{"format":1,"id":"117-hr-4","congress":117,"number":"H.R. 4","kind":"bill","group":"bills","title":"John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021","title_source":"Short Title(s) as Passed House","official_title":"To amend the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to revise the criteria for determining which States and political subdivisions are subject to section 4 of the Act, and for other purposes.","titles":[{"type":"Official Title as Introduced","title":"To amend the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to revise the criteria for determining which States and political subdivisions are subject to section 4 of the Act, and for other purposes."},{"type":"Display Title","title":"John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Passed House","title":"John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Introduced","title":"John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021"}],"outcome":"passed_house","law_number":null,"introduced":"2021-08-17","chambers":{"house":{"status":"roll_call","date":"2021-08-24","vote":{"id":"117-2021-h260","question":"On Passage","title":"John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act","result":"Passed","yea":219,"nay":212,"present":0,"not_voting":1,"source":"https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2021/roll260.xml"}},"senate":{"status":"na","date":null,"vote":null}},"president":{"status":"na","date":null},"vice_president_tie_breaker":null,"latest_action":{"text":"Received in the Senate.","date":"2021-09-14"},"nominees":null,"amendments":[],"other_votes":[{"chamber":"house","date":"2021-08-24","question":"On Motion to Recommit","title":"John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act","result":"Failed","yea":212,"nay":218,"present":0,"not_voting":1,"kind":"procedural","source":"https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2021/roll259.xml"}],"crs_summary":{"date":"2021-08-24","stage":"Passed House","blocks":[{"k":"h","t":"John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021"},{"k":"p","t":"This bill establishes new criteria for determining which states and political subdivisions must obtain preclearance before changes to voting practices may take effect. Preclearance is the process of receiving preapproval from the Department of Justice (DOJ) or the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before making legal changes that would affect voting rights."},{"k":"p","t":"A state and all of its political subdivisions shall be subject to preclearance of voting practice changes for a 10-year period if"},{"k":"li","t":"15 or more voting rights violations occurred in the state during the previous 25 years;","d":1},{"k":"li","t":"10 or more violations occurred during the previous 25 years, at least 1 of which was committed by the state itself; or","d":1},{"k":"li","t":"3 or more violations occurred during the previous 25 years and the state administers the elections.","d":1},{"k":"p","t":"A political subdivision as a separate unit shall also be subject to preclearance for a 10-year period if three or more voting rights violations occurred there during the previous 25 years."},{"k":"p","t":"States and political subdivisions that meet certain thresholds regarding minority groups must preclear covered practices before implementation, such as changes to methods of election and redistricting."},{"k":"p","t":"Further, states and political subdivisions must notify the public of changes to voting practices."},{"k":"p","t":"Next, the bill authorizes DOJ to require states or political subdivisions to provide certain documents or answers to questions for enforcing voting rights."},{"k":"p","t":"The bill also outlines factors courts must consider when hearing challenges to voting practices, such as the extent of any history of official voting discrimination in the state or political subdivision."}],"words":264},"summary":{"main_subject":{"text":"Amends the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to change the standards for voting rights claims, set new criteria for which States and political subdivisions are subject to preclearance of voting changes, and add notice, enforcement and remedy provisions.","cites":[{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/4/text/eh#H792455634AB34085BE00646FDA03C11B"},{"label":"Sec. 5","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/4/text/eh#H914F50482E7D494B9C558917E5516F1F"},{"label":"Sec. 6","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/4/text/eh#HE176ACF1E3864B8682740347013D8662"},{"label":"Sec. 7","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/4/text/eh#H075103CE58984A689E3D01FC93A53B6D"},{"label":"Sec. 12","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/4/text/eh#HAB3C920A9869466F95C140B0F9031F3C"}]},"core_areas":["Standards for vote dilution, vote denial and abridgment claims under section 2 of the Voting Rights Act","Criteria for coverage of States and political subdivisions under section 4","Preclearance of covered voting practices","Public notice of voting changes and polling place information","Attorney General investigative demands and observer authority","Court procedures and remedies in voting rights actions"],"what_it_does":[{"text":"Sets out the showing a plaintiff must make and the factors a court considers in claims of vote dilution and of vote denial or abridgment, and adds a violation where a purpose is to dilute minority voting strength or deny or abridge the right to vote.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/4/text/eh#H792455634AB34085BE00646FDA03C11B"}},{"text":"Replaces the section 4(b) coverage criteria so that a State and its political subdivisions are covered for 10 years if 15 or more voting rights violations occurred in the previous 25 calendar years, or fewer violations under the other stated conditions.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 5","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/4/text/eh#H914F50482E7D494B9C558917E5516F1F"}},{"text":"Requires States and political subdivisions to clear listed covered practices, such as certain changes to methods of election, redistricting, voter identification documentation and polling locations, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia or with the Attorney General before implementing them.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 6","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/4/text/eh#HE176ACF1E3864B8682740347013D8662"}},{"text":"Requires States and political subdivisions to give public notice of voting changes within 48 hours, polling place resource information before the 30th day before a federal election, and demographic and electoral data within 10 days of districting changes.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 7","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/4/text/eh#H075103CE58984A689E3D01FC93A53B6D"}},{"text":"Authorizes the Attorney General to issue written demands for documents and written answers to States and political subdivisions before commencing a civil action, and sets rules for responses and court review of the demands.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 12","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/4/text/eh#HAB3C920A9869466F95C140B0F9031F3C"}},{"text":"Sets standards for preliminary relief and for stays or vacatur of equitable relief in voting rights actions, including treatment of the timing of an election.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 11","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/4/text/eh#HD0367D05DE554A399FF9D6A59DED8FBE"}}],"unexpected":[{"category":"selective_carve_out","items":[{"cite":{"label":"Sec. 7","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/4/text/eh#H075103CE58984A689E3D01FC93A53B6D"},"heading":"Promoting transparency to enforce the Voting Rights Act","effect":"Makes compliance with the public-notice requirement for changes to demographics and electoral districts voluntary for political subdivisions unless they are a county or parish, or a municipality or school district with a population greater than 10,000.","amount":null,"quote":"Compliance with this subsection shall be voluntary for a political subdivision of a State unless the subdivision is one of the following:"}]},{"category":"political_name","items":[{"cite":{"label":"Sec. 1","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/4/text/eh#H1224197C8A15481DB55D570FFECC1C40"},"heading":"Short title","effect":"Gives the Act the short title “John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021,” which names a person.","amount":null,"quote":"This Act may be cited as the “John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021”."}]}],"version":{"type":"Engrossed in House","date":"2021-08-24","rule":"passed","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/4/text/eh"},"current":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","approved":"2026-10-15","approved_by":"checks"},"sources":{"congress_gov":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/4","text":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/4/text"},"card":{"image":"card/item/117-hr-4.png","v":"d414df05dc73","alt":"Votes on Record. H.R. 4, 117th Congress: John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021. House: 219 Yea, 212 Nay. Outcome: Passed House, 24 Aug 2021."}}