[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 331 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 331

 To ensure that military voters have the right to bring a civil action 
   under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act to 
                     safeguard their right to vote.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 14, 2011

  Mr. Barrasso (for himself and Mr. Cornyn) introduced the following 
 bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and 
                             Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To ensure that military voters have the right to bring a civil action 
   under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act to 
                     safeguard their right to vote.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Military and Overseas Voters' Relief 
Act''.

SEC. 2. PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION.

    Section 105 of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting 
Act (42 U.S.C. 1973ff-4) is amended by striking subsection (b) and 
inserting the following:
    ``(b) Private Right of Action.--A person who is aggrieved by a 
violation of this Act may bring a civil action in an appropriate 
district court for such declaratory or injunctive relief as may be 
necessary to carry out this Act.
    ``(c) Attorney's Fees.--In a civil action under this section, the 
court may allow the prevailing party (other than the United States) 
reasonable attorney's fees, including litigation expenses, and costs.
    ``(d) Reports to Congress.--
            ``(1) Annual report.--Not later than December 31 of each 
        year, the Attorney General shall submit to Congress an annual 
        report on any civil action brought by the Attorney General 
        under subsection (a) during the preceding year or any civil 
        action brought by a private party under subsection (b) in which 
        the Attorney General intervened.
            ``(2) Report on enforcement.--Not later than July 1 of each 
        year in which a general election for Federal office is 
        scheduled, the Attorney General shall submit to Congress a 
        report on the number of attorneys and other staff within the 
        Department of Justice assigned to enforce the Uniformed and 
        Overseas Citizen Absentee Voting Act, as well as the Attorney 
        General's plan to detect noncompliance by State and local 
        election officials with the requirements of the law.''.
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