New Voting Rights Act heads for Reagan's OK

A 25-year extension of the 1965 Voting Rights Act was given final legislative approval by the House Wednesday and was sent to President Reagan for his signature.

The House, which earlier passed its own version of the civil rights measure, accepted a version approved Friday by the Senate.

The Voting Rights Act was extended in 1970 and again in 1975. It bars discrimination in voting nationwide and requires nine states and parts of 13 others to clear proposed election law changes with the Justice Department. The act is credited with opening the polls to millions of blacks and Hispanics.