Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act of 2007

To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit certain deceptive practices in Federal elections, and for other purposes.

6/25/2007--Passed House amended. Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act of 2007 - Amends the federal criminal code to make it unlawful for anyone before or during a federal election to knowingly communicate, or attempt to communicate, false election-related information about that election, with the intent to prevent another person from exercising the right to vote. Increases from one year to five years' imprisonment the criminal penalty for intimidation of voters. Directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to review and, if appropriate, amend the federal sentencing guidelines and policy statements applicable to persons convicted of any offense under this Act.
Authorizes any person to report to the Attorney General false election information or intimidation of voters. Requires the Attorney General, immediately after receiving such a report, to consider and review it and, if there is a reasonable basis to find that a violation has occurred, to:
(1) undertake all effective measures necessary to provide correct information to voters affected by the false information; and
(2) refer the matter to the appropriate federal and state authorities for criminal prosecution or civil action after the election. Directs the Attorney General to study and report to Congress on the feasibility of providing such corrective information through public service announcements, the emergency alert system, or other forms of public broadcast. Requires the Attorney General to establish a Voting Integrity Task Force to carry out the requirements of this Act with respect to any general, primary, run-off, or special election for federal office.


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Sponsor

• Rep. Rahm Emanuel [D, IL-5]
• and 60 Co-Sponsors
  • Rep. Xavier Becerra [D, CA-31]
  • Rep. Robert Brady [D, PA-1]
  • Rep. Corrine Brown [D, FL-3]
  • Rep. George Butterfield [D, NC-1]
  • Rep. Lois Capps [D, CA-23]
  • Rep. William Clay [D, MO-1]
  • Rep. Emanuel Cleaver [D, MO-5]
  • Rep. Steve Cohen [D, TN-9]
  • Rep. John Conyers [D, MI-14]
  • Rep. Henry Cuellar [D, TX-28]
  • Rep. Elijah Cummings [D, MD-7]
  • Rep. Artur Davis [D, AL-7]
  • Rep. William Delahunt [D, MA-10]
  • Rep. Keith Ellison [D, MN-5]
  • Rep. Eliot Engel [D, NY-17]
  • Rep. Anna Eshoo [D, CA-14]
  • Rep. Chaka Fattah [D, PA-2]
  • Rep. Barney Frank [D, MA-4]
  • Rep. Charles Gonzalez [D, TX-20]
  • Rep. Al Green [D, TX-9]
  • Rep. Raul Grijalva [D, AZ-7]
  • Rep. Phil Hare [D, IL-17]
  • Rep. Alcee Hastings [D, FL-23]
  • Rep. Rush Holt [D, NJ-12]
  • Rep. Michael Honda [D, CA-15]
  • Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee [D, TX-18]
  • Rep. Henry Johnson [D, GA-4]
  • Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick [D, MI-13]
  • Rep. John Larson [D, CT-1]
  • Rep. Sander Levin [D, MI-12]
  • Rep. John Lewis [D, GA-5]
  • Rep. Nita Lowey [D, NY-18]
  • Rep. Carolyn Maloney [D, NY-14]
  • Rep. Doris Matsui [D, CA-5]
  • Rep. James McGovern [D, MA-3]
  • Rep. George Miller [D, CA-7]
  • Rep. James Moran [D, VA-8]
  • Rep. Jerrold Nadler [D, NY-8]
  • Rep. Grace Napolitano [D, CA-38]
  • Rep. Eleanor Norton [D, DC-0]
  • Rep. Solomon Ortiz [D, TX-27]
  • Rep. Donald Payne [D, NJ-10]
  • Rep. David Price [D, NC-4]
  • Rep. Charles Rangel [D, NY-15]
  • Rep. Silvestre Reyes [D, TX-16]
  • Rep. Bobby Rush [D, IL-1]
  • Rep. Loretta Sanchez [D, CA-47]
  • Rep. Linda Sanchez [D, CA-39]
  • Rep. Janice Schakowsky [D, IL-9]
  • Rep. Robert Scott [D, VA-3]
  • Rep. José Serrano [D, NY-16]
  • Rep. Heath Shuler [D, NC-11]
  • Rep. Albio Sires [D, NJ-13]
  • Rep. Christopher Van Hollen [D, MD-8]
  • Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz [D, FL-20]
  • Rep. Maxine Waters [D, CA-35]
  • Rep. Melvin Watt [D, NC-12]
  • Rep. Robert Wexler [D, FL-19]
  • Rep. Lynn Woolsey [D, CA-6]
  • Rep. Albert Wynn [D, MD-4]
  close

