article: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Voter Eligibility Verification Act''. SEC. 2. VOTER ELIGIBILITY CONFIRMATION SYSTEM. (a) In General.--Title IV of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101, note) is amended by inserting after the chapter heading for chapter 1 the following: ``voter eligibility confirmation system ``Sec. 401. (a) In General.--The Attorney General, in consultation with the Commissioner of Social Security, shall establish a confirmation system through which they-- ``(1) respond to inquiries made to verify the citizenship of an individual who has submitted a voter registration application, by Federal, State, and local officials (including voting registrars) with responsibility for determining an individual's qualification to vote in a Federal, State, or local election; and ``(2) maintain a record of the inquiries that were made and of verifications provided (or not provided). ``(b) Initial Response.--The confirmation system shall provide for a confirmation or a tentative nonconfirmation of an individual's citizenship by the Commissioner of Social Security as soon as practicable after an initial inquiry to the Commissioner. ``(c) Secondary Verification Process in Case of Tentative Nonconfirmation.--In cases of tentative nonconfirmation, the Attorney General shall specify, in consultation with the Commissioner of Social Security and the Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, an available secondary verification process to confirm the validity of information provided and to provide a final confirmation or nonconfirmation as soon as practicable after the date of the tentative nonconfirmation. ``(d) Design and Operation of System.--The confirmation system shall be designed and operated-- ``(1) to be used on a voluntary basis, as a supplementary information source, by Federal, State, and local election officials for the purpose of assessing the eligibility of voter registration applicants, and administering voter registration, through citizenship verification; ``(2) to respond to an inquiry concerning citizenship only in a case where determining whether an individual is a citizen is-- ``(A) necessary for determining whether the individual is eligible to vote in an election for Federal, State, or local office; and ``(B) part of a program or activity to protect the integrity of the electoral process that is uniform, nondiscriminatory, and in compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 1973 et seq.); ``(3) to maximize its reliability and ease of use, consistent with insulating and protecting the privacy and security of the underlying information; ``(4) to permit inquiries to be made to the system through a toll-free telephone line or other toll-free electronic media; ``(5) to respond to all inquiries made by authorized persons and to register all times when the system is not responding to inquiries because of a malfunction; ``(6) with appropriate administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to prevent unauthorized disclosure of personal information; and ``(7) to have reasonable safeguards against the system's resulting in unlawful discriminatory practices based on national origin or citizenship status, including the selective or unauthorized use of the system. ``(e) Responsibilities of the Commissioner of Social Security.-- ``(1) In general.--As part of the confirmation system, the Commissioner of Social Security shall establish a reliable, secure method, which compares the name and social security account number provided in an inquiry against such information maintained by the Commissioner in order to confirm (or not confirm) the validity of the information provided regarding an individual whose identity and citizenship must be confirmed, the correspondence of the name and number, and whether the individual is a citizen of the United States. The Commissioner shall not disclose or release social security information (other than such confirmation or nonconfirmation). ``(2) Provision of alien identification number.--In cases of tentative nonconfirmation of an individual's citizenship by the Commissioner of Social Security after an initial inquiry to the Commissioner, the Commissioner, as part of the confirmation system, shall provide to the person making the inquiry any information the Commissioner maintains regarding an alien identification or authorization number for the individual established by the Immigration and Naturalization Service. The Attorney General, in consultation with the Commissioner, shall specify the information to be provided under this paragraph. ``(f) Responsibilities of the Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service.--As part of the confirmation system, the Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service shall establish a reliable, secure method, which compares the name and alien identification or authorization number described in subsection (e)(2) which are provided in an inquiry against such information maintained by the Commissioner in order to confirm (or not confirm) the validity of the information provided, the correspondence of the name and number, and whether the individual is a citizen of the United States. ``(g) Updating Information.--The Commissioners of Social Security and the Immigration and Naturalization Service shall update their information in a manner that promotes the maximum accuracy and shall provide a process for the prompt correction of erroneous information, including instances in which it is brought to their attention in the secondary verification process described in subsection (c). ``(h) Limitation on Use of the Confirmation System and Any Related Systems.-- ``(1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, nothing in this section shall be construed to permit or allow any department, bureau, or other agency of the United States Government to utilize any information, data base, or other records assembled under this section for any other purpose other than as provided for under this section. ``(2) No national identification card.--Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize, directly or indirectly, the issuance or use of national identification cards or the establishment of a national identification card. ``(3) No new data bases.--Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize, directly or indirectly, the Attorney General and the Commissioner of Social Security to create any joint computer data base that is not in existence on the date of the enactment of the Voter Eligibility Verification Act. ``(i) Actions by Voting Officials Unable to Confirm Citizenship.-- ``(1) In general.--In a case where an official who is authorized to receive information through use of the confirmation system is unable, after completion of the secondary verification process, to confirm the citizenship of an individual, the official-- ``(A) shall so notify the individual in writing; and ``(B) shall inform the individual in writing of the individual's right to use-- ``(i) the process provided under subsection (g) for the prompt correction of erroneous information in the confirmation system; or ``(ii) any other process for establishing eligibility to vote provided under State or Federal law. ``(2) Registration applicants.--In the case of an individual who is an applicant for voter registration, and who receives a notice from an official under paragraph (1), the official may, subject to, and in a manner consistent with, State law, reject the application, or provisionally accept the application, pending the official's receipt of adequate confirmation of the citizenship of the individual. ``(3) Voter removal programs.--In the case of an individual who is registered to vote, and who receives a notice from an official under paragraph (1) in connection with a program to remove the names of ineligible voters from an official list of eligible voters, the official may, subject to, and in a manner consistent with, State law, remove the name of the individual from the list, or grant the individual provisional voting status, pending the official's receipt of adequate confirmation of the citizenship of the individual.''. (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents of the Immigration and Nationality Act is amended by inserting before the item relating to section 402 the following: ``Sec. 401. Voter eligibility confirmation system .''. SEC. 3. PERMITTING STATES TO REQUIRE APPLICANTS REGISTERING TO VOTE TO PROVIDE SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER. Clauses (i) and (vi) of section 205(c)(2)(C) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 405(c)(2)(C)) are amended by inserting ``voter registration,'' after ``driver's license,''.
summary: Voter Eligibility Verification Pilot Program Act of 1998 - Directs the Attorney General to establish a voter eligibility pilot confirmation program to respond to, and maintain records of, State and local election officials' inquiries to verify a voter registrant's citizenship. Terminates such program on September 30, 2001. Provides for: (1) an initial confirmation or nonconfirmation by the Commissioner of Social Security; and (2) in the case of an initial nonconfirmation, a secondary verification process by the Attorney General. Requires such program to: (1) be voluntary; (2) provide safeguards against discrimination; and (3) be applied, at a minimum, in California, New York, Texas, Florida, and Illinois. Directs the Commissioner of Social Security and the Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service to develop methods to confirm the reliability of the information provided. Prohibits Federal utilization of program information and related systems for purposes other than those authorized by this Act. Sets forth provisions regarding actions by officials unable to confirm an applicant's citizenship with respect to notification, registration, and ineligible voter removal programs. Authorizes State and local use of social security account numbers for purposes of this Act. Sets forth reporting requirements for the Attorney General and the Commissioner of Social Security. Authorizes appropriations.