[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 7 (Monday, January 22, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S319]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. INOUYE:
  S. 45. A bill to amend title 5, United States Code, to require the 
issuance of a prisoner-of-war medal to civilian employees of the 
Federal Government who are forcibly detailed or interred by an enemy 
government or a hostile force under wartime conditions; to the 
Committee on Governmental Affairs.


                         Prisoner of War Medal

  Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, all too often we find that our nation's 
civilian employees of our federal government who have been forcibly 
detained or interred by a hostile government do not receive the 
recognition they deserve. My bill would correct this inequity and 
provide a prisoner of war medal for such citizens.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                 S. 45

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

     SECTION 1. PRISONER-OF-WAR MEDAL FOR CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES OF 
                   THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

       (a) Authority To Issue Prisoner-of-War Medal.--(1) Subpart 
     A of part III of title 5, United States Code, is amended by 
     inserting after chapter 23 the following new chapter:

                   ``CHAPTER 25--MISCELLANEOUS AWARDS

``Sec.
``2501. Prisoner-of-war medal: issue.

     ``Sec. 2501. Prisoner-of-war medal: issue

       ``(a) The President shall issue a prisoner-of-war medal to 
     any person who, while serving in any capacity as an officer 
     or employee of the Federal Government, was forcibly detained 
     or interned, not as a result of the willful misconduct of 
     such person--
       ``(1) by an enemy government or its agents, or a hostile 
     force, during a period of war; or
       ``(2) by a foreign government or its agents, or a hostile 
     force, during a period other than a period of war in which 
     such person was held under circumstances that the President 
     finds to have been comparable to the circumstances under 
     which members of the armed forces have generally been 
     forcibly detained or interned by enemy governments during 
     periods of war.
       ``(b) The prisoner-of-war medal shall be of appropriate 
     design, with ribbons and appurtenances.
       ``(c) Not more than one prisoner-of-war medal may be issued 
     to a person under this section or section 1128 of title 10. 
     However, for each succeeding service that would otherwise 
     justify the issuance of such a medal, the President (in the 
     case of service referred to in subsection (a) of this 
     section) or the Secretary concerned (in the case of service 
     referred to in section 1128(a) of title 10) may issue a 
     suitable device to be worn as determined by the President or 
     the Secretary, as the case may be.
       ``(d) For a person to be eligible for issuance of a 
     prisoner-of-war medal, the conduct of the person must have 
     been honorable for the period of captivity that serves as the 
     basis for the issuance.
       ``(e) If a person dies before the issuance of a prisoner-
     of-war medal to which he is entitled, the medal may be issued 
     to the person's representative, as designated by the 
     President.
       ``(f) Under regulations to be 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) In this section, the term `period of war' has the 
     meaning given that term in section 101(11) of title 38.''.
       (2) The table of chapters at the beginning of part III of 
     such title is amended by inserting after the item relating to 
     chapter 23 the following new item:

``25. Miscellaneous Awards..................................2501''.....

       (b) Applicability.--Section 2501 of title 5, United States 
     Code, as added by subsection (a), applies with respect to any 
     person who, after April 5, 1917, is forcibly detained or 
     interned as described in subsection (a) of that section.
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