CHALLENGES Act

Bill Number

H.R. 4913

Origin Chamber

House

Congress

119th Congress, Session 1

Policy Area

Government Operations and Politics

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

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

Last Updated

2025-09-15T18:13:07Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose

The CHALLENGES Act (H.R. 4913) aims to amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA) to safeguard individuals who are legally registered to vote in federal elections from malicious or unfounded challenges to their registration. It seeks to promote election stability by imposing stricter rules on challenges and providing enforcement tools against bad-faith actions.

Key Provisions

• Restrictions on Voter Registration Challenges (New Section 8A of NVRA):
• Only state or local election officials can submit challenges without restrictions; others must provide "clear and convincing evidence" from a specific inquiry (not mass data matching) proving ineligibility, along with a sworn oath under penalty of perjury confirming personal knowledge of ineligibility.
• If the challenger is an individual, they must be registered to vote in the same local jurisdiction as the person being challenged.
• Online Portal Requirements:
• Election officials operating online systems for challenges must reject anonymous submissions (those without the challenger's name) and display information about the prohibitions on bad-faith challenges.
• Enforcement Mechanisms:
• Private Right of Action: Affected voters can sue violators directly without prior notice to state officials. Remedies include court orders to stop violations, compensation for actual damages, and punitive damages up to $1,000 per violation.
• Criminal Penalties: Individuals or groups knowingly submitting false challenges or providing false information intended to prompt challenges face fines (under federal law, up to $10,000 for organizations), up to 6 months in prison, or both.
• Effective Date: Applies to challenges made after the bill's enactment.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Introduces new barriers to prevent frivolous or mass challenges under the NVRA, which previously allowed broader challenges without these evidence, oath, or jurisdictional requirements.
• Expands enforcement by adding a direct path for private lawsuits (bypassing notice requirements) and new criminal penalties specifically for bad-faith voter challenges, building on existing NVRA civil and criminal provisions.
• Mandates transparency and accountability for online challenge systems, which were not previously regulated in this way.

Potential Impacts

• On Government Agencies: State and local election officials may face increased administrative burdens to review evidence and oaths for challenges, but the rules could reduce the volume of baseless submissions, streamlining voter roll maintenance.
• On Citizens: Lawfully registered voters gain stronger protections against harassment or intimidation through challenges, potentially reducing disruptions like temporary removal from rolls or required re-registration. Challengers risk legal consequences, deterring misuse.
• On International Relations: No direct impacts, as the bill focuses on domestic federal elections.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• Voters: Primarily those registered for federal elections, especially in marginalized or targeted communities, who benefit from protections against unwarranted challenges.
• Election Officials: State and local administrators responsible for processing challenges and maintaining voter rolls, who must implement new verification processes.
• Challengers: Individuals or organizations (e.g., advocacy groups or political actors) seeking to question registrations, now subject to stricter rules and penalties for bad-faith actions.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• Legal Implications: Strengthens voter protections under federal law by addressing potential abuses of challenge processes, which could be seen as a tool for voter suppression. The "clear and convincing evidence" standard (a higher burden than typical proof) and perjury oaths raise the bar for valid challenges, while new damages and penalties provide robust remedies.
• Constitutional Implications: Balances election integrity (ensuring only eligible voters participate) with First Amendment rights (e.g., free speech in raising eligibility concerns), potentially facing scrutiny if viewed as restricting legitimate advocacy. It aligns with equal protection principles by curbing discriminatory challenges.
• Political Implications: May reduce partisan efforts to purge voter rolls near elections, fostering trust in the electoral process, though it could spark debates over access to challenge mechanisms in politically divided contexts.

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 (33)

Rep. Ansari, Yassamin [D-AZ-3], Rep. Brown, Shontel M. [D-OH-11], Rep. Carson, André [D-IN-7], Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick, Sheila [D-FL-20], Rep. Clarke, Yvette D. [D-NY-9], Rep. Crockett, Jasmine [D-TX-30], Rep. Evans, Dwight [D-PA-3], Rep. Figures, Shomari [D-AL-2], Rep. García, Jesús G. "Chuy" [D-IL-4], Rep. Green, Al [D-TX-9], Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4], Rep. Kamlager-Dove, Sydney [D-CA-37], Rep. Krishnamoorthi, Raja [D-IL-8], Rep. Lee, Summer L. [D-PA-12], Rep. Lynch, Stephen F. [D-MA-8], Rep. McClellan, Jennifer L. [D-VA-4], Rep. McIver, LaMonica [D-NJ-10], 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. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9], Rep. Scott, Robert C. "Bobby" [D-VA-3], Rep. Sewell, Terri A. [D-AL-7], Rep. Simon, Lateefah [D-CA-12], 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. Fields, Cleo [D-LA-6], Rep. Latimer, George [D-NY-16]

Recent Actions

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

Bill Versions

• Countering Harassment and Applying Legal Liability to Effectively Nurture Government Election Stability Act — issued 2025-08-05 — PDF (5 pages)