VOTING ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS.

SEC. 1602. VOTING ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS. (a) In General.—(1) Chapter 80 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section: “§ 1566. Voting assistance: compliance assessments; assistance “(a) Regulations.—The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe regulations to require that the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine 115 STAT. 1275Corps ensure their compliance with any directives issued by the Secretary of Defense in implementing any voting assistance program. “(b) Voting Assistance Programs Defined.—In this section, the term ‘voting assistance programs’ means— “(1) the Federal Voting Assistance Program carried out under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (42 U.S.C. 1973ff et seq.); and “(2) any similar program. “(c) Annual Effectiveness and Compliance Reviews.—(1) The Inspector General of each of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps shall conduct— “(A) an annual review of the effectiveness of voting assistance programs; and “(B) an annual review of the compliance with voting assistance programs of that armed force. “(2) Upon the completion of each annual review under paragraph (1), each Inspector General specified in that paragraph shall submit to the Inspector General of the Department of Defense a report on the results of each such review. Such report shall be submitted in time each year to be reflected in the report of the Inspector General of the Department of Defense under paragraph (3). “(3) Not later than March 31 each year, the Inspector General of the Department of Defense shall submit to Congress a report on— “(A) the effectiveness during the preceding calendar year of voting assistance programs; and “(B) the level of compliance during the preceding calendar year with voting assistance programs of each of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. “(d) Inspector General Assessments.—(1) The Inspector General of the Department of Defense shall periodically conduct at Department of Defense installations unannounced assessments of the compliance at those installations with— “(A) the requirements of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (42 U.S.C. 1973ff et seq.); “(B) Department of Defense regulations regarding that Act and the Federal Voting Assistance Program carried out under that Act; and “(C) other requirements of law regarding voting by members of the armed forces. “(2) The Inspector General shall conduct an assessment under paragraph (1) at not less than 10 Department of Defense installations each calendar year. “(3) Each assessment under paragraph (1) shall include a review of such compliance— “(A) within units to which are assigned, in the aggregate, not less than 20 percent of the personnel assigned to duty at that installation; “(B) within a representative survey of members of the armed forces assigned to that installation and their dependents; and “(C) within unit voting assistance officers to measure program effectiveness. “(e) Regular Military Department Assessments.—The Secretary of each military department shall include in the set of 115 STAT. 1276issues and programs to be reviewed during any management effectiveness review or inspection at the installation level an assessment of compliance with the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (42 U.S.C. 1973ff et seq.) and with Department of Defense regulations regarding the Federal Voting Assistance Program. “(f) Voting Assistance Officers.—Voting assistance officers shall be appointed or assigned under Department of Defense regulations. Commanders at all levels are responsible for ensuring that unit voting officers are trained and equipped to provide information and assistance to members of the armed forces on voting matters. Performance evaluation reports pertaining to a member who has been assigned to serve as a voting assistance officer shall comment on the performance of the member as a voting assistance officer. “(g) Delivery of Mail From Overseas Preceding Federal Elections.—(1) During the four months preceding a general Federal election month, the Secretary of Defense shall periodically conduct surveys of all overseas locations and vessels at sea with military units responsible for collecting mail for return shipment to the United States and all port facilities in the United States and overseas where military-related mail is collected for shipment to overseas locations or to the United States. The purpose of each survey shall be to determine if voting materials are awaiting shipment at any such location and, if so, the length of time that such materials have been held at that location. During the fourth and third months before a general Federal election month, such surveys shall be conducted biweekly. During the second and first months before a general Federal election month, such surveys shall be conducted weekly. “(2) The Secretary shall ensure that voting materials are transmitted expeditiously by military postal authorities at all times. “(3) In this section, the term ‘general Federal election month’ means November in an even-numbered year.”. (2) The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding at the end the following new item: “1566. Voting assistance: compliance assessments; assistance.”. (b) Initial Report.—The first report under section 1566(c)(3) of title 10, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), shall be submitted not later than March 31, 2003.