House advances SAVE America Act — counties urged to contact Senators now

Key Takeaways

On July 22, the U.S. House of Representatives advanced the SAVE America Act (H.R. 7296/S. 1383) by incorporating it into the National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 8800) by a vote of 216-212. If also passed through the Senate, the bill would immediately mandate increased voter ID standards for citizens, including documentary proof of citizenship at the time of registration, and criminal penalties for election officials that make good-faith registration mistakes, even for citizens. Despite the midterm elections being already underway in several states, the act provides no transition time for governments or funding to help them comply with these requirements.  

The House also passed a separate budget reconciliation framework (H. Con. Res. 113), which directs the House Administration Committee to recommend up to $10 billion in spending over 10 years by Sept. 11. Reconciliation bills only need a simple Senate majority, meaning this path could let Congress pass SAVE America Act-style provisions without facing a filibuster.

Visit NACo's SAVE America Act County Resource Hub

Two paths forward

Path 1: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027 (H.R. 8800)

• Authorizes $1.15 trillion in defense spending and a 5-7% pay raise and renames the U.S. Department of Defense the U.S. Department of War.
• Directly attaches the full SAVE America Act (H.R. 7296/S. 1383) mandating sweeping changes to federal elections requiring in-person documentary proof of citizenship (DPOC) at the time of registration and photo ID to vote.
• Includes criminal penalties of up to five years in prison for election officials who register a voter without DPOC along with new civil liability exposure through a private right of action.

• Passed the House 216-212 on July 22, but needs 60 votes to clear a Senate filibuster.

   

Path 2: Budget Reconciliation (H. Con. Res. 113)

• A separate $95 billion package covering defense and farm aid that includes a $10 billion over 10-year for recommendations for SAVE America Act type provisions to be included.  
• The U.S. House Administration Committee has until Sept. 11 to write its portion of the bill — the elections portion. It's expected to look like the SAVE America Act (H.R. 7296/S. 1383) or other legislation like the Voter ID Act (H.R. 9368), which requires voters to show photo ID to cast a federal ballot.  

• Passed the House by 216-214 on July 22 and needs only a simple Senate majority, rather than the typical 60 votes. Senate Leader Thune has indicated that reconciliation may serve as a tool to circumvent a government shutdown in September.  

   

Why this matters for counties

• Immediate mandate risk: If the NDAA's SAVE America Act provisions survive the Senate, counties would face new federal voting requirements with no transition period and no funding source — leaving insufficient time to update systems, train staff and inform voters before November.
• Longer-term mandate risk: If reconciliation instead funds state-level ID/DPOC programs rather than a federal mandate, there's no direct impact this November — but it sets up states to adopt similar requirements later, meaning the same cost and capacity concerns would resurface down the road.
• New costs either way: DPOC and enhanced ID verification would require new equipment, staffing, database access, and voter outreach — costs that typically fall to county election offices, which are already stretched thin.
• Criminal exposure for election officials: County officials could face prison time or lawsuits for good-faith registration mistakes, even when the voter is a citizen — a serious risk to recruiting and retaining election workers.

• An uncertain outcome: With two different pathways moving at once, the Senate could strip one or both, pass a hybrid, or let them fail — underscoring the need for counties to weigh in on both fronts now.

   

What counties should do now

• Find your Senators' contact information: U.S. Senate directory.
• Send a letter using NACo's template letter, customized with your county's specific concerns.
• Share your county's perspective: what either path's requirements and timeline would mean for staffing, budget and voter services.

• Ask Senators to remove or revise the election provisions in both bills, or at minimum ensure counties get the time, resources and intergovernmental partnership to implement responsibly.

   

For the latest updates, resources and analysis, visit NACo's SAVE America Act County Resource Hub.