[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 157 (Wednesday, September 28, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S5399]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 5938. Mr. PORTMAN (for himself and Mr. Brown) submitted an 
amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 5499 submitted by Mr. 
Reed (for himself and Mr. Inhofe) and intended to be proposed to the 
bill H.R. 7900, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2023 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 D of title VI, add the following:

     SEC. 632. PAYMENT OF EXPENSES AND CLAIMS RELATING TO THE 
                   RETURN OF PERSONAL EFFECTS OF A DECEASED MEMBER 
                   OF THE ARMED FORCES.

       Section 1482(a) of title 10, United States Code, is amended 
     by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
       ``(11)(A) Delivery of personal effects of a decedent to the 
     next of kin or other appropriate person.
       ``(B) If the Secretary concerned enters into an agreement 
     with an entity to carry out subparagraph (A), the Secretary 
     concerned shall pursue a claim against such entity that 
     arises from the failure of such entity to substantially 
     perform such subparagraph.
       ``(C) If an entity described in subparagraph (B) fails to 
     substantially perform subparagraph (A) by damaging, losing, 
     or destroying the personal effects of a decedent, the 
     Secretary concerned shall reimburse the person designated 
     under subsection (c) the greater of $1,000 or the fair market 
     value of such damage, loss, or destruction. The Secretary 
     concerned may request, from the person designated under 
     subsection (c), proof of fair market value and ownership of 
     the personal effects.''.
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