Election Infrastructure Integrity Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 8118
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Government Operations and Politics
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-03-26: Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.
- Last Updated
- 2026-06-03T08:09:00Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The Election Infrastructure Integrity Act (H.R. 8118) aims to increase transparency in election systems by requiring the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to create and maintain a public database listing private companies (vendors) that supply, support, or maintain any part of systems used in federal elections.
Key Provisions
- Database Creation: The EAC must build and keep a publicly accessible online database of vendors involved in federal election systems.
- Reporting Requirement: States, local governments, or their components that run federal elections must submit vendor details to the EAC within 30 days after each federal election. Required information includes:
- Vendor's identity.
- Contract or agreement terms (security-sensitive info can be withheld).
- Ownership details, such as parent companies, beneficial owners (people who effectively control the company under federal securities rules), and any foreign ownership or control.
- Funding Penalty: States lose federal election funding if they fail to comply.
- Definitions:
- Election system: Includes voting machines, election management software, voter registration databases, electronic poll books, result tabulation systems, communication tools, or other key IT systems for federal elections.
- Voting system: Hardware and software for casting and counting votes (as defined in existing law).
- Timeline: Applies to federal elections starting in 2026 and beyond.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) by:
- Adding a new Section 305 for the database.
- Renumbering existing sections (305 and 306 become 306 and 307).
- Updating enforcement rules to include the new section.
- Adding the new section to HAVA's table of contents.
- Introduces mandatory post-election reporting and a public database, which did not exist before.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: EAC gains responsibility for managing the database; states and localities face new paperwork and risk losing federal funds for non-compliance, potentially straining resources.
- Citizens/Voters: Greater public access to vendor information could build trust in elections through transparency.
- Private Vendors: Increased scrutiny of their contracts and ownership, which might affect business but allows protection for security details.
- No direct impact on international relations noted.
Main Stakeholders
- Election Assistance Commission (EAC): Oversees database.
- State and Local Election Officials: Must submit reports or forfeit funds.
- Private Election Vendors: Their details are disclosed publicly.
- General Public: Can access the database for oversight.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Transparency and Accountability: Promotes openness in election infrastructure, potentially reducing concerns about hidden influences (e.g., foreign ownership).
- Federal Funding Conditions: Uses funding denial as enforcement, a common tool but could lead to legal challenges if seen as overreach into state election powers.
- Privacy/Security Balance: Allows withholding sensitive info, addressing potential risks to election security.
- No Major Constitutional Issues Highlighted: Aligns with federal oversight of federal elections under the Constitution, building on existing HAVA framework.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (4)
Rep. Moore, Barry [R-AL-1], Rep. Crane, Elijah [R-AZ-2], Rep. Baird, James R. [R-IN-4], Rep. Begich, Nicholas J. [R-AK-At Large]
Recent Actions
- 2026-03-26: Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.
- 2026-03-26: Introduced in House
- 2026-03-26: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Election Infrastructure Integrity Act — issued 2026-03-26 — PDF (5 pages)