Text of Senate Amendment 4717

Text of Senate Amendment 4717

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 51 (Friday, March 20, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 51 (Friday, March 20, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S1446-S1447] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] SA 4717. Ms. BLUNT ROCHESTER submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by her to the bill S. 1383, to establish the Veterans Advisory Committee on Equal Access, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows: At the appropriate place, insert the following: SEC. ___. PROHIBITION ON CIVIL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS AT OR NEAR POLLING PLACES AND VOTER REGISTRATION SITES. (a) In General.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall not, and shall ensure that an officer, employee, or agent of the Department of Homeland Security (including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection) does not, at a covered location-- (1) conduct any civil immigration enforcement action; (2) question any individual about citizenship or immigration status; [[Page S1447]] (3) request any immigration document; (4) conduct surveillance of any individual entering or exiting a covered location; or (5) station any officer, employee, agent, or vehicle of the Department of Homeland Security in a manner that could reasonably be expected to deter an individual from registering to vote or casting a ballot. (b) Exception.--Subsection (a) shall not apply in the case of-- (1) the execution of a criminal warrant issued by a court upon probable cause; (2) hot pursuit of an individual who poses an imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm; or (3) conduct necessary to respond to an imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm. (c) Implementation Guidance.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Attorney General and the Election Assistance Commission, shall issue guidance for the implementation of subsection (a), including with respect to training to be provided to officers, employees, and agents of the Department of Homeland Security on compliance with such subsection. (d) Report.--In the case of an alleged violation of subsection (a), not later than 30 days after the date on which the alleged violation occurs, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit to Congress and the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security a notification of the alleged violation. (e) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section may be construed-- (1) to prohibit, at a covered location, the conduct of criminal law enforcement activities unrelated to immigration status; (2) to authorize intimidation, threats, coercion, or interference with any individual registering to vote or voting in a Federal election; or (3) to permit inquiry into citizenship or immigration status as a condition of entering a covered location, except as expressly required by Federal law. (f) Definitions.--In this section: (1) Civil enforcement action.--The term ``civil enforcement action''-- (A) means any arrest, detention, interview, questioning, surveillance, search, service of a notice to appear or other process, document check, or any other civil immigration- related investigative or enforcement activity undertaken to identify, apprehend, monitor, or deter an individual based on actual or suspected immigration status; and (B) includes the deployment of visible civil immigration enforcement presence, including personnel or a vehicle, in a manner that could reasonably be expected to deter an individual from registering to vote or casting a ballot. (2) Covered location.--The term ``covered location'' means-- (A) a polling place; (B) an early voting site; (C) a voter registration site, including any office or location at which in-person voter registration or election- day registration for a Federal election is taking place; (D) a location within 100 feet of an entrance or exit of a location described in any of subparagraphs (A) through (C); and (E) a location within 100 feet of an individual waiting to enter a location described in any of subparagraphs (A) through (C). ______