[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2028 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2028

To authorize the President to award the Medal of Honor posthumously to 
Henry Johnson, of Albany, New York, for acts of valor during World War 
   I and to direct the Secretary of the Army to conduct a review of 
  military service records to determine whether certain other African 
American World War I veterans should be awarded the Medal of Honor for 
                        actions during that war.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 19, 2002

  Mr. Schumer (for himself and Mrs. Clinton) introduced the following 
   bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed 
                                Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize the President to award the Medal of Honor posthumously to 
Henry Johnson, of Albany, New York, for acts of valor during World War 
   I and to direct the Secretary of the Army to conduct a review of 
  military service records to determine whether certain other African 
American World War I veterans should be awarded the Medal of Honor for 
                        actions during that war.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``World War I Veterans Medal of Honor 
Justice Act''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORITY FOR AWARD OF MEDAL OF HONOR TO HENRY JOHNSON.

    (a) Inapplicability of Time Limitations.--Notwithstanding the time 
limitations in section 3744(b) of title 10, United States Code, or any 
other time limitation, the President may award the Medal of Honor under 
section 3741 of such title posthumously to Henry Johnson (service 
number 10-33-48), of Albany, New York, for the actions referred to in 
subsection (b), the Secretary of the Army having determined that by 
those actions Henry Johnson distinguished himself conspicuously by 
gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the 
call of duty.
    (b) Actions.--The actions referred to in subsection (a) are the 
actions of Henry Johnson during World War I in repulsing an attack by a 
superior enemy force and rescuing a badly wounded comrade, 
notwithstanding his own serious wounds, on the night of May 14-15, 
1918, while serving as a private in the 369th Infantry Regiment of the 
United States Army.

SEC. 3. REVIEW REGARDING AWARD OF CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR TO 
              CERTAIN ADDITIONAL AFRICAN AMERICAN WORLD WAR I VETERANS.

    (a) Review Required.--The Secretary of the Army shall review the 
service records of each African American World War I Army veteran 
described in subsection (b) to determine whether that veteran should be 
awarded the Medal of Honor.
    (b) Covered African American Veterans.--The African American World 
War I Army veterans whose service records are to be reviewed under 
subsection (a) are the following:
            (1) Any African American World War I veteran who was 
        awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.
            (2) Any African American World War I veteran who was 
        awarded the French Legion of Merit or the Croix de Guerre by 
        the government of France.
    (c) Consultations.--In carrying out the review under subsection 
(a), the Secretary of the Army shall consult with the 369th Veterans' 
Association and with such other veterans service organizations as the 
Secretary considers appropriate.
    (d) Recommendation Based on Review.--If the Secretary determines, 
based upon the review under subsection (a) of the service records of 
any African American World War I Army veteran, that the award of the 
Medal of Honor to that veteran is warranted, the Secretary shall submit 
to the President a recommendation that the President award the Medal of 
Honor to that veteran.
    (e) Authority To Award Medal of Honor.--A Medal of Honor may be 
awarded to an African American World War I veteran in accordance with a 
recommendation of the Secretary concerned under subsection (a).
    (f) Waiver of Time Limitations.--An award of the Medal of Honor may 
be made under subsection (e)--
            (1) without regard to section 3744 of title 10, United 
        States Code; and
            (2) without regard to any regulation or other 
        administrative restriction on--
                    (A) the time for awarding the Medal of Honor; or
                    (B) the awarding of the Medal of Honor for service 
                for which a Distinguished Service Cross has been 
                awarded.
                                 <all>