SAVE Act
Sponsored By: Senator Lee, Mike [R-UT]
Introduced
Summary
Requires documentary proof of U.S. citizenship for federal voter registration. This bill would bar states from processing any application for a federal election unless the applicant presents specified citizenship documents and would add verification, information-sharing, removal, and enforcement rules to the voter registration system.
Show full summary
- Prospective voters: People applying to register for a federal election would need to present specified documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when they apply, whether by mail, online, in person, or at the polling place. States must provide an alternate uniform affidavit under penalty of perjury for applicants who cannot produce documents.
- State agencies and driver license offices: States would be required to verify citizenship during driver’s license issuance or renewal and to link those checks to voter registration records. The bill would require states to create programs to identify and remove noncitizens and sets implementation timing, including a 30-day program deadline and a 60-day early-adoption window.
- Election officials, enforcement, and naturalization: The bill would expand criminal penalties and create a private right of action against officials who register applicants without required proof. It also directs the Department of Homeland Security to notify state election officials of naturalizations and preserves the ability to cast provisional ballots while citizenship is verified.
Your PRIA Score
Personalized for You
How does this bill affect your finances?
Sign up for a PRIA Policy Scan to see your personalized alignment score for this bill and every other piece of legislation we track. We analyze your financial profile against policy provisions to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 1 costs, 1 mixed.
New proof-of-citizenship to register
If enacted, the bill would define which documents count as proof of U.S. citizenship for federal voter registration. It would bar a State from processing a federal voter registration unless the applicant shows one of those documents. If you mail the Federal form, you would often need to show proof in person by the State's deadline or at the polling place on election day. If you lack the listed documents, a State would let you sign an affidavit under penalty of perjury and submit other evidence for review. The Election Assistance Commission would have to issue guidance within 10 days and agencies could change registration forms faster because the Paperwork Reduction Act would not apply.
State and federal voter verification
If enacted, each State would have to set up a program within 30 days to find people on voter rolls who are not U.S. citizens. States could use DHS SAVE, the Social Security verification service, or DMV records to check citizenship. Federal agencies would have to give requested information to State election officials within 24 hours and could not charge fees. DHS would investigate and could start removal actions when someone is verified as not a U.S. citizen. You could still cast a provisional ballot in a federal election and have it counted if you are later verified as a U.S. citizen.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Lee, Mike [R-UT]
UT • R
Cosponsors
Sen. Cruz, Ted [R-TX]
TX • R
Sponsored 1/16/2025
Sen. Tillis, Thomas [R-NC]
NC • R
Sponsored 1/16/2025
Sen. Cotton, Tom [R-AR]
AR • R
Sponsored 1/16/2025
Sen. Cramer, Kevin [R-ND]
ND • R
Sponsored 1/16/2025
Sen. Kennedy, John [R-LA]
LA • R
Sponsored 1/16/2025
Sen. Graham, Lindsey [R-SC]
SC • R
Sponsored 1/16/2025
Sen. Tuberville, Tommy [R-AL]
AL • R
Sponsored 1/16/2025
Sen. Lummis, Cynthia M. [R-WY]
WY • R
Sponsored 1/16/2025
Ron Johnson
WI • R
Sponsored 1/16/2025
Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX]
TX • R
Sponsored 1/16/2025
Sen. Crapo, Mike [R-ID]
ID • R
Sponsored 1/16/2025
John Hoeven
ND • R
Sponsored 1/16/2025
Sen. Schmitt, Eric [R-MO]
MO • R
Sponsored 1/16/2025
Sen. Risch, James E. [R-ID]
ID • R
Sponsored 1/16/2025
Dan Sullivan
AK • R
Sponsored 1/16/2025
Sen. Moreno, Bernie [R-OH]
OH • R
Sponsored 3/6/2025
Sen. Husted, Jon [R-OH]
OH • R
Sponsored 3/10/2025
Sen. Budd, Ted [R-NC]
NC • R
Sponsored 3/12/2025
Sen. Marshall, Roger [R-KS]
KS • R
Sponsored 3/31/2025
Sen. Banks, Jim [R-IN]
IN • R
Sponsored 4/9/2025
Sen. Blackburn, Marsha [R-TN]
TN • R
Sponsored 4/10/2025
Sen. Scott, Rick [R-FL]
FL • R
Sponsored 4/10/2025
Sen. Ernst, Joni [R-IA]
IA • R
Sponsored 4/28/2025
Sen. Lankford, James [R-OK]
OK • R
Sponsored 4/28/2025
Sen. Scott, Tim [R-SC]
SC • R
Sponsored 4/28/2025
Sen. Hawley, Josh [R-MO]
MO • R
Sponsored 4/28/2025
Cindy Hyde-Smith
MS • R
Sponsored 4/30/2025
Sen. Justice, James C. [R-WV]
WV • R
Sponsored 5/8/2025
Sen. Cassidy, Bill [R-LA]
LA • R
Sponsored 9/9/2025
Sen. Moody, Ashley [R-FL]
FL • R
Sponsored 12/4/2025
Sen. Sheehy, Tim [R-MT]
MT • R
Sponsored 1/6/2026
Sen. Daines, Steve [R-MT]
MT • R
Sponsored 1/7/2026
Markwayne Mullin
OK • R
Sponsored 1/8/2026
Sen. Paul, Rand [R-KY]
KY • R
Sponsored 1/12/2026
Mike Rounds
SD • R
Sponsored 1/15/2026
Katie Britt
AL • R
Sponsored 1/27/2026
Bill Hagerty
TN • R
Sponsored 1/27/2026
Sen. McCormick, David [R-PA]
PA • R
Sponsored 1/27/2026
Sen. Fischer, Deb [R-NE]
NE • R
Sponsored 1/27/2026
Sen. Young, Todd [R-IN]
IN • R
Sponsored 1/27/2026
Sen. Barrasso, John [R-WY]
WY • R
Sponsored 1/27/2026
Sen. Ricketts, Pete [R-NE]
NE • R
Sponsored 1/28/2026
Sen. Moran, Jerry [R-KS]
KS • R
Sponsored 1/28/2026
Sen. Curtis, John R. [R-UT]
UT • R
Sponsored 1/28/2026
Shelley Capito
WV • R
Sponsored 1/28/2026
John Boozman
AR • R
Sponsored 1/28/2026
Roger Wicker
MS • R
Sponsored 1/29/2026
Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA]
IA • R
Sponsored 1/29/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov