[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 160 (Thursday, November 13, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S12713]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                                PROGRAM

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, on Tuesday, January 27, when the Senate 
reconvenes the 105th Congress, second session, following a live quorum, 
the Senate will proceed to morning business then until 2 p.m.
  Tuesday night at 9 p.m. is the President's State of the Union 
Address. Therefore, the Senate will reconvene Tuesday evening at 
approximately 8:30 p.m. in order to proceed as a body to the Hall of 
the House of Representatives to hear the address of the President. 
There will be no legislative business on the 27th except for those 
items that may be cleared for action by unanimous consent. Therefore, 
no votes will occur during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, 
January 27.
  Senators should be aware that following that day, on the 28th and 
after, we will be expected to call up early in the session the ISTEA 
transportation bill, juvenile justice, the nomination of Margaret 
Morrow, and the nomination of Ann Aiken, both to be considered for 
judicial positions, and the nomination of Ann Aiken will be taken up 
prior to the end of the first week.
  Again, I thank my colleagues for their cooperation during this 
session of Congress.


                   MILITARY VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF 1997

  Mr. LOTT. Before we conclude then, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Senate now proceed to the consideration of S. 1566 introduced earlier 
today by Senator Thurmond.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 1566) to amend the Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil 
     Relief Act of 1940 to protect the voting rights of military 
     personnel, and for other purposes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to the immediate 
consideration of the bill?
  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. LOTT. I ask unanimous consent the bill be read a third time and 
passed, the motion to reconsider be laid on the table, and any 
statements relating thereto be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill (S. 1566) was read the third time and passed, as follows:

                                S. 1566

       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 Voting Rights Act 
     of 1997''.

     SEC. 2. GUARANTEE OF RESIDENCY.

       Article VII of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act 
     of 1940 (50 U.S.C. App. 590 et seq.) is amended by adding at 
     the end the following:
       ``Sec. 704. (a) For purposes of voting for an office of the 
     United States or of a State, a person who is absent from a 
     State in compliance with military or naval orders shall not, 
     solely by reason of that absence--
       ``(1) be deemed to have lost a residence or domicile in 
     that State;
       ``(2) be deemed to have acquired a residence or domicile in 
     any other State; or
       ``(3) be deemed to have become resident in or a resident of 
     any other State.
       ``(b) In this section, the term `State' includes a 
     territory or possession of the United States, a political 
     subdivision of a State, territory, or possession, and the 
     District of Columbia.''.

     SEC. 3. STATE RESPONSIBILITY TO GUARANTEE MILITARY VOTING 
                   RIGHTS.

       (a) Registration and Balloting.--Section 102 of the 
     Uniformed and Overseas Absentee Voting Act (42 U.S.C. 1973ff-
     1) is amended--
       (1) by inserting ``(a) Elections for Federal Offices.--'' 
     before ``Each State shall--''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(b) Elections for State and Local Offices.--Each State 
     shall--
       ``(1) permit absent uniformed services voters to use 
     absentee registration procedures and to vote by absentee 
     ballot in general, special, primary, and runoff elections for 
     State and local offices; and
       ``(2) accept and process, with respect to any election 
     described in paragraph (1), any otherwise valid voter 
     registration application from an absent uniformed services 
     voter if the application is received by the appropriate State 
     election official not less than 30 days before the 
     election.''.
       (b) Conforming Amendment.--The heading for title I of such 
     Act is amended by striking out ``FOR FEDERAL OFFICE''.

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