§20945 — Title 52 Voting and Elections | U.S. Code

§20945 Powers of Boards; No Compensation for Service

Title 52 › Subtitle Subtitle II— Voting Assistance and Election Administration › Chapter 209— ELECTION ADMINISTRATION IMPROVEMENT › Subchapter II— COMMISSION › Part A— Establishment and General Organization › Subpart 2— election assistance commission standards board and board of advisors › § 20945

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

Boards may hold hearings, take testimony, and collect evidence when the Commission provides money, but they cannot issue subpoenas to force people to appear or hand over documents. Each Board must meet at least once every year to vote on the voluntary voting system guidelines referred under section 20962, and the Standards Board must meet at least once every 2 years to pick the Executive Board. They may meet at other times as needed. Each Board can get information directly from any federal department or agency, and agency heads must provide it if asked by the Board’s Executive Board or Chair. The Boards may use the U.S. mail like a federal agency. If asked by the Executive Board or the Chair, the Administrator of the General Services Administration must provide needed administrative support on a reimbursable basis. Members do not get pay for serving, but must be paid travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized for employees of agencies under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, while away from home or their regular place of business doing Board work.

Title 52, §20945

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(a)(1)To the extent that funds are made available by the Commission, the Standards Board (acting through the Executive Board) and the Board of Advisors may each hold such hearings for the purpose of carrying out this chapter, sit and act at such times and places, take such testimony, and receive such evidence as each such Board considers advisable to carry out this subchapter, except that the Boards may not issue subpoenas requiring the attendance and testimony of witnesses or the production of any evidence.

(2)The Standards Board and the Board of Advisors shall each hold a meeting of its members—

(A)not less frequently than once every year for purposes of voting on the voluntary voting system guidelines referred to it under section 20962 of this title;

(B)in the case of the Standards Board, not less frequently than once every 2 years for purposes of selecting the Executive Board; and

(C)at such other times as it considers appropriate for purposes of conducting such other business as it considers appropriate consistent with this subchapter.

(b)The Standards Board and the Board of Advisors may each secure directly from any Federal department or agency such information as the Board considers necessary to carry out this chapter. Upon request of the Executive Board (in the case of the Standards Board) or the Chair (in the case of the Board of Advisors), the head of such department or agency shall furnish such information to the Board.

(c)The Standards Board and the Board of Advisors may use the United States mails in the same manner and under the same conditions as a department or agency of the Federal Government.

(d)Upon the request of the Executive Board (in the case of the Standards Board) or the Chair (in the case of the Board of Advisors), the Administrator of the General Services Administration shall provide to the Board, on a reimbursable basis, the administrative support services that are necessary to enable the Board to carry out its duties under this subchapter.

(e)Members of the Standards Board and members of the Board of Advisors shall not receive any compensation for their service, but shall be paid travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized for employees of agencies under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, while away from their homes or regular places of business in the performance of services for the Board.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This chapter, referred to in subsecs. (a)(1) and (b), was in the original “this Act”, meaning Pub. L. 107–252, Oct. 29, 2002, 116 Stat. 1666, known as the Help America Vote Act of 2002, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables. Codification Section was formerly classified to section 15345 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.