text: 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,''.
target: 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.
feat_title: Voter Eligibility Verification Act