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116TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. R. 2947
To require the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary
of Veterans Affairs, to develop guidelines regarding the use by the
Secretaries of the military departments and the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs of unofficial sources of information to determine the eligibility
of a member or former member of the Armed Forces for benefits and
decorations when the member’s service records are incomplete because
of damage to the records, including records damaged by a 1973 fire
at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 23, 2019
Mr. CARBAJAL (for himself and Mr. LAMALFA) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition
to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, for a period to be subsequently
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provi-
sions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To require the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, to develop guidelines
regarding the use by the Secretaries of the military de-
partments and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs of unof-
ficial sources of information to determine the eligibility
of a member or former member of the Armed Forces
for benefits and decorations when the member’s service
records are incomplete because of damage to the records,
including records damaged by a 1973 fire at the National
Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri.
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•HR 2947 IH
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans’ Record Re-
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construction Act of 2019’’.
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SEC. 2. DEVELOPMENT OF GUIDELINES FOR USE OF UNOF-
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FICIAL SOURCES OF INFORMATION TO DE-
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TERMINE ELIGIBILITY OF MEMBERS AND
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FORMER MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES
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FOR BENEFITS AND DECORATIONS WHEN
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THE SERVICE RECORDS ARE INCOMPLETE
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BECAUSE OF DAMAGE TO THE OFFICIAL
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RECORD.
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(a) GUIDELINES REQUIRED.—The Secretary of De-
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fense shall develop guidelines regarding the use by the
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Secretaries of the military departments and the Secretary
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of Veterans Affairs of unofficial sources of information,
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including eyewitness statements, to determine the eligi-
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bility of a member or former member of the Armed Forces
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for benefits and decorations when the service records of
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the member are incomplete because of damage to the
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records as a result of the 1973 fire at the National Per-
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sonnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri, or any sub-
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sequent incident while the records were in the possession
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of the Department of Defense.
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•HR 2947 IH
(b) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary of Defense shall
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prepare the guidelines in consultation with the Secretary
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of Veterans Affairs, with respect to veterans benefits
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under title 38, United States Code, whose eligibility deter-
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minations depend on the use of service records maintained
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by the Department of Defense.
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(c) TIME FOR COMPLETION.—The Secretary of De-
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fense shall complete development of the guidelines not
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later than one year after the date of the enactment of this
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Act.
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Æ
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