Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, Coretta Scott King, and Cesar E. Chavez Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006
Latest action. By Senator Specter from Committee on the Judiciary filed written report. Report No. 109-295. Additional views filed.
Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, Coretta Scott King, and Cesar E. Chavez Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006 - (Sec. 3) Amends the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to revise requirements for the use of examiners and observers at federal elections. Requires the Director of the Office of Personnel (OPM) to assign an appropriate number of observers for any political subdivision in question if: (1) a court has authorized the appointment of observers for the subdivision; or (2) the Attorney General certifies that the assignment of observers is otherwise necessary to enforce the guarantees of the 14th and 15th Amendments because written meritorious complaints indicate that efforts to deny or abridge the right to vote under color of law on account of race or color are likely to occur. Repeals the requirement that federal examiners first be serving in such a political subdivision.
Eliminates the position of federal voting examiner, and related requirements.
Replaces examiners with federal voting observers with respect to: (1) proceedings to enforce the right to vote; and (2) suspension of the use of tests or devices in determining eligibility to vote.
(Sec. 4) Extends: (1) the time for reconsideration of federal oversight of jurisdictions which once used suspended voting tests or devices until 15 years after the enactment of this Act; and (2) related requirements for such jurisdictions until 25 years after the enactment of this Act.
(Sec. 5) Revises criteria for a declaratory judgment regarding the legality or constitutionality of voting rules changes. States that any voting qualification or prerequisite to voting, or standard, practice, or procedure with respect to voting denies or abridges the right to vote if its purpose is or its effect will be the diminishment of the ability of any U.S. citizens on account of race or color, or in contravention of certain guarantees, to elect their preferred candidates of choice.
(Sec. 6) Authorizes the prevailing party in a civil voting rights enforcement proceeding to recover expert costs as part of recoverable attorney fees.
The summary continues for 2 more paragraphs. Read it in full on Congress.gov
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Reported to Senate with amendment(s)" stage on July 19, 2006. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on July 26, 2006: By Senator Specter from Committee on the Judiciary filed written report. Report No. 109-295. Additional views filed.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the Senate
- Passage by the House
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 109th Congress (2005-06), 482 of the 10,701 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 4.5 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
ARLEN SPECTER (R-PA) introduced it on May 3, 2006, and 57 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They come from both major parties: 44 Democrats, 12 Republicans, 1 independent.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on May 3, 2006, 7435 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 7351 days ago, on July 26, 2006.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 109th Congress has not finished by January 3, 2007 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- SenateIn committee, no floor vote yet
- HouseAwaits Senate passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers