[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3329 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3329

To amend title 5, United States Code, to provide for the issuance of a 
 prisoner-of-war medal to civilian employees of the Federal Government 
     who are taken captive, by armed forces or agents of a foreign 
 government hostile to the United States, during war or under wartime 
                              conditions.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 19, 2005

Mr. Davis of Kentucky introduced the following bill; which was referred 
                 to the Committee on Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 5, United States Code, to provide for the issuance of a 
 prisoner-of-war medal to civilian employees of the Federal Government 
     who are taken captive, by armed forces or agents of a foreign 
 government hostile to the United States, during war or under wartime 
                              conditions.

    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 ``Civilian Prisoner-of-War Medal Act 
of 2005''.

SEC. 2. PRISONER-OF-WAR MEDAL FOR CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES OF THE FEDERAL 
              GOVERNMENT.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 45 of title 5, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:

                 ``SUBCHAPTER IV--MISCELLANEOUS AWARDS

``Sec. 4531. Prisoner-of-war medal
    ``(a) In General.--The President shall issue a prisoner-of-war 
medal to any employee who--
            ``(1) while such employee was serving in a position or 
        performing one or more functions in support of military 
        personnel under circumstances described in any paragraph of 
        section 1128(a) of title 10 (as determined by the President), 
        or
            ``(2) under circumstances (other than those to which 
        paragraph (1) applies) which the President finds to have been 
        comparable to those under which members of the Armed Forces 
        have generally been held captive by enemy armed forces during 
        periods of armed conflict,
was forcibly taken and held captive by armed forces or agents of a 
foreign government hostile to the United States.
    ``(b) Design.--The prisoner-of-war medal shall be of appropriate 
design, with ribbons and appurtenances.
    ``(c) Numerical Limitation.--Not more than one prisoner-of-war 
medal may be issued to a person under this section. However, for each 
succeeding service that would otherwise justify the issuance of such a 
medal, the President may issue a suitable device to be worn as the 
President determines.
    ``(d) Eligibility.--For a person to be eligible for issuance of a 
prisoner-of-war medal, the person's conduct must have been honorable 
for the period of captivity which serves as the basis for the issuance, 
and such captivity must not have been the result of any willful 
misconduct on the part of such person.
    ``(e) Issuance to a Representative.--If a person dies before the 
issuance of a prisoner-of-war medal to which the person is entitled, 
the medal may be issued to that person's representative, as designated 
by the President.
    ``(f) Replacement.--Under regulations prescribed by the President, 
a prisoner-of-war medal that is lost, destroyed, or rendered unfit for 
use without fault or neglect on the part of the person to whom it was 
issued may be replaced without charge.
    ``(g) Coordination.--The regulations of the President may include 
provisions for the coordination of this section with section 1128 of 
title 10 in the case of any individual with service justifying the 
issuance of a medal under this section and service justifying the 
issuance of a medal under such section 1128.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The analysis for chapter 45 of title 5, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
                 ``subchapter iv--miscellaneous awards
``4531. Prisoner-of-war medal.''.

SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The amendments made by this Act shall take effect as of April 6, 
1917, and shall apply to persons taken captive on or after that date.
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