10 U.S.C. § 1566a — Voting assistance: voter assistance of-

Page 1496 TITLE 10—ARMED FORCES § 1566a 1 See References in Text note below. annual report to Congress, see section 1061 of Pub. L. 114–328, set out as a note under section 111 of this title. INFORMATION AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR REGISTRATION FOR VOTING AND ABSENTEE BALLOT REQUESTS FOR MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES UNDERGOING DE- PLOYMENT OVERSEAS Pub. L. 116–92, div. A, title V, § 580C, Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 1409, provided that: ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 45 days prior to a general election for Federal office, a member of the Armed Forces shall, upon request, be provided with the following: ‘‘(1) A Federal write-in absentee ballot prescribed pursuant to section 103 of the Uniformed and Over- seas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (52 U.S.C. 20303), together with instructions on the appropriate use of the ballot with respect to the State in which the member is registered to vote. ‘‘(2) In the case of a member intending to vote in a State that does not accept the Federal write-in ab- sentee ballot as a simultaneous application and ac- ceptable ballot for Federal elections, instructions on, and an opportunity to fill out, the official post card form for absentee voter registration application and absentee ballot application prescribed under section 101(b)(2) of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Ab- sentee Voting Act (52 U.S.C. 20301(b)(2)). ‘‘(b) PERSONNEL RESPONSIBLE OF DISCHARGE.—Ballots and instructions pursuant to paragraph (1) of sub- section (a), and briefings and forms pursuant to para- graph (2) of such subsection, shall be provided by Vot- ing Assistance Officers or such other personnel as the Secretary of the military department concerned shall designate.’’ INITIAL REPORT Pub. L. 107–107, div. A, title XVI, § 1602(b), Dec. 28, 2001, 115 Stat. 1276, directed that the first report under subsec. (c)(3) of this section be submitted not later than Mar. 31, 2003. § 1566a. Voting assistance: voter assistance of- fices (a) DESIGNATION OF OFFICES ON MILITARY IN- STALLATIONS AS VOTER ASSISTANCE OFFICES.— Under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense under subsection (f), the Secretaries of the military departments shall designate offices on installations under their jurisdiction, or at such installations as the Secretary of the mili- tary department concerned shall determine are best located to provide access to voter assist- ance services for all covered individuals in a par- ticular location, to provide absent uniformed services voters, particularly those individuals described in subsection (b), and their family members with the following: (1) Information on voter registration proce- dures and absentee ballot procedures (includ- ing the official post card form prescribed under section 101 of the Uniformed and Over- seas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (42 U.S.C. 1973ff)).1 (2) Information and assistance, if requested, including access to the Internet where prac- ticable, to register to vote in an election for Federal office. (3) Information and assistance, if requested, including access to the Internet where prac- ticable, to update the individual’s voter reg- istration information, including instructions for absent uniformed services voters to change their address by submitting the official post card form prescribed under section 101 of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act to the appropriate State election official. (4) Information and assistance, if requested, to request an absentee ballot under the Uni- formed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (42 U.S.C. 1973ff et seq.).1 (b) COVERED INDIVIDUALS.—The individuals de- scribed in this subsection are absent uniformed services voters who— (1) are undergoing a permanent change of duty station; (2) are deploying overseas for at least six months; (3) are returning from an overseas deploy- ment of at least six months; or (4) otherwise request assistance related to voter registration. (c) TIMING OF PROVISION OF ASSISTANCE.—The regulations prescribed by the Secretary of De- fense under subsection (f) shall ensure, to the maximum extent practicable and consistent with military necessity, that the assistance pro- vided under subsection (a) is provided to a cov- ered individual described in subsection (b)— (1) if described in subsection (b)(1), as part of the administrative in-processing of the cov- ered individual upon arrival at the new duty station of the covered individual; (2) if described in subsection (b)(2), as part of the administrative out-processing of the cov- ered individual in preparation for deployment from the home duty station of the covered in- dividual; (3) if described in subsection (b)(3), as part of the administrative in-processing of the cov- ered individual upon return to the home duty station of the covered individual; or (4) if described in subsection (b)(4), at the time the covered individual requests such as- sistance. (d) OUTREACH.—The Secretary of each military department, or the Presidential designee, shall take appropriate actions to inform absent uni- formed services voters of the assistance avail- able under subsection (a), including— (1) the availability of information and voter registration assistance at offices designated under subsection (a); and (2) the time, location, and manner in which an absent uniformed services voter may utilize such assistance. (e) AUTHORITY TO DESIGNATE VOTING ASSIST- ANCE OFFICES AS VOTER REGISTRATION AGENCY ON MILITARY INSTALLATIONS.—The Secretary of Defense may authorize the Secretaries of the military departments to designate offices on military installations as voter registration agencies under section 7(a)(2) of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C. 1973gg–5(a)(2)) 1 for all purposes of such Act. Any office so designated shall discharge the require- ments of this section, under the regulations pre- scribed by the Secretary of Defense under sub- section (f). (f) REGULATIONS.