DAV18H07 S.L.C. 115TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION S. ll To promote international exchanges on best election practices, cultivate more secure democratic institutions around the world, and for other purposes. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES llllllllll Ms. KLOBUCHAR (for herself and Mr. SULLIVAN) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on llllllllll A BILL To promote international exchanges on best election practices, cultivate more secure democratic institutions around the world, and for other purposes. 1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 3 4 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Global Electoral Ex- 5 change Act’’. 6 7 SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS. It is the sense of Congress that— 8 (1) recent elections globally have illustrated the 9 urgent need for the promotion and exchange of DAV18H07 S.L.C. 2 1 international best election practices, particularly in 2 the areas of cybersecurity, results transmission, 3 transparency of electoral data, election dispute reso- 4 lution, and the elimination of discriminatory reg- 5 istration practices and other electoral irregularities; 6 (2) the advancement of democracy worldwide 7 promotes American interests, as stable democracies 8 provide new market opportunities, improve global 9 health outcomes, and promote economic freedom and 10 regional security; 11 (3) credible elections are the cornerstone of a 12 healthy democracy and enable all persons to exercise 13 their basic human right to have a say in how they 14 are governed; 15 (4) inclusive elections strengthen the credibility 16 and stability of democracies more broadly, as demo- 17 cratic institutions flourish when representative of all 18 groups of society; 19 (5) at the heart of a strong election cycle is the 20 professionalism of the election management body 21 and an empowered civil society; and 22 (6) the development of local expertise via peer- 23 to-peer learning and exchanges promotes the inde- 24 pendence of such bodies from internal and external 25 influence. DAV18H07 S.L.C. 3 1 2 SEC. 3. GLOBAL ELECTORAL EXCHANGE. (a) GLOBAL ELECTORAL EXCHANGE.—The Sec- 3 retary of State shall establish and administer a Global 4 Electoral Exchange Program to promote the utilization of 5 sound election administration practices in the United 6 States and foreign countries. 7 (b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of the Global Elec- 8 toral Exchange Program described in subsection (a) shall 9 include the promotion and exchange of international best 10 election practices, including in the areas of cybersecurity, 11 results transmission, transparency of electoral data, elec12 tion dispute resolution, the elimination of discriminatory 13 registration practices and electoral irregularities, and 14 other sound election administration practices. 15 16 (c) EXCHANGE OF ELECTORAL AUTHORITIES.— (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State may, 17 in consultation, as appropriate, with the United 18 States Agency for International Development and re- 19 gionally focused independent agencies, make grants 20 to any United States-based organization described in 21 section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 22 1986 and exempt from tax under section 501(a) of 23 such Code with experience in comparative election 24 systems or subject matter expertise in the areas of 25 election administration or electoral integrity that DAV18H07 S.L.C. 4 1 submits an application in such form, and satisfying 2 such requirements, as the Secretary may require. 3 (2) TYPES OF GRANTS.—An organization de- 4 scribed in paragraph (1) may receive a grant for one 5 or more of the following purposes: 6 (A) To design and implement programs 7 bringing election administrators and officials, 8 including government officials, polling workers, 9 civil society representatives, members of the ju- 10 diciary, and others who participate in the orga- 11 nization and administration of an election in a 12 foreign country to the United States to study 13 election procedures in the United States for 14 educational purposes. 15 (B) To design and implement programs 16 taking United States or another country’s elec- 17 tion administrators and officials, including gov- 18 ernment officials, polling workers, civil society 19 representatives, members of the judiciary, and 20 others who participate in the organization and 21 administration of elections for public office in 22 the United States or such other countries to 23 foreign countries to study election procedures in 24 such countries for educational purposes. DAV18H07 S.L.C. 5 1 (3) LIMITS ON ACTIVITIES.—Activities adminis- 2 tered under the Global Electoral Exchange Program 3 may not— 4 (A) include election observation for the 5 purposes of discussing the validity or legitimacy 6 of an election; or 7 (B) facilitate any advocacy for a certain 8 electoral result by a grantee when participating 9 in the Program. 10 (4) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of 11 Congress that the Secretary of State should estab- 12 lish and maintain a network of Global Electoral Ex- 13 change Program alumni, to promote communication 14 and further exchange of information regarding 15 sound election administration practices among cur- 16 rent and former program participants. 17 (5) FURTHER LIMITS.—A recipient of a grant 18 under the Global Electoral Exchange Program may 19 use such grant for only the purpose for which such 20 grant was awarded, unless otherwise authorized by 21 the Secretary of State. 22 (6) NOT DUPLICATIVE.—Grants made under 23 this subsection may not be duplicative of any other 24 grants made under any other provision of law for 25 similar or related purposes. DAV18H07 S.L.C. 6 1 2 SEC. 4. CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT. Not later than one year after the date of the enact- 3 ment of this Act and in each of the following two years 4 thereafter, the Secretary of State shall provide to the 5 Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on 6 Rules of the House of Representatives and the Committee 7 on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Rules and Ad8 ministration of the Senate a briefing on the status of any 9 activities carried out pursuant to this Act during the pre10 ceding year, which shall include, among other information, 11 the following elements: 12 (1) A summary of all exchanges conducted 13 under the Global Electoral Exchange Program, in- 14 cluding information regarding grantees, participants, 15 and the locations where program activities were held. 16 (2) A description of the criteria used to select 17 grantees under the Global Electoral Exchange Pro- 18 gram. 19 (3) Any recommendations for the improvement 20 of the Global Electoral Exchange Program, based on 21 the purposes specified in section 3(b).