Filer Voter Act

Plain-English Summary

This bill would expand the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 — the law that currently requires certain government offices, like motor vehicle agencies and public assistance offices, to offer voter registration services — to also include certain tax return preparers. In practical terms, this means that eligible tax preparers (likely those who meet specific criteria outlined in the bill) would be required to offer their clients the opportunity to register to vote when they come in to have their taxes prepared.

The people most directly affected would be Americans who use paid tax preparers to file their federal tax returns. Under this bill, those taxpayers would receive voter registration application forms or information during their tax preparation appointment, similar to how someone might be offered the chance to register to vote when getting a driver's license. Tax preparers covered by the law would take on new administrative responsibilities to distribute these materials, much like other designated voter registration agencies already do.

The bill has been referred to two House committees — the Committee on House Administration, which oversees election laws, and the Committee on Ways and Means, which handles tax-related matters — reflecting that the bill touches on both voting policy and the tax preparation industry. It is currently in the early stages of the legislative process and has not yet been voted on. No official cost estimates or implementation details have been publicly released at this stage.