[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 117 (Thursday, June 25, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S3378]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 1849. Mr. VAN HOLLEN (for himself and Mr. Cardin) submitted an 
amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 4049, to 
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2021 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 C of title VI, add the following:

     SEC. ___. RELIEF OF RICHARD W. COLLINS III.

       (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) On May 20, 2017, Lieutenant Richard W. Collins III was 
     murdered on the campus of the University of Maryland, College 
     Park, Maryland.
       (2) At the time of his murder, Lieutenant Collins had 
     graduated from the Reserve Officers' Training Corps at Bowie 
     State University and received a commission in the United 
     States Army.
       (3) At the time of the murder of Lieutenant Collins, a 
     graduate of a Reserve Officers' Training Corps who received a 
     commission but died before receiving a first duty assignment 
     was not eligible for a death gratuity under section 
     1475(a)(4) of title 10, United States Code, or for casualty 
     assistance under section 633 of the National Defense 
     Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 (10 U.S.C. 1475 note).
       (4) Section 623 of the National Defense Authorization Act 
     for Fiscal Year 2020 (Public Law 116-92) amended section 1475 
     of title 10, United States Code, to authorize the payment of 
     a death gratuity to a graduate of the Senior Reserve 
     Officers' Training Corps (SROTC) who receives a commission 
     but dies before receiving a first duty assignment.
       (5) Section 625 of the National Defense Authorization Act 
     for Fiscal Year 2020 authorizes the families of Senior 
     Reserve Officers' Training Corps graduates to receive 
     casualty assistance in the event of the death of such 
     graduates.
       (6) Sections 623 and 625 of the National Defense 
     Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 apply only to a Senior 
     Reserve Officers' Training Corps graduate who receives a 
     commission but dies before receiving a first duty assignment 
     on or after the date of the enactment of that Act.
       (7) The death of Lieutenant Collins played a critical role 
     in changing the eligibility criteria for the death gratuity 
     for Senior Reserve Officers' Training Corps graduates who die 
     prior to their first assignment.
       (b) Applicability of Laws.--
       (1) Death gratuity.--Section 623 of the National Defense 
     Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (Public Law 116-92), 
     and the amendment made by that section, shall apply to 
     Lieutenant Richard W. Collins III as if his death had 
     occurred after the date of the enactment of that section.
       (2) Casualty assistance.--Section 625 of the National 
     Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020, and the 
     amendment made by that section, shall apply to Lieutenant 
     Richard W. Collins III as if his death had occurred after the 
     date of the enactment of that section.
       (c) Limitation.--No amount exceeding 10 percent of a 
     payment made under subsection (b)(1) may be paid to or 
     received by any attorney or agent for services rendered in 
     connection with the payment. Any person who violates this 
     subsection shall be guilty of an infraction and shall be 
     subject to a fine in the amount provided under title 18, 
     United States Code.
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