— (1) The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe regulations relating to the administration of Page 1497 TITLE 10—ARMED FORCES § 1567a the requirements of this section. The regula- tions shall be prescribed before the regularly scheduled general election for Federal office held in November 2010, and shall be imple- mented for such general election for Federal office and for each succeeding election for Federal office. (2) The Secretary of a military department shall provide the Committees on Armed Serv- ices of the Senate and the House of Represent- atives with notice of any decision by the Sec- retary to close a voter assistance office that was designated on an installation before the date of the enactment of this paragraph. The notice shall include the rational for the clo- sure, the timing of the closure, the number of covered individuals supported by the office, and the plan for providing the assistance available under subsection (a) to covered indi- viduals after the closure of the office. (g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: (1) The term ‘‘absent uniformed services voter’’ has the meaning given that term in section 107(1) of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (42 U.S.C. 1973ff–6(1)).1 (2) The term ‘‘Federal office’’ has the mean- ing given that term in section 107(3) of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (42 U.S.C. 1973ff–6(3)).1 (3) The term ‘‘Presidential designee’’ means the official designated by the President under section 101(a) of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (42 U.S.C. 1973ff(a)).1 (Added Pub. L. 111–84, div. A, title V, § 583(b)(1), Oct. 28, 2009, 123 Stat. 2328; amended Pub. L. 111–383, div. A, title X, § 1075(b)(21), Jan. 7, 2011, 124 Stat. 4370; Pub. L. 113–291, div. A, title V, § 592, title X, § 1071(e)(2), Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 3395, 3509.) Editorial Notes REFERENCES IN TEXT The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Vot- ing Act, referred to in text, is Pub. L. 99–410, Aug. 28, 1986, 100 Stat. 924, which was formerly classified prin- cipally to subchapter I–G (§ 1973ff et seq.) of chapter 20 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, prior to edi- torial reclassification and renumbering in Title 52, Vot- ing and Elections, and is now classified principally to chapter 203 (§ 20301 et seq.) of Title 52. Sections 101 and 107 of the Act are now classified to sections 20301 and 20310, respectively, of Title 52. For complete classifica- tion of this Act to the Code, see Tables. The National Voter Registration Act of 1993, referred to in subsec. (e), is Pub. L. 103–31, May 20, 1993, 107 Stat. 77, which was formerly classified principally to sub- chapter I–H (§ 1973gg et seq.) of chapter 20 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, prior to editorial re- classification and renumbering in Title 52, Voting and Elections, and is now classified principally to chapter 205 (§ 20501 et seq.) of Title 52. Section 7 of the Act is now classified to section 20506 of Title 52. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables. AMENDMENTS 2014—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 113–291, § 1071(e)(2), which di- rected substitution of ‘‘Under’’ for ‘‘Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 and under’’ in introductory provisions, could not be exe- cuted because of the prior amendment by Pub. L. 113–291, § 592(a)(1). See below. Pub. L. 113–291, § 592(a), in introductory provisions, substituted ‘‘Under’’ for ‘‘Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of the National Defense Au- thorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 and under’’ and in- serted ‘‘, or at such installations as the Secretary of the military department concerned shall determine are best located to provide access to voter assistance serv- ices for all covered individuals in a particular loca- tion,’’ after ‘‘their jurisdiction’’. Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 113–291, § 592(b), designated exist- ing provisions as par. (1) and added par. (2). 2011—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 111–383 inserted closing parenthesis before period at end. § 1567. Duration of military protective orders A military protective order issued by a mili- tary commander shall remain in effect until such time as the military commander termi- nates the order or issues a replacement order. (Added Pub. L. 110–417, [div. A], title V, § 561(a), Oct. 14, 2008, 122 Stat. 4470; amended Pub. L. 111–84, div. A, title X, § 1073(a)(16), Oct. 28, 2009, 123 Stat. 2473.) Editorial Notes AMENDMENTS 2009—Pub. L. 111–84 made technical amendment to section catchline. § 1567a. Mandatory notification of issuance of military protective order to civilian law en- forcement (a) INITIAL NOTIFICATION.—In the event a mili- tary protective order is issued against a member of the armed forces, the commander of the unit to which the member is assigned shall, not later than seven days after the date of the issuance of the order, notify the appropriate civilian au- thorities of— (1) the issuance of the protective order; and (2) the individuals involved in the order. (b) NOTIFICATION IN EVENT OF TRANSFER.—In the event that a member of the armed forces against whom a military protective order is issued is transferred to another unit— (1) not later than the date of the transfer, the commander of the unit from which the member is transferred shall notify the com- mander of the unit to which the member is transferred of— (A) the issuance of the protective order; and (B) the individuals involved in the order; and (2) not later than seven days after receiving the notice under paragraph (1), the com- mander of the unit to which the member is transferred shall provide notice of the order to the appropriate civilian authorities in accord- ance with subsection (a). (c) NOTIFICATION OF CHANGES OR TERMI- NATION.—The commander of the unit to which the member is assigned also shall notify the ap- propriate civilian authorities of— (1) any change made in a protective order covered by subsection (a); and (2) the termination of the protective order.