Payments to States to prevent unreasonable wait times and promote well-run elections

(a) In general Subtitle D of title II of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21001 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following: VII Payments for preventing unreasonable voter wait times 297. Payments to States (a) In general The Commission shall make a payment to each eligible State. Such payments shall be made not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this part. (b) Eligible State For purposes of this section, a State is an eligible State if such State has filed with the Commission a State plan covering the fiscal year in which the State describes how it intends to use the funds provided under this section. (c) Use of funds An eligible State shall use the payment received under this part to meet the requirements of sections 305 and 321. (d) Amount of payment (1) In general The amount of payment made to a State under this section shall be the minimum payment amount described in paragraph (2) plus the voting age population proportion amount described in paragraph (3). (2) Minimum payment amount The minimum payment amount described in this paragraph is— (A) in the case of any of the several States or the District of Columbia, one-half of 1 percent of the aggregate amount made available for payments under this section; and (B) in the case of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, or the United States Virgin Islands, one-tenth of 1 percent of such aggregate amount. (3) Voting age population proportion amount The voting age population proportion amount described in this paragraph is the product of— (A) the aggregate amount made available for payments under this section minus the total of all of the minimum payment amounts determined under paragraph (2); and (B) the voting age population proportion for the State (as defined in paragraph (4)). (4) Voting age population proportion defined The term voting age population proportion means, with respect to a State, the amount equal to the quotient of— (A) the voting age population of the State (as reported in the most recent decennial census); and (B) the total voting age population of all States (as reported in the most recent decennial census). (e) Authorization of appropriations (1) In general There are authorized to be appropriated for payments under this section $500,000,000 for each fiscal year. (2) Availability Any amounts appropriated pursuant to the authority of paragraph (1) shall remain available without fiscal year limitation until expended.. (b) Clerical amendment The table of contents of such Act is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 296 the following: Part VII—Payments for preventing unreasonable voter wait times Sec. 297. Payments to States..