Committees

• House Judiciary
• 1 more
  • Senate Judiciary
  close

Amendments

This bill has no amendments.

Amendments to H.R.1281

Number	Status	Purpose

Bill Status

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Introduced		Voted on by House		Voted on by Senate		Considered By President		Bill Becomes Law
March 01, 2007		June 25, 2007

Show All Actions (12 actions)Hide Actions

All Bill Actions

• Jun 26, 2007: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
• Passed by voice vote in the House on Jun 25, 2007. On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
• Jun 25, 2007: DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 1281.
• Jun 25, 2007: Considered under suspension of the rules.
• Jun 25, 2007: Mr. Conyers moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
• Added to calendar on Apr 18, 2007: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 61..
• Apr 18, 2007: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 110-101.
• Added to calendar on Mar 29, 2007: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote..
• Mar 29, 2007: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
• Mar 29, 2007: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
• Mar 01, 2007: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
• Introduced on Mar 01, 2007.

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Related Bills:

• S.453

Related Issue Areas:

• Civil rights
• Congressional reporting requirements
• Criminal investigation
• Elections
• 29 more
• Actions and defenses
• Administrative procedure
• Administrative remedies
• Communications
• Congress
• Congressional elections
• Criminal justice
• Criminal justice information
• Department of Justice
• Election fraud
• Emergency communication systems
• Emergency management
• Executive departments
• Executive reorganization
• Fines (Penalties)
• Government information
• Government publicity
• Governmental investigations
• Informers
• Law
• Presidential elections
• Presidents
• Prosecution
• Public broadcasting
• Public service advertising
• Sentencing guidelines
• Telecommunication
• U.S. Sentencing Commission
• Voting rights

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In the News

July 05, 2007 Should be crime for voters to get false election info

Under HR 1281, providing false information in an attempt to disenfranchise another person in a federal election would be a federal crime, subject to up to ...

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Source: Battle Creek Enquirer, MI

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June 27, 2007 Congressman Steny H. Hoyer: House Bill Cracks Down on Voter ...

“The pernicious practices that HR 1281 would combat are not just academic to me. During the Maryland governor’s race last year, there were numerous and ...

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Source: All American Patriots (press release), Sweden

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June 26, 2007 RELEASE: House Passes Bill to Make Voter Misinformation a Crime

HR 1281, the Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act contains three main elements. For the first time, it clearly defines and criminalizes ...

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Source: Campaigns & Elections (press release)

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Blog Coverage

August 04, 2008 Thousands Still Threatened with Intimidation at the Polls

In the House, the Democrats responded with HR 1281. Rahm Emanuel, a former Clinton administration official and one of the most partisan Democrats in the House, was able to get the bill passed on a voice vote in June of last year. ...

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Source: Politics and Opinion from Champaign-Urbana

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July 12, 2008 Katrina Vanden Heuvel: Just Democracy

Passed in the House in June of last year as HR 1281, this legislation would not only make the dirty-trick politics of voter intimidation and misinformation illegal but, just as important, it would require election administrators to work ...

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Source: Burning Cane

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February 02, 2008 Pennsyvania HR 1281 Supported

An important editorial in the Pocono Record of 1 February 2008 titled "Appalachian Trail must be protected" speaks strongly in favor of Pennsylvania's House Bill 1281, which would require townships to enact and enforce zoning to protect ...

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Source: An Appalachian Trail News Blog

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