PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Aug 31, 2026
High School Voter Empowerment Act of 2026
This bill directs states to designate public high schools as voter registration agencies and requires public high schools to conduct annual voter registration drives to register eligible students. The Department of Education must reimburse eligible public high schools for carrying out voter registration drives.
People & committees
Rep. Wilson, Frederica S. [D-FL-24] · D–FL
Legislative record
A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.
Referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
Source last updated: Sep 30, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2026-08-31 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
This proposal would require public high schools to serve as voter registration agencies and hold a registration drive each academic year. Schools would aim to register students who meet specified course, age, and voter eligibility conditions. It would also establish federal reimbursement for schools’ reasonable drive costs. These are proposed requirements; the supplied record does not establish enactment.
Designation of public high schools as voter registration agencies (a) Requiring designation by States
A voter registration agency that is a public high school shall, at least once during each academic year, conduct a voter registration drive, and set as a goal for that year the registration of all students in the school who are— (A) enrolled in a class in American Government or Economics; (B) at least 17 years old as of April 10 of that year; and (C) are eligible to register to vote in elections for Federal office held in the State.
the Secretary shall make a payment during a year to an eligible public high school to reimburse the school for the reasonable costs incurred by the school in carrying out a voter registration drive
2026-08-31: Introduced in House
Section 2 would add all public high schools in a State to the National Voter Registration Act’s required voter registration agency designation list. It uses the definition of public high schools in a separate education law.
Requiring designation by States Section 7(a)(2) of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20506(a)(2)) is amended—
by adding at the end the following new subparagraph: (C) all public high schools (as defined in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (20 U.S.C. 7801)) in the State.
In the provision concerning optional designation of other public schools, section 2 would replace the reference to public schools with public elementary schools, using the definition in the referenced education law.
(b) Conforming amendment relating to optional designation of other public schools Section 7(a)(3)(B)(i) of such Act (52 U.S.C. 20506(a)(3)(B)(i)) is amended by striking public schools, and inserting public elementary schools (as defined in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (20 U.S.C. 7801)),.
A public high school serving as a voter registration agency would have to hold at least one registration drive each academic year. Its registration goal would cover all students who meet all three conditions: taking American Government or Economics, being at least 17 by April 10 of that year, and being eligible to register for federal elections in the State. The text requires setting this goal, rather than guaranteeing that every such student registers.
A voter registration agency that is a public high school shall, at least once during each academic year, conduct a voter registration drive, and set as a goal for that year the registration of all students in the school who are— (A) enrolled in a class in American Government or Economics; (B) at least 17 years old as of April 10 of that year; and (C) are eligible to register to vote in elections for Federal office held in the State.
At a participating public high school’s request, the appropriate State election official could agree to provide voting machines, equipment, and supplies for a student council or similar school election. This would be optional, with terms agreed upon by the school and official.
At the request of a public high school which is operating a high school voter registration program under paragraph (1), the appropriate election official of the State may enter into an agreement under which the official provides the school with voting machines and related equipment and supplies for use in a student council or similar election held at the school, under such terms and conditions as the school and official may determine.
The Secretary of Education would have to establish and operate a program to reimburse eligible public high schools for reasonable costs of conducting the required registration drives during the year.
The Secretary of Education (hereafter referred to as the Secretary) shall establish and operate a program under which the Secretary shall make a payment during a year to an eligible public high school to reimburse the school for the reasonable costs incurred by the school in carrying out a voter registration drive under section 7(e) of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (as added by subsection (a)) during that year.
To qualify for reimbursement, a public high school would have to apply on the Secretary’s schedule and in the required form. Its application would need to explain its costs and how they were calculated, describe the drive and number of students registered, and provide any other information and assurances the Secretary requires.
A public high school is eligible to receive a payment under the program under this subsection with respect to a voter registration drive if the school submits to the Secretary, at such time and in such form as the Secretary may require, an application containing— (A) a statement of the reasonable costs incurred by the school in carrying out the voter registration drive, including the information used by the school to determine the amount of such costs; (B) a description of the activities conducted under the drive, including the number of students registered; and (C) such other information and assurances as the Secretary may require.
The proposal would authorize Congress to provide whatever funding is necessary for reimbursement payments for fiscal year 2026 and every succeeding fiscal year, with no specified final year. This authorization does not itself appropriate money.
There are authorized to be appropriated for payments under this subsection such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026 and each succeeding fiscal year.
The Act and its amendments would take effect after the 90-day period beginning on the date of enactment expires. The provision does not set a fixed calendar date.
This Act and the amendments made by this Act shall take effect upon the expiration of the 90-day period which begins on the date of the enactment of this Act.
The supplied September 30, 2026 source snapshot records introduction in the House on August 31, 2026, and referral that day to the House Administration and Education and Workforce committees for provisions within their respective jurisdictions.
Source snapshot updated 2026-09-30T18:54:47Z.
2026-08-31: Introduced in House
2026-08-31: Referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2026-08-31. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No unrelated provision or policy rider was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish what appears in other versions or accompanying materials.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for particular recipients or places was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version; formal earmark disclosures and accompanying materials are not supplied.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
None identified in the reviewed text
No materially narrow carve-out, special exemption, or preferential treatment was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. Coverage of the program’s intended beneficiaries does not alone establish a targeted benefit. This conclusion is limited to the supplied version.
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Sep 30, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI