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Bills/119th Congress · House

H.R. 7265

Introduced

Vote by Mail Tracking Act

Sponsor
DKweisi Mfume· Maryland
Introduced
January 27, 2026
Policy area
Government Operations and Politics
Latest action
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 43 - 1.February 4, 2026

Plain-language analysis

Not yet analyzed.

A plain-language breakdown — including any hidden or off-intent provisions and whether the bill was fast-tracked — is generated separately and reviewed before publishing. It will appear here once ready. Until then, the verbatim text below and the official source are the record.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 7265 Introduced in House (IH)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 7265 To amend title 39, United States Code, to require mail-in ballots to use the Postal Service barcode service, and for other purposes. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 27, 2026 Mr. Mfume (for himself, Mr. Sessions, Mr. Garcia of California, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Min, Mr. Bacon, Ms. Norton, Mr. Ciscomani, Mr. Lynch, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Tonko, Mr. Evans of Pennsylvania, Ms. Craig, Ms. Tlaib, Ms. Budzinski, Mr. Deluzio, Ms. Lee of Pennsylvania, Mr. Mullin, Mrs. Sykes, Ms. Ansari, Ms. Simon, Mr. Scott of Virginia, Mr. Bishop, Mr. Frost, Mr. Subramanyam, and Mr. Latimer) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To amend title 39, United States Code, to require mail-in ballots to use the Postal Service barcode service, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Vote by Mail Tracking Act''. SEC. 2. MAIL-IN BALLOTS AND POSTAL SERVICE BARCODE SERVICE. (a) In General.--Title 39, United States Code, is amended by inserting after chapter 30 the following new chapter: ``CHAPTER 31--ELECTION MAIL ``Sec. ``3101. Trackable election mail. ``Sec. 3101. Trackable election mail ``(a) In General.--No entity of government shall furnish a ballot envelope for the purpose of being carried or delivered by mail unless such envelope-- ``(1) contains a Postal Service barcode (or successive service or marking) that enables tracking of each individual ballot consistent with parameters that the Postal Service may promulgate by regulation; ``(2) satisfies requirements for ballot envelope design that the Postal Service may promulgate by regulation; ``(3) satisfies requirements for machineable letters that the Postal Service may promulgate by regulation; and ``(4) includes the Official Election Mail Logo (or any successor label that the Postal Service may establish for ballots). ``(b) Application.--Subsection (a) does not apply to a Federal write-in absentee ballot under section 103 of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (52 U.S.C. 20303). ``(c) Information.--Not later than June 1 of each calendar year, the Postmaster General shall provide, to the entities described in the matter preceding paragraph (1) of subsection (a), the information necessary to comply with the requirements of this subsection, including how to access Postal Service tools to assist in generating the barcode or successive marking required by subsection (a)(1).''. (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of chapters for part IV of title 39, United States Code, is amended by adding after the item relating to chapter 30 the following: ``31. Election Mail......................................... 3101''. (c) Application.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply to any election for Federal office occurring in 2026 and any succeeding year. <all>

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