[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2370 Introduced in House (IH)]






109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2370

To direct the Secretary of Defense to issue a medal to certain veterans 
 who died after their service in the Vietnam War as a direct result of 
that service, or who were presumptively exposed to ionizing radiation, 
herbicide agents, or chemical agents during their service in the Armed 
                                Forces.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 16, 2005

  Mr. Filner introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To direct the Secretary of Defense to issue a medal to certain veterans 
 who died after their service in the Vietnam War as a direct result of 
that service, or who were presumptively exposed to ionizing radiation, 
herbicide agents, or chemical agents during their service in the Armed 
                                Forces.

    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 ``In Memory Medal For Forgotten 
Veterans Act''.

SEC. 2. MEDAL TO HONOR VETERANS WHO DIED AS A RESULT OF THEIR SERVICE 
              IN THE VIETNAM WAR OR WHO WERE PRESUMPTIVELY EXPOSED TO 
              IONIZING RADIATION, HERBICIDE AGENTS, OR CHEMICAL AGENTS.

    (a)  Medal Authorized.--There is established a medal, to be known 
as the ``Jesus (Chuchi) Salgado Medal'', to be issued by the Secretary 
of Defense to any of the following:
            (1) Veterans who died as a result of their service in the 
        vietnam war.--A veteran of the Vietnam War who died after 
        serving in the war, but whose death is determined by the 
        Secretary of Defense to be a direct result of that service, and 
        whose name is not eligible for placement on the Vietnam 
        Veterans Memorial authorized under Public Law 96-297 (16 U.S.C. 
        431 note).
            (2) Veterans exposed to ionizing radiation.--A radiation-
        exposed veteran who is eligible (or was at the time of death 
        eligible) to receive benefits from the Secretary of Veterans 
        Affairs under section 1710(e)(1)(B) of title 38, United States 
        Code, attributable to the presumption of service-connection 
        under section 1112(c)(1) of that title.
            (3) Veterans exposed to herbicide agents.--A veteran of 
        service in the Republic of Vietnam who is eligible (or was at 
        the time of death eligible) to receive benefits from the 
        Secretary of Veterans Affairs under section 1710(e)(1)(A) of 
        title 38, United States Code, attributable to the presumption 
        of service-connection under section 1116(f) of that title.
            (4) Veterans exposed to certain chemical agents.--A veteran 
        who served on active duty in the Southwest Asia theater of 
        operations during the Persian Gulf War who is entitled (or was 
        at the time of death entitled) to receive compensation from the 
        United States under section 1110 of title 38, attributable to 
        the presumption of service-connection under section 1118(a) of 
        that title.
    (b) Application and Design.--The Jesus (Chuchi) Salgado Medal shall 
be issued upon receipt by the Secretary of Defense of an application 
for such medal, submitted in accordance with such regulations as the 
Secretary prescribes. The medal shall be of an appropriate design 
approved by the Secretary.
    (c) Issuance to Representative of Deceased.--If a person described 
in subsection (a) dies before being issued the Jesus (Chuchi) Salgado 
Medal, the medal shall be issued to the next-of-kin or representative 
of such person, as designated by the Secretary of Defense.
    (d) Assistance From the Department of Veterans Affairs.--The 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall make available to the Secretary of 
Defense such records, and otherwise provide such assistance, as the 
Secretary of Defense may require for purposes of this section.
    (e) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Radiation-exposed veteran.--The term ``radiation-
        exposed veteran'' has the meaning given to that term in section 
        1112(c)(3)(A) of title 38, United States Code.
            (2) Veteran of service in the republic of vietnam.--The 
        term ``veteran of service in the Republic of Vietnam'' means a 
        veteran who served on active duty in the Republic of Vietnam 
        during the period beginning on February 28, 1961, and ending on 
        May 7, 1975.
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