[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2075 Introduced in House (IH)]






109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2075

To amend title 10, United States Code, to require a member of the Armed 
Forces to designate a person to be authorized to direct the disposition 
      of the member's remains if the member should die in service.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 4, 2005

 Ms. Berkley (for herself and Mr. Farr) introduced the following bill; 
         which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 10, United States Code, to require a member of the Armed 
Forces to designate a person to be authorized to direct the disposition 
      of the member's remains if the member should die in service.

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

SECTION 1. REQUIREMENT FOR MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES TO DESIGNATE A 
              PERSON TO BE AUTHORIZED TO DIRECT THE DISPOSITION OF THE 
              MEMBER'S REMAINS.

    (a) Designation Required.--Section 655 of title 10, United States 
Code, is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (c); and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (a) the following new 
        subsection (b):
    ``(b)(1) The Secretary concerned shall, upon the enlistment or 
appointment of a person in the armed forces, require that the person 
specify in writing the person authorized to direct the disposition of 
the person's remains under section 1482 of this title. The Secretary 
shall periodically, and whenever the member is deployed as part of a 
contingency operation or in other circumstances specified by the 
Secretary, require that such designation be reconfirmed, or modified, 
by the member. Whenever a member is required to make a designation 
under this subsection, the Secretary shall inform the member of the 
implications of the designation.
    ``(2) The current designation of a member under this subsection 
shall be maintained as part of the member's Record of Emergency 
Data.''.
    (b) Change in Designation.--Subsection (c) of such section, as 
redesignated by subsection (a)(1), is amended by inserting ``or (b)'' 
after ``subsection (a)''.
    (c) Persons Authorized to Direct Disposition of Remains.--Section 
1482(c) of such title is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (4) as 
        paragraphs (2) through (5), respectively;
            (2) by inserting before paragraph (2), as so redesignated, 
        the following new paragraph (1):
            ``(1) The person designated under section 655(b) of this 
        title.''; and
            (3) in paragraph (5), as redesignated by paragraph (1), by 
        striking ``clauses (1)-(3)'' and inserting ``clauses (1)-(4)''.
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