I
106TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 4231
To amend chapter 47 of title 10, United States Code (the Uniform Code
of Military Justice), to clarify and reaffirm the intent of Congress regard-
ing the court-martial sentence of confinement for life without eligibility
for parole.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APRIL 11, 2000
Mr. BRYANT introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Armed Services
A BILL
To amend chapter 47 of title 10, United States Code (the
Uniform Code of Military Justice), to clarify and reaf-
firm the intent of Congress regarding the court-martial
sentence of confinement for life without eligibility for
parole.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. CLARIFICATION AND REAFFIRMATION OF THE
INTENT 
OF 
CONGRESS 
REGARDING 
THE
COURT-MARTIAL 
SENTENCE 
OF 
CONFINE-
MENT FOR LIFE WITHOUT ELIGIBILITY FOR
PAROLE
(a) CLARIFICATION OF EFFECT OF SENTENCE.—(1)
Section 856a(b) of title 10, United States Code (article
56a of the Uniform Code of Military Justice), is
amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘unless—’’ and inserting ‘‘un-
less the sentence (or a portion of the sentence in-
cluding that part of the sentence providing for con-
finement for life without eligibility for parole)—’’;
(2) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the
following:
‘‘(1) is set aside or otherwise modified as a re-
sult of—
‘‘(A) action taken under section 860 of this
title (article 60) by the convening authority or
another person authorized to act under that
section; or
‘‘(B) any other action taken during post-
trial procedure and review under any other pro-
vision of subchapter IX;’’;
(3) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘the sen-
tence’’; and
(4) by striking paragraph (3) and inserting the
following:
‘‘(3) a reprieve or pardon by the President.’’.
(b) OFFICERS SENTENCED
TO DISMISSAL.—Sub-
section (b) of section 871 of such title (article 71) is
amended by inserting after the second sentence the fol-
lowing new sentence: ‘‘However, if the sentence extends
to confinement for life without eligibility for parole, that
part of the sentence providing for confinement for life
without eligibility for parole may not be commuted, remit-
ted, or suspended.’’.
(c) ACTION BY CONVENING AUTHORITY AFTER SEN-
TENCE ORDERED EXECUTED.—Subsection (d) of that
section is amended by adding at the end the following new
sentence: ‘‘In the case of a sentence that extends to con-
finement for life without eligibility for parole, that part
of the sentence extending to confinement for life without
eligibility for parole may not be suspended after it is or-
dered executed.’’.
(d) SECRETARIAL AUTHORITY TO REMIT OR SUS-
PEND SENTENCE.—Section 874(a) of such title (article
74(a)) is amended by inserting before the period at the
end the following: ‘‘or, in the case of a sentence that ex-
tends to confinement for life without eligibility for parole,
that part of the sentence that extends to confinement for
life without eligibility for parole’’.
(e) PAROLE.—Section 952 of that title is amended
by adding at the end the following new subsection:
‘‘(c) Parole may not be granted for an offender serv-
ing a sentence of confinement for life without eligibility
for parole.’’.
(f) REMISSION OR SUSPENSION OF SENTENCE.—Sec-
tion 953 of such title is amended by inserting in para-
graph (1) after ‘‘selected offenders’’ the following: ‘‘other
than offenders serving a sentence of confinement for life
without eligibility for parole’’.
Æ