text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Second Chance Voting Rights Act of 
  2006''.
  
  SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
  
      The Congress makes the following findings:
              (1) The right to vote is the most fundamental act performed 
          by citizens in our great representative democracy.
              (2) Citizen participation in local, State, and Federal 
          elections is the primary means to assure representation of many 
          constituent groups in the political process.
              (3) More than 500,000 Americans who were convicted of 
          felony crimes have served their entire sentence and stand free 
          and clear of incarceration and parole.
              (4) It is the civic duty of every citizen of the United 
          States to vote in any election in order to guarantee full and 
          fair representation of all interests.
              (5) Allowing ex-offenders to vote restores them to their 
          role as responsible citizens in this great country whose 
          greatness is strengthened by the civic rehabilitation and 
          participation of all nonvoting citizens.
              (6) The States of Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, 
          Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, 
          Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, 
          New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, 
          Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South 
          Dakota, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, and the District of 
          Columbia, restore the right to vote automatically upon the 
          completion of sentence, including parole.
              (7) The United States should ensure that the Federal voting 
          rights of a person are restored upon the unconditional release 
          of that person from prison and the completion of sentence, 
          including parole.
  
  SEC. 3. FEDERAL VOTING RIGHTS OF INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE BEEN CONVICTED OF 
                A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
  
      (a) In General.--The right of an individual who is a citizen of the 
  United States to vote in any election for Federal office shall not be 
  denied or abridged because that individual has been convicted of a 
  criminal offense.
      (b) Applicability.--Subsection (a) shall apply to an individual 
  convicted of a criminal offense upon the unconditional release of that 
  individual from incarceration for that offense and the completion of 
  sentence for that offense, including parole.
  
  SEC. 4. ENFORCEMENT.
  
      (a) Attorney General.--The Attorney General may, in a civil action, 
  obtain such declaratory or injunctive relief as is necessary to remedy 
  a violation of this Act.
      (b) Private Right of Action.--
              (1) A person who is aggrieved by a violation of this Act 
          may provide written notice of the violation to the chief 
          election official of the State involved.
              (2) Except as provided in paragraph (3), if the violation 
          is not corrected within 90 days after receipt of a notice under 
          paragraph (1), or within 20 days after receipt of the notice if 
          the violation occurred within 120 days before the date of an 
          election for Federal office, the aggrieved person may, in a 
          civil action obtain declaratory or injunctive relief with 
          respect to the violation.
              (3) If the violation occurred within 30 days before the 
          date of an election for Federal office, the aggrieved person 
          need not provide notice to the chief election official of the 
          State under paragraph (1) before bringing a civil action to 
          obtain declaratory or injunctive relief with respect to the 
          violation.
  
  SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.
  
      For purposes of this Act--
              (1) the term ``election'' means--
                      (A) a general, special, primary, or runoff 
                  election;
                      (B) a convention or caucus of a political party 
                  held to nominate a candidate;
                      (C) a primary election held for the selection of 
                  delegates to a national nominating convention of a 
                  political party; or
                      (D) a primary election held for the expression of a 
                  preference for the nomination of persons for election 
                  to the office of President; and
              (2) the term ``Federal office'' means the office of 
          President or Vice President of the United States, or of Senator 
          or Representative in, or Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, 
          the Congress of the United States.
  
  SEC. 6. RELATION TO OTHER LAWS.
  
      (a) State Laws.--Nothing in this Act shall be construed to prohibit 
  the States enacting any State law which affords the right to vote in 
  any election for Federal office on terms less restrictive than those 
  established by this Act.
      (b) Federal Laws.--The rights and remedies established by this Act 
  are in addition to all other rights and remedies provided by law, and 
  neither rights and remedies established by this Act shall supersede, 
  restrict, or limit the application of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (42 
  U.S.C. 1973 et seq.) or the National Voter Registration Act (42 U.S.C. 
  1973-gg).
target: Second Chance Voting Rights Act of 2006 - Declares that the right of a U.S. citizen to vote in any election for federal office shall not be denied or abridged because that individual has been convicted of a criminal offense. Applies this Act to a convicted individual upon his or her unconditional release from incarceration and completion of his or her sentence, including parole.
  
  Provides for enforcement of, and remedies for, violations of this Act.
  
  Prohibits construing this Act to prohibit states from affording the right to vote in any federal election on less restrictive terms.
feat_title: To secure the Federal voting rights of a person upon the unconditional release of that person from prison and the completion of sentence, including parole.