[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 98 (Wednesday, June 12, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3389-S3390]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 283. Mr. VAN HOLLEN (for himself and Mr. Blunt) submitted an
amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 1790, to
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2020 for military activities
of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for
defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military
personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which
was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the end of subtitle G of title V, add the following:
SEC. 589. REVIEW ON AWARD OF THE MEDAL OF HONOR TO CERTAIN
WORLD WAR I VETERANS.
(a) Review Required.--Each Secretary concerned shall review
the service records of each World War I veteran described in
subsection (b) under the jurisdiction of such Secretary who
is recommended for such review by the Valor Medals Review
Task Force referred to in subsection (c), or another veterans
service organization, in order to determine whether such
veteran should be awarded the Medal of Honor for valor during
World War I.
(b) Covered World War I Veterans.--The World War I veterans
whose service records are to be reviewed under subsection (a)
are the following:
(1) Any African American war veteran, Asian American war
veteran, Hispanic American war veteran, Jewish American war
veteran, or Native American war veteran who was awarded the
Distinguished Service Cross or the Navy Cross for an action
that occurred between April 6, 1917, and November 11, 1918.
(2) Any African American war veteran, Asian American war
veteran, Hispanic American war veteran, Jewish American war
veteran, or Native American war veteran who was awarded the
Croix de Guerre with Palm (that is, awarded at the Army level
or above) by the Government of France for an action that
occurred between April 6, 1917, and November 11, 1918.
(3) Any African American war veteran, Asian American war
veteran, Hispanic American war veteran, Jewish American war
veteran, or Native American war veteran who was recommended
for a Medal of Honor for an action that occurred from April
6, 1917, to November 11, 1918.
(c) Consultations.--In carrying out the review under
subsection (a), each Secretary concerned shall consult at
least once each fiscal year quarter with the Valor Medals
Review Task Force, jointly established by the United States
Foundation for the Commemoration of the World Wars (in
consultation with the United States World War One Centennial
Commission) and the George S. Robb Centre for the Study of
the Great War, and with such other veterans service
organizations as such Secretary considers appropriate, until
the conclusion of the review.
(d) Recommendation Based on Review.--If a Secretary
concerned determines, based upon the review under subsection
(a), that the award of the Medal of Honor to a covered World
War I veteran is warranted, such 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.--The Medal of Honor
may be awarded to a World War I veteran in accordance with a
recommendation of a Secretary concerned under subsection (d).
(f) Waiver of Time Limitations.--An award of the Medal of
Honor may be made under subsection (e) without regard to--
(1) section 7274 or 8298 of title 10, United States Code,
as applicable; and
(2) any regulation or other administrative restriction on--
[[Page S3390]]
(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 or Navy Cross has been
awarded.
(g) Definitions.--
(1) In general.--In this section:
(A) The term ``Secretary concerned'' means--
(i) the Secretary of the Army, in the case of members of
the Armed Forces who served in the Army between April 6,
1917, and November 11, 1918; and
(ii) the Secretary of the Navy, in the case of members of
the Armed Forces who served in the Navy or the Marine Corps
between April 6, 1917, and November 11, 1918.
(B) The term ``African American war veteran'' means any
person who served in the United States Armed Forces between
April 6, 1917, and November 11, 1918, and who identified
himself as of African descent on his military personnel
records.
(C) The term ``Asian American war veteran'' means any
person who served in the United States Armed Forces between
April 6, 1917, and November 11, 1918, and who identified
himself racially, nationally, or ethnically as originating
from a country in Asia on his military personnel records.
(D) The term ``Hispanic American war veteran'' means any
person who served in the United States Armed Forces between
April 6, 1917, and November 11, 1918, and who identified
himself racially, nationally, or ethnically as originating
from a country where Spanish is an official language on his
military personnel records.
(E) The term ``Jewish American war veteran'' mean any
person who served in the United States Armed Forces between
April 6, 1917, and November 11, 1918, and who identified
himself as Jewish on his military personnel records.
(F) The term ``Native American war veteran'' means any
person who served in the United States Armed Forces between
April 6, 1917, and November 11, 1918, and who identified
himself as a member of a federally recognized tribe within
the modern territory of the United States on his military
personnel records.
(2) Application of definitions of origin.--If the military
personnel records of a person do not reflect the person's
membership in one of the groups identified in subparagraphs
(B) through (F) of paragraph (1) but historical evidence
exists that demonstrates the person's Jewish faith held at
the time of service, or that the person identified himself as
of African, Asian, Hispanic, or Native American descent, the
person may be treated as being a member of the applicable
group by the Secretary concerned (in consultation with the
organizations referred to in subsection (c)) for purposes of
this section.
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