Congress·In Committee·H.R. 8977

EFFIE Act

Election Fraud: New Penalties for Fake Ballot Paperwork

May 21·View on Congress.gov·Read full text

Next up: A house committee

The EFFIE Act is in the early stages of the legislative process and is currently sitting with the House Administration and Judiciary committees. These committees must review the bill before it can move forward, but no action has been taken since May 20, 2026. Most bills do not receive a committee vote, so this proposal is not moving at this time.

Legislative Progress

House

Senate

President

Law

Unlikely to pass

Most bills introduced by a single member without a large group of supporters fail to move through the committee process before the session ends.

Key Points

This bill makes it a federal crime for candidates or their staff to lie on the paperwork needed to get on an election ballot. It specifically targets people who knowingly sign fake documents or use false information to qualify for a race.
If a candidate or their employee is caught and convicted, they could face up to five years in prison. They could also be forced to pay a fine of up to $250,000 for each violation.
The goal is to stop people from cheating their way onto the ballot for positions like Congress or the presidency. It ensures that everyone running for federal office follows the same rules and is honest about their paperwork.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions

May 21, 2026House

Referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.

May 21, 2026

Introduced in House

The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.

No votes, news coverage, or related bills recorded for this bill yet.

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

EFFIE Act

Bill NumberHR 8977

Congress119th Congress

ChamberHouse of Representatives

Latest ActionReferred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Data Sources

Congress.gov

Official legislative information

Read Full Bill Text

Sponsor

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.