<P> The amendments extended the Act's special provisions for seven years . Congress chose seven years to avoid having to reconsider the special provisions during the 1980s reapportionment process . Relatedly, Congress amended the bailout provision to require covered jurisdictions seeking bailout to prove that they had not used a test or device in a discriminatory manner in the 17 - year period preceding their bailout request . Congress also expanded the coverage formula by adding new dates in 1972 as triggering dates, which brought more jurisdictions into coverage . Furthermore, Congress made permanent the nationwide prohibition on tests or devices . </P> <P> The 1975 amendments also expanded voting rights for minority groups that traditionally had fallen outside the Act's protections . Civil rights organizations representing Hispanic, Asian American, Native Alaskan, and Native American interests argued before Congress that such groups often were the victims of discriminatory voting practices, particularly in areas where English was not the dominant language . After Congress heard testimony of language discrimination in voting, Congresswoman Barbara Jordan (D - TX) successfully led an effort to amend the Act to protect language minorities . Specifically, Congress amended the definition of "test or device" to prohibit laws requiring ballots and voting information be provided exclusively in English in jurisdictions where a single - language minority group comprised more than 5% of the voting - age population . This in turn expanded the coverage formula to reach states such as Texas that Congress wanted to cover . Congress also enacted bilingual election requirements, which require election officials in certain jurisdictions to provide ballots and voting information in the language of language minority groups . </P> <P> As the special provisions neared expiration again, Congress reconsidered the Act in 1982 . Organizations in The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the National Education Association (NEA), organized to pressure Congress both to extend the special provisions and to expand the Act's general prohibition on discriminatory voting laws . Congressional opponents of the amendments had little support for their positions outside of Congress . </P> <P> The House of Representatives, which was the first chamber to consider amendments, conducted seven weeks of hearings on amendatory legislation at which over 100 witnesses testified, most of whom supported extending the Act's special provisions by at least 10 years . President Ronald Reagan's administration largely stayed out of the debate as the legislation worked its way through the House . However, President Reagan did indicate he supported replacing the coverage formula with a nationwide preclearance requirement . The House ultimately passed legislation maintaining the coverage formula and permanently extending the special provisions . Supporters of the House bill hoped to sustain the momentum from the House and expedite approval of the House bill in the Senate, but Senators opposing the legislation slowed its passage through extensive committee hearings . Furthermore, the Reagan Administration announced its support for only a 10 - year extension of the special provisions . The Senate eventually compromised on maintaining the coverage formula unchanged and extending the special provisions by 25 years, except for the Section 203 (c) bilingual election requirement, which was extended for seven years . The Senate also agreed to liberalize the bailout procedure to allow a covered state or local government to escape coverage by proving to the U.S. District Court for D.C. that it had complied with the Voting Rights Act and undertook constructive efforts to expand opportunities for political participation in the 10 years preceding its bailout request . The bailout procedure was also amended to allow a local government to bail out of coverage even if its parent state was covered . </P>

The 1982 amendments to section 2 of the voting rights act did what