Filer Voter Act

Bill Number

H.R. 8130

Origin Chamber

House

Congress

119th Congress, Session 2

Policy Area

Government Operations and Politics

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2026-03-26: Referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Last Updated

2026-04-27T14:31:20Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose

The Tax Filer Voter Registration Act (H.R. 8130), also called the Filer Voter Act, amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA) to require certain tax return preparers to act like voter registration agencies by making voter registration forms available to their customers during tax preparation.

Key Provisions

• Designation of tax preparers: Certain tax return preparers are treated as state-designated voter registration agencies under NVRA Section 7.
• In-person services: Must display state mail voter registration forms visibly in their office.
• Online services: Must provide a prominent hyperlink to the federal mail voter registration form (from the Election Assistance Commission) or a state online voter registration site within their software or service.
• Exceptions for tax preparers (lighter duties than typical agencies):
• No requirement to accept or transmit completed forms to election officials.
• No need to provide specific voter registration application forms or related statements.
• Definition of "tax return preparer":
• Professionals under Internal Revenue Code who prepare (or expect to prepare) 100+ individual tax returns in a year.
• Funded volunteer preparers under Treasury's Community Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Matching Grants Program or Tax Counseling for the Elderly Program.
• Treasury Department duties:
• Provide guidance to funded volunteer preparers.
• Add a voter registration question ("Do you want to receive a form today to register to vote or update your voter registration information?") to intake sheets, with a check box.
• Require volunteer sites to prominently display voter registration forms.
• Regulations and effective date: Election Assistance Commission (EAC), with Treasury input, issues rules; applies to tax years after December 2021.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Adds a new subsection (e) to NVRA Section 7, expanding the list of voter registration agencies (previously things like DMVs, public assistance offices) to include tax preparers.
• Introduces tailored, low-burden methods for compliance (display/hyperlink only, no handling of forms).
• Imposes new administrative duties on Treasury for volunteer programs.

Potential Impacts

• Citizens: Increases access to voter registration during tax season, especially for low-income or elderly filers using volunteer services, potentially boosting registration rates.
• Government agencies: EAC gains rulemaking authority; Treasury must update guidance, forms, and site requirements, adding workload.
• Tax preparers: Minor compliance costs (displaying forms or hyperlinks), but no form-handling burden.
• No direct impacts on international relations.

Main Stakeholders

• Tax return preparers (professionals preparing 100+ returns; funded volunteers).
• Tax filers/customers (especially low-income, elderly, or online users).
• Election officials (states may see more registration inquiries but no increased form processing from preparers).
• Federal agencies (EAC for regulations; Treasury for guidance and program updates).

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• Legal: Builds on NVRA's "motor voter" framework to promote registration without compelling speech or actions beyond display/hyperlink; exceptions avoid overburdening small preparers.
• Constitutional: Aligns with voting rights expansions under the U.S. Constitution (e.g., equal protection, access to ballot); no apparent conflicts with free speech or federalism, as states retain core election control.
• Political: Could enhance voter turnout among tax filers (often demographics underserved by traditional registration), but adds federal mandates to private actors and volunteer programs.

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

Sponsor

Rep. Watson Coleman, Bonnie [D-NJ-12]

Cosponsors (5)

Rep. Tonko, Paul [D-NY-20], Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick, Sheila [D-FL-20], Rep. Jackson, Jonathan L. [D-IL-1], Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12], Rep. Landsman, Greg [D-OH-1]

Recent Actions

• 2026-03-26: Referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
• 2026-03-26: Referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
• 2026-03-26: Introduced in House
• 2026-03-26: Introduced in House

Bill Versions

• Tax Filer Voter Registration Act — issued 2026-03-26 — PDF (7 pages)