# 119-hr-9437: Right to Vote Act

119-hr-9437, Right to Vote Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Lee, Summer L. [D-PA-12] (D-PA); status introduced (as of 2026-07-16).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9437
- As of: 2026-07-16
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-9437
- Congress: 119
- Title: Right to Vote Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-06-24
- Sponsor: Rep. Lee, Summer L. [D-PA-12] (D-PA)
- Cosponsors: 25
- Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-07-16

## Summary

**This bill would establish a civil-rights framework that treats voting in federal elections as a _fundamental right to vote in Federal elections_.** It would bar government actions that retrogress or substantially impair a person’s ability to vote unless the government can show a narrowly tailored, important, particularized interest and no less restrictive alternative exists. - Voters: It defines “vote” to cover registration, casting a ballot, and having that ballot counted. It prohibits laws or actions that reduce voting ability or significantly hinder voting without stringent justification. - Courts and challengers: It creates a two-tier proof system. For retrogression a plaintiff must show a prima facie loss by a preponderance and the government must rebut with clear and convincing evidence, with courts required to consider less restrictive alternatives; similar standards apply for substantial impairment. It directs courts to expedite cases and authorizes attorney’s fees under the statute aligned with 42 U.S.C. 1988(b). - Governments and covered entities: “Covered entity” explicitly includes the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and U.S. territories. Key provisions apply to federal-election rules in effect after September 1, 2026, with some retrogression rules tied to laws not in effect during the November 2024 general election.

## Cosponsors (25)

- Rep. Neguse, Joe [D-CO-2] (D-CO), 2026-06-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Krishnamoorthi, Raja [D-IL-8] (D-IL), 2026-06-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12] (D-MI), 2026-06-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] (D-DC), 2026-06-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Ramirez, Delia C. [D-IL-3] (D-IL), 2026-06-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. García, Jesús G. "Chuy" [D-IL-4] (D-IL), 2026-06-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Deluzio, Christopher R. [D-PA-17] (D-PA), 2026-06-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Thanedar, Shri [D-MI-13] (D-MI), 2026-06-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4] (D-GA), 2026-06-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Simon, Lateefah [D-CA-12] (D-CA), 2026-06-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Peters, Scott H. [D-CA-50] (D-CA), 2026-06-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Evans, Dwight [D-PA-3] (D-PA), 2026-06-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Watson Coleman, Bonnie [D-NJ-12] (D-NJ), 2026-06-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Jackson, Jonathan L. [D-IL-1] (D-IL), 2026-06-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Carson, André [D-IN-7] (D-IN), 2026-06-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Casar, Greg [D-TX-35] (D-TX), 2026-06-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Frost, Maxwell [D-FL-10] (D-FL), 2026-06-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Craig, Angie [D-MN-2] (D-MN), 2026-06-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McClellan, Jennifer L. [D-VA-4] (D-VA), 2026-06-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Pressley, Ayanna [D-MA-7] (D-MA), 2026-06-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Veasey, Marc A. [D-TX-33] (D-TX), 2026-06-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Omar, Ilhan [D-MN-5] (D-MN), 2026-06-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Green, Al [D-TX-9] (D-TX), 2026-06-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Brown, Shontel M. [D-OH-11] (D-OH), 2026-07-02T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Garcia, Robert [D-CA-42] (D-CA), 2026-07-02T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- A national right to vote: benefit, high. If enacted, the bill would declare that every citizen of legal voting age has a fundamental right to vote in Federal elections. This declaration would take effect upon enactment. The statement would raise the legal protection for voting access and would guide how courts apply the Act.
- Tougher rules blocking voting limits: benefit, high. If enacted, the bill would bar government actions that diminish or substantially impair the ability to vote in Federal elections unless strict tests are met. Plaintiffs would first show diminishment or substantial impairment by a preponderance of the evidence. The government could only justify such…
- Definitions for who and what is covered: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would define key words used in the Act. "Covered entity" would include the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and each U.S. territory and possession. It would adopt existing Federal Election Campaign Act meanings for "election" and "Federal office." "Government" would include p…
- Faster cases and lawyer fees for voters: benefit, low. If enacted, the bill would require federal courts to advance and expedite Right to Vote Act cases and appeals. Plaintiffs could bring suits in D.C. or in the district where the violation or a defendant is located, and could seek declaratory or injunctive relief. Process may be served in any distric…
- No new power to limit voting; severability: benefit, low. If enacted, the bill would say that nothing in the Act authorizes a government to burden the right to vote in Federal elections. It would also say the Act does not change State or U.S. constitutional rights or limit other legal remedies. The bill would include a severability rule so that if one par…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act
- 119-hr-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act
- 119-hr-20: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025
- 119-hr-15: Equality Act
- 119-hr-1589: American Dream and Promise Act of 2025
- 119-hr-2763: American Family Act

## Sources
- [119-hr-9437 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/9437)

## Related
- [119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7973)
- [119-hr-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-51)
- [119-hr-20: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-20)
- [119-hr-15: Equality Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-15)
- [119-hr-1589: American Dream and Promise Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1589)
- [119-hr-2763: American Family Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2763)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9437 (as of 2026-07-16).