117th Congress (2021–2023) · House bill · Sponsor: Rep. Sewell, Terri A. [D-AL-7]
This page covers HR4 in the 117th Congress. Bill numbers start over every Congress, so HR4 in another Congress is a different bill. Other bills numbered HR4 are listed below.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Roll-call votes | 2 |
| Chamber | House |
| Latest vote | 2021-08-24: Passed |
| Latest action | 2021-09-14: Received in the Senate. |
| Policy area | Government Operations and Politics |
| Official record | Congress.gov |
John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021 This bill establishes new criteria for determining which states and political subdivisions must obtain preclearance before changes to voting practices may take effect. Preclearance is the process of receiving preapproval from the Department of Justice (DOJ) or the U. S. District Court for the District of Columbia before making legal changes that would affect voting rights. A state and all of its political subdivisions shall be subject to preclearance of voting practice changes for a 10-year period if 15 or more voting rights violations occurred in the state during the previous 25 years; 10 or more violations occurred during the previous 25 years, at least 1 of which was committed by the state itself; or 3 or more violations occurred during the previous 25 years and the state administers the elections. A political subdivision as a separate unit shall also be subject to preclearance for a 10-year period if three or more voting rights violations occurred there during the previous 25 years. States and political subdivisions that meet certain thresholds regarding minority groups must preclear covered practices before implementation, such as changes to methods of election and redistricting. Further, states and political subdivisions must notify the public of changes to voting practices. Next, the bill authorizes DOJ to require states or political subdivisions to provide certain documents or answers to questions for enforcing voting rights. The bill also outlines factors courts must consider when hearing challenges to voting…
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures, Constitution and constitutional amendments, Department of Justice, Elections, voting, political campaign regulation, Federal-Indian relations, Jurisdiction and venue, Racial and ethnic relations, State and local government operations, Voting rights
Every recorded vote on this bill, newest first, with a link to the official tally. Member-by-member positions are on each member’s profile.
| Date | Chamber | Question | Result | Yea | Nay | Not voting | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-08-24 | House | Yea-and-Nay | Passed | 146 | 146 | 1 | Official tally |
| 2021-08-24 | House | Yea-and-Nay | Failed | 146 | 145 | 1 | Official tally |
HR4 in the 119th Congress (2025–2027): Rescissions Act of 2025
HR4 (John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021) was introduced in the 117th Congress (2021–2023) by Rep. Sewell, Terri A. [D-AL-7].
On 2021-09-14: Received in the Senate.
2 recorded votes in the 117th Congress. The most recent, on 2021-08-24, was "Yea-and-Nay": Passed.
No. Bill numbers restart each Congress. HR4 was also used in the 119th Congress for different legislation.