A bipartisan group of 16 senators introduced legislation on Wednesday to reform and modernize the Electoral Count Act of 1887, including by clarifying the role of the vice president in certifying presidential elections.

Why it matters: The bill, if passed by the House and Senate, would mark the first major legislative response to the Jan. 6 Capitol attack and the events that it preceded it.

Details: The first bill is narrowly focused on reforming the 1887 law that former President Trump tried to exploit to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

The second bill, which only has five Republican co-sponsors, creates penalties for intimidation of election workers, voters, and candidates.

What they're saying: "From the beginning, our bipartisan group has shared a vision of drafting legislation to fix the flaws of the archaic and ambiguous Electoral Count Act of 1887," the senators said in a joint statement. 

What's next: The Senate Rules Committee will hold a hearing on Electoral Count Act reform "in the coming weeks," according to a statement from Chair Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.).