Federal Bureau of Prisons Voting Assistance Act of 2026

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9815 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9815

  To require the Director of the Bureau of Prisons to provide certain 
 information to inmates with respect to voting, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 21, 2026

Ms. Norton (for herself and Ms. Pingree) introduced the following bill; 
          which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
  To require the Director of the Bureau of Prisons to provide certain 
 information to inmates with respect to voting, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Federal Bureau of Prisons Voting 
Assistance Act of 2026''.

SEC. 2. INFORMATION WITH RESPECT TO VOTING.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 90 days before a Federal, State or 
local election, the Director of the Bureau of Prisons shall send to--
            (1) each inmate, through the Trust Fund Limited Inmate 
        Computer System (TRULINCS) (or a successor platform), who is 
        (or prior to incarceration was) a resident of a State that 
        allows an inmate to vote while in the custody of the Bureau of 
        Prisons, a message including--
                    (A) information on how to register to vote; and
                    (B) information on how to request an absentee 
                ballot; and
            (2) each Re-entry Affairs Coordinator of each Federal 
        correctional facility, information including--
                    (A) criteria for voter registration for each State 
                that allows an inmate to vote while in the custody of 
                the Bureau of Prisons;
                    (B) instructions on voter registration for each 
                State that allows an inmate to vote while in the 
                custody of the Bureau of Prisons;
                    (C) printed voter registration forms for each State 
                that allows an inmate to vote while in the custody of 
                the Bureau of Prisons; and
                    (D) prepaid envelopes for voter registration forms, 
                as provided by a State Bureau of Election.
    (b) Publication; Delivery.--
            (1) Federal correctional facility.--In each Federal 
        correctional facility, the Director shall make available to 
        inmates the information under subsection (a), including by 
        posting such information physically at the correctional 
        facility.
            (2) Internet website.--The Director shall publish on the 
        internet website of the Bureau of Prisons the information under 
        subsection (a).
            (3) Delivery.--The Re-entry Affairs Coordinator of each 
        Federal correctional facility shall provide each inmate who is 
        (or prior to incarceration was) a resident of a State that 
        allows an inmate to vote while in the custody of the Bureau of 
        Prisons information identified under subsection (a)(2).
    (c) Language Availabilities.--The Director shall provide any 
information under subsection (a) in both English and Spanish, if the 
State that allows an inmate to vote while in the custody of the Bureau 
of Prisons makes available such information in both English and 
Spanish.
    (d) Support for Certain Inmates.--The Director shall provide 
support to any inmate who needs assistance with voter registration as a 
result of a recognized disability.
    (e) State Defined.--In this section, the term ``State'' means a 
State of the United States, the District of Columbia, and any 
commonwealth, territory, or possession of the United States.
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