WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) announced today the House passage the SAFE Act, an election security bill that provides $600 million for election security grants to states to improve the security of elections for federal office and increases funding for the Election Assistance Commission operating expenses by more than 75 percent.

“The integrity of our democracy – and national security – depend on our ability to protect our elections from foreign interference. In 2016, Russia waged an unprecedented attack on our election and there is no question that they and other bad actors will continue to work tirelessly to influence future American elections,” Sewell said. “The SAFE Act makes critical investments to ensure our election systems are resilient against future attacks. We as a Congress have a duty to ensure that every vote is counted and restore the American public’s faith in our election systems.”

The SAFE Act provides funding for states to replace outdated and vulnerable voting equipment, mandates paper ballot voting systems and risk-limiting post-election audits and contains strict cybersecurity requirements for election technology vendors and voting systems.

The legislation now heads to the Senate for consideration.