [D-AZ-4], Rep. Strickland, Marilyn [D-WA-10], Rep. Sykes, Emilia Strong [D-OH-13], Rep. Thanedar, Shri [D-MI-13], Rep. Thompson, Bennie G. [D-MS-2], Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12], Rep. Tonko, Paul [D-NY-20], Rep. Latimer, George [D-NY-16], Rep. Magaziner, Seth [D-RI-2] and 1 more

Recent Actions

• 2025-08-05: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
• 2025-08-05: Introduced in House
• 2025-08-05: Introduced in House

Bill Versions

• Voters on the Move Registration Act of 2025 — issued 2025-08-05 — PDF (8 pages)