CIA Director-designate Rep. Michael Pompeo, R-Kan. talks to former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole right, during his confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017. before the Senate Intelligence Committee. At left is Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Topeka ? The Kansas Senate on Tuesday gave quick approval to a bill that would clean up statutes dealing with filling a vacancy in a U.S. House seat.

The bill passed unanimously, sending it to Gov. Sam Brownback for his signature.

The bill is aimed at making sure there can be a special election to fill a vacancy in the 4th congressional district, which includes Wichita and much of south-central Kansas, in anticipation that Rep. Mike Pompeo will soon resign once he’s confirmed to become CIA director in incoming president-elect Donald Trump’s administration.

It changes certain deadlines in current law, which was written in 1969, to make sure there is enough time to mail ballots to military and other federal employees serving overseas at least 45 days in advance of the election. Current law allows, at most, only 35 days from the time parties name their nominees to the day of the special election.

The bill also lowers the threshold for the number of petition signatures that independent candidates would need to get on the ballot in such a special election.

Sedgwick County officials had requested a technical amendment which, if passed, would have required the bill to go back to the House to concur in the change, but lawmakers decided to move forward with the bill and put the technical change in a separate bill.

Sedgwick County officials say they expect at least one school district to put a bond issue on the same ballot as the special election. But current law says the canvass of the school bond election be held six to eight days after the election; the bill calls for a final canvass of the special congressional race to be done two to four days after the election.

The suggested change would make the canvassing dates consistent for both the special congressional race and school bond elections.