Congress Reconsiders SAVE Act This Week—Will It Become Law?

Congress is poised to revisit the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act this week, reigniting a heated debate over voter access and election security ahead of the 2026 midterms. The bill, backed by Republican lawmakers and supported by President Donald Trump, mandates documentary proof of citizenship to register for federal elections—a requirement critics say could disenfranchise millions of eligible voters.

Originally introduced by Representative Chip Roy, a Texas Republican, the SAVE Act was introduced in July 2024 but failed to pass the Democrat-controlled Senate. Now, with Republicans in charge of both congressional chambers and the White House, the SAVE Act will likely make its way into law.

In September 2024, Trump strongly signaled his support for the SAVE Act, urging congressional Republicans to make it a nonnegotiable element of government funding talks at that time.

“If Republicans don’t get the SAVE Act, and every ounce of it, they should not agree to a Continuing Resolution in any way, shape, or form,” Trump wrote on Truth Social in September.

What is the SAVE Act?

The SAVE Act aims to amend the 1993 National Voter Registration Act to require individuals to present documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register for federal elections. As summarized on Congress.gov, the bill also mandates states to remove noncitizens from voter rolls, establishes criminal penalties for election officials who register ineligible voters, and allows private legal actions against officials for violations​.

Supporters argue these provisions are necessary to protect election integrity. Critics contend the bill solves a problem that is already addressed by existing law and adds undue burdens to the voter registration process.

Why It Matters

The SAVE Act would impose new federal requirements for proving citizenship during voter registration, potentially affecting millions of eligible voters who lack immediate access to documentation. The Brennan Center for Justice estimates more than 21 million voting-age U.S. citizens lack documentary proof of citizenship readily available​.

Although supporters say the bill protects elections from illegal voting, opponents note that noncitizen voting is already illegal under federal law, and instances of it are extremely rare. An audit in Georgia found only 20 noncitizens attempted to register among 8.4 million voters, all of whom were flagged and referred to law enforcement​.

How Does the SAVE Act Impact Women Voters?

Voting rights groups have raised specific concerns about the impact on married women who have changed their legal names. According to previous reporting from Newsweek, much of the documentation listed under the SAVE Act is based on having a birth certificate that matches the person registering to vote. But approximately 69 million married women in the U.S. have changed their names since marriage.

The SAVE Act does not include proof of name change or a marriage certificate as acceptable proof of identity. This could be vital for married women with a birth certificate that does not match their current legal name.

Jonathan Diaz, director of voting advocacy and partnerships at Campaign Legal Center, previously explained to Newsweek, said that even if states “create [a] filing process to satisfy the bill, you would have to go to your elections office with your original birth certificate and your current ID, and maybe your marriage license and then some other form … from when you changed your name … and then all of a sudden you’ve got, like, four or five difficult to obtain and expensive to reproduce government documents that you have to provide in person just to register to vote.”

Has the SAVE Act Been Passed?

According to Congress.gov, the bill has previously passed in the House in a prior session but failed to advance beyond that point. It earned support from five Democrats along with 216 Republicans. Those five Democrats were Representatives Henry Cuellar of Texas, Don Davis of North Carolina, Jared Golden of Maine, Vicente Gonzalez Jr. of Texas and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington.

House leadership has signaled continued support for the bill’s advancement.

When is Congress Voting on the SAVE Act?

According to reports, the SAVE Act is set to be reconsidered by Congress this week, with the potential for a vote in the Senate if Republican leaders push it forward. The exact timing of a vote remains uncertain, and procedural delays by Senate Democrats could complicate its path.

Representative Roy previously confirmed to Newsweek that House leadership continues to support the bill and that Republicans are eager to advance it in the current session​.

What People Are Saying

Rep. Chip Roy previously told Newsweek: “This bill isn’t being attacked because it’ll exclude citizens from voting—it won’t. It’s being attacked because the policy is wildly popular with the American people, its opponents want and need illegals to vote, and they’ll use anything they can to attack it.”​

Cleta Mitchell, founder of the Only Citizens Vote Coalition, in a press release: “America’s elections must be lawful, fair, and free from fraud. The SAVE Act is a vital safeguard to ensure that only citizens vote in our elections—because every illegal ballot cancels out the voice of a lawful citizen voter … The integrity of our elections—and the trust of the American people in our elections—depend on it.”

Celina Stewart of the League of Women Voters wrote in a Teen Vogue op-ed: “It is a Trojan horse attack on American democracy disguised as an election security measure. And women should not have to bear the brunt of a law passed to address a nonexistent problem.”

Jonathan Diaz, director of voting advocacy and partnerships at Campaign Legal Center, previously told Newsweek: “The top line is that the SAVE Act would create really significant new burdens on Americans to register to vote. It would make it harder for most eligible American citizens to register and cast a ballot … [States] don’t have the money and the resources to do this without appropriations from Congress, which the bill doesn’t provide for. And the impact on voters would be really significant.”

What’s Next

If the bill passes both chambers, legal challenges are expected, particularly around its compatibility with existing federal voting protections. Opponents have already pointed to similar laws in Kansas and Arizona that were struck down or curtailed after court challenges. The upcoming Senate action could determine not only the fate of the bill, but also how aggressively courts and advocacy groups will respond.