H.R. 22 SAVE Act: Citizenship Documents, Voter Rolls, and Penalties

H.R. 22 in the current 119th Congress is the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, better known as the SAVE Act. The bill would amend federal law to require every person registering to vote in a federal election to present documentary proof of U.S. citizenship in person at the time of registration. It passed the House on April 10, 2025, and is now before the Senate.¹

What the Bill Would Change

Federal voter registration is currently governed by the National Voter Registration Act of 1993. Applicants sign a statement, under penalty of perjury, affirming they are U.S. citizens. No physical proof is required at the point of registration. The SAVE Act would add that requirement. States could not accept or process a federal voter registration application unless the applicant presents documentary proof of citizenship when they register.²

Because the bill specifies in-person presentation of documents, it would functionally eliminate mail and online registration as standalone pathways in most states. Anyone registering, or re-registering after a move, would need to visit a government office before the deadline.

Representative Chip Roy of Texas introduced the bill on January 3, 2025. It attracted 110 cosponsors, all Republicans.³ It applies to federal elections, though in practice most states use a single registration system for federal, state, and local races.

Which Documents Would Qualify

The bill lists five categories of acceptable proof:

A REAL ID-compliant identification that indicates U.S. citizenship
A valid U.S. passport
A military ID paired with a service record showing a U.S. birthplace
A government-issued photo ID from a federal, state, or tribal government that shows a U.S. birthplace
A government-issued photo ID presented together with a supporting document

Supporting documents under the fifth category include a certified birth certificate from a U.S. state or tribal government, a hospital birth record, a final adoption decree showing a U.S. birthplace, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, a naturalization certificate, or an American Indian Card with a “KIC” classification.⁴

One detail matters for most voters: a standard driver’s license alone would not satisfy the requirement unless it was issued under the REAL ID Act and specifically indicates citizenship. Many REAL ID licenses verify identity and lawful presence without distinguishing citizens from noncitizens, so whether this category is useful depends on how each state formats its cards.

If You Don’t Have the Documents

The bill requires states to establish an alternative process for applicants who cannot produce one of the listed documents. Under that process, an applicant may submit other evidence to demonstrate citizenship.² The bill leaves the details to the states, so how accessible this route is would vary.

What States Would Have to Do About Existing Voter Rolls

Beyond new registrations, the SAVE Act would require every state to run an ongoing program to identify noncitizens among current registrants, drawing on data sources including the Department of Homeland Security. Confirmed noncitizens would have to be removed from the official list of eligible voters.²

The timeline is short. States would have 30 days after enactment to establish these programs. The Election Assistance Commission would have 10 days to issue implementation guidance.⁴ The bill does not include federal funding to help states cover the cost.

Penalties for Election Officials

The bill targets election officials as well as voters. An election official who knowingly registers an applicant without collecting proof of citizenship would face criminal penalties. The bill also creates a private right of action, meaning private citizens could sue an election official who processes a registration without the required documentation.²

Noncitizen voting in federal elections is already prohibited under existing federal law, with penalties that include fines and imprisonment. The SAVE Act shifts some of the compliance burden onto the registration step itself rather than relying on after-the-fact prosecution.

Arguments For and Against

Supporters say the bill closes a gap in election security. The current attestation system relies on the applicant’s sworn statement at the point of registration, and proponents contend that requiring documentary proof is a straightforward safeguard. They also point out that proof of citizenship is already required for other activities like getting a passport or completing employment verification.

Critics point to access. Research estimates cited in the debate suggest that more than 21 million U.S. citizens do not have citizenship documents readily available, often because records were lost, destroyed, or never obtained. Many are already registered and vote regularly. Because the bill requires in-person presentation, mail and online registration would no longer stand on their own, and voters who move between elections would need to visit a government office before the deadline even when their citizenship is not in question.

The scope of the underlying problem is contested. Studies of noncitizen voting in federal elections have consistently found it to be extremely rare. Critics argue the bill imposes real burdens on eligible citizens to address a problem that existing law already prohibits and that occurs at negligible rates. Supporters counter that low detection may reflect weak enforcement rather than the absence of the problem.

Where the Bill Stands

The House passed the SAVE Act on April 10, 2025, by a vote of 220 to 208. The vote was almost entirely along party lines: 216 Republicans and 4 Democrats voted yes, and 208 Democrats voted no.¹ The Senate received the bill the same day.²

A nearly identical version passed the House in the 118th Congress under a different bill number but never received a Senate vote. The bill’s path through the current Senate is uncertain.

A Note on the Bill Number

Bill numbers reset each Congress, so a search for “H.R. 22” can also return the 118th Congress bill of the same number, the Protecting America’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve from China Act. That was a separate piece of legislation on oil sales from the national reserve and is unrelated to voter registration.⁵ In the current 119th Congress, H.R. 22 is the SAVE Act.

1
Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. Office of the Clerk – Vote Details
2
Congress.gov. H.R. 22 – 119th Congress (2025-2026): SAVE Act
3
Congress.gov. Cosponsors – H.R. 22 – 119th Congress (2025-2026): SAVE Act
4
Congress.gov. Text – H.R. 22 – 119th Congress (2025-2026): SAVE Act
5
Congress.gov. H.R. 22 – 118th Congress (2023-2024): Protecting Americas Strategic Petroleum Reserve from China Act