GLAA-LA-001 | FEATURED LEGISLATIVE ANALYSIS | NOVEMBER 14, 2026 | VERSION 1.0
Independent • Nonpartisan • Public-Minded. A sourced overview of proposed federal citizenship-verification and voter-identification requirements, with attention to the distinction between current law, House-passed proposals, and Senate action.
Executive summary
The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE Act, H.R. 22) and the later SAVE America Act are related but distinct legislative proposals. H.R. 22 would require documentary proof of United States citizenship when registering for federal elections. The expanded SAVE America Act language passed by the House as an amendment to S. 1383 in February 2026 would additionally establish specified identification requirements for voting.
As of November 14, 2026, neither proposal has become federal law. The current National Voter Registration Act framework, state-specific instructions, and other existing federal and state requirements continue to govern. GLAA's analysis therefore does not characterize proposed SAVE Act requirements as obligations currently imposed on voters.
Legislative status at publication
- April 10, 2025: H.R. 22 passed the House, 220–208, as documented by the Office of the Clerk and engrossed bill text.
- February 11, 2026: The House passed an amendment to S. 1383 containing SAVE America Act provisions, 218–213, according to the House vote record and official amended text.
- March 26, 2026: The Senate did not invoke cloture on a related voter-identification amendment, 53–47, as shown in Senate Roll Call 73.
- November 2026 status: No final enacted law was identified in the reviewed legislative record. The Senate legislative index, updated November 9, lists the SAVE America Act among bills without a public-law citation.
Issues assessed by GLAA
This publication considers five categories of questions: the reliability of citizenship verification; access to accepted documents for eligible voters; the administrative burden on state and local election offices; privacy, due process, and correction of records; and public understanding of registration and voting requirements. It includes an institutional evaluation checklist rather than an endorsement of a particular bill.
Research approach and editorial status
GLAA prepared this updated analysis from official-source desk review through November 14, 2026. It refines themes in earlier GLAA presentation materials from March 2026. No original survey, audit, statistical estimate, or fiscal model was conducted. The paper is issued as an initial institutional working publication subject to correction and review; it is not a formally board-adopted policy position, legal advice, or government endorsement.
Primary sources
- Government Publishing Office: H.R. 22 (House-engrossed).
- Government Publishing Office: S. 1383 (House amendment).
- U.S. Senate: 2026 roll-call votes.
- Congressional Research Service IF12902 (archival republication).
- Congressional Research Service R46406, October 30, 2026 (archival republication).
- Department of Justice: NVRA overview; Election Assistance Commission: national form.
Full report: Download GLAA-LA-001 (PDF, five pages). For a correction or executive briefing, contact executiveoffice@glaagency.org.