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John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2025 H. R. 14

Introduced on 5 March 2025 by Rep Sewell (D-AL) co sponsored only by Democrats

Referred to the House Judiciary Committee 5 Mar 2025 where it now sits with no action.

Notes: 
States and political subdivisions that meet certain thresholds regarding minority groups must pre clear covered practices before implementation, such as changes to methods of election and redistricting.
The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act is proposed federal legislation designed to restore and modernize the protections of the original Voting Rights Act of 1965. It aims to combat racial discrimination at the polls by requiring states with a history of voter suppression to obtain federal approval before changing their voting laws.
Core Provisions

  • Restoring "Preclearance": The bill establishes a new framework to identify jurisdictions (states and local governments) with recent, repeated voting rights violations. These jurisdictions must have any proposed voting law changes pre-approved by the Department of Justice or a federal court.
  • Combating Restrictive Practices: It targets specific policies frequently used to disenfranchise minority voters—such as stricter voter ID requirements, polling place closures, and cuts to early voting—by making them subject to preclearance.
  • Strengthening Legal Challenges: The bill broadens the government's authority to send federal observers to monitor polling places and modernizes legal standards to make it easier for voters to challenge discriminatory voting maps and laws in court.
  • The Impetus: The legislation was written to counter a series of Supreme Court decisions that severely weakened the VRA, most notably Shelby County v. Holder(2013), which struck down the original formula used to determine which states were subject to federal oversight.
  • Legislative History: Named after the late civil rights icon and Congressman John Lewis, the House of Representatives previously passed the bill (as the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act) in 2022, but the legislation stalled in the Senate.

  • Current Status: The bill has been reintroduced in both the House (as H.R. 14) and the Senate, where it awaits

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