    [United States Statutes at Large, Volume 133, 116th Congress, 1st Session]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    Public Law 116-35
    116th Congress

    An Act

    To amend title 36, United States Code, to authorize The American Legion
    to determine the requirements for membership in The American Legion, and
    for other purposes. <>

    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 ``Let Everyone Get Involved in
    Opportunities for National Service Act'' or the ``LEGION Act''.
    SEC. 2. <>  FINDINGS AND SENSE OF
    CONGRESS.

    (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
    (1) Since the end of World War II, the Federal Government
    has designated specific periods of war, the dates of which are
    important for qualification for certain benefits or membership
    in veterans organizations established by Congress.
    (2) In between those recognized periods of war, during so-
    called peacetime eras, the United States military has been
    involved in not fewer than 12 known eras, which are unrecognized
    by the United States Government as periods of war, resulting in
    numerous United States personnel combat casualties.
    (3) Those 12 unrecognized war eras occurred at the direction
    of the then President of the United States, with full knowledge
    and consent of the then Congress.
    (4) The first of those 12 unrecognized war eras involving
    active United States military personnel was the Greek Civil War,
    fought in Greece from 1946 to 1949 between the army of the
    Government of Greece, supported by active military personal of
    the United States and the United Kingdom, and the Democratic
    Army of Greece, the military branch of the Communist Party of
    Greece.
    (5) During the Greek Civil War, one member of the Armed
    Forces of the United States sacrificed his life in service to
    the United States, and five others suffered non-combat deaths.
    (6) The second of those unrecognized war eras involving
    active United States military personnel was the Chinese Civil
    War, which occurred during the aftermath of World War II.
    (7) During the Chinese Civil War, the United States military
    equipped, trained, transported, and supplied the Kuomintang-led
    Government of the Republic of China with approximately
    $4,430,000,000 in its resistance to the Communist Party of
    China.

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    (8) During the Chinese Civil War, 14 members of the Armed
    Forces of the United States sacrificed their lives in service to
    the United States, 150 non-combatants of the United States lost
    their lives in the war, and 51 were wounded, resulting in 215
    United States military casualties.
    (9) The third unrecognized war era involving active United
    States military personnel is known as the Cold War.
    (10) The Cold War was a period spanning from approximately
    1947 until 1991 when the Soviet Union collapsed.
    (11) Although no direct large-scale military fighting
    occurred between the militaries of the United States and the
    Soviet Union, active United States military personnel served in
    multiple regional conflicts during the Cold War, resulting in
    the deaths of not fewer than 32 members of the Armed Forces who
    sacrificed their lives in service to the United States and not
    fewer than 12 additional casualties.
    (12) The fourth unrecognized war era involving active United
    States military personnel is known as the China Cold War.
    (13) The China Cold War started when the Kuomintang-led
    Government of the Republic of China retreated to the island of
    Taiwan and lasted until 1972, after President Richard Nixon
    conducted a landmark state visit to China.
    (14) During the military operations of the China Cold War,
    not fewer than 16 members of the Armed Forces of the United
    States sacrificed their lives in service to the United States.
    (15) The fifth unrecognized war era involving active United
    States military personnel was the Lebanon Crisis of 1958, which
    involved more than 14,000 United States personnel and resulted
    in the death of one member of the Armed Forces who sacrificed
    his life in service to the United States and five non-combat
    deaths.
    (16) The sixth unrecognized war era involving active United
    States military personnel was the Bay of Pigs invasion in April
    1961.
    (17) The Bay of Pigs invasion was a failed military invasion
    of Cuba undertaken by a United States military group sponsored
    by the Central Intelligence Agency that resulted in not fewer
    than one death of a member of the Armed Forces who sacrificed
    his life in service to the United States and 19 non-combat
    deaths.
    (18) The seventh unrecognized war era involving active
    United States military personnel was the Cuban Missile Crisis,
    which took place between October 16 and October 28, 1962.
    (19) The Cuban Missile Crisis directly related to homeland
    protection against the deployment of a Soviet ballistic missile
    in Cuba.
    (20) During the Cuban Missile Crisis, one member of the
    Armed Forces sacrificed his life in service to the United States
    and 19 others died as non-combatants.
    (21) The eighth unrecognized war era involving active United
    States military personnel was the Dominican Civil War in 1965.
    (22) Operations during the Dominican Civil War resulted in
    the deaths of 27 members of the Armed Forces who sacrificed
    their lives in service to the United States, 20 non-combat-
    related deaths, and 283 wounded.

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    (23) The ninth unrecognized war era involving active United
    States military personnel was the Iran Hostage Crisis, which
    lasted from November 4, 1979, through January 20, 1981.
    (24) The Iran Hostage Crisis involved military intervention
    by the United States which resulted in the deaths of 8 members
    of the Armed Forces who sacrificed their lives in service to
    United States.
    (25) The tenth unrecognized war era involving active United
    States military personnel was the Salvadoran Civil War.
    (26) The Salvadoran Civil War lasted more than 12 years,
    through the terms of two Presidential administrations of the
    United States, and resulted in the deaths of 22 members of the
    Armed Forces who sacrificed their lives in service to the United
    States, 15 non-combat deaths, and 35 other casualties.
    (27) The 11th unrecognized war era involving active United
    States military personnel started on April 5, 1986, when the La
    Belle discotheque in West Berlin, Germany, was bombed, killing
    two United States soldiers and wounding 79 other members of the
    Armed Forces, which triggered what became known as the Libyan
    Conflict.
    (28) The military operations of the Libyan Conflict included
    numerous air strikes by United States military forces and
    resulted in the deaths of two members of the Armed Forces who
    sacrificed their lives in service to the United States.
    (29) The Libyan Conflict led to the 12th unrecognized war
    era involving active United States military personnel, known
    collectively as the Persian Gulf Conflicts, which lasted from
    July 24, 1987, through September 26, 1988.
    (30) The Persian Gulf Conflicts involved United States
    military missions to protect Kuwaiti-owned oil tankers which
    represented the largest United States naval convoy operation
    since World War II.
    (31) The Persian Gulf Conflicts resulted in numerous
    military operations and the deaths of not fewer than 39 members
    of the Armed Forces who sacrificed their lives in service to the
    United States and 31 wounded.
    (32) Since the armistice that ended the hostilities of the
    Korean War on January 31, 1955, nearly 100 active United States
    military personnel have sacrificed their lives in service to the
    United States in South Korea, and more than 132 people of the
    United States have been wounded in-country.
    (33) Since January 1, 1947, through all of the unrecognized
    war eras involving active United States military personnel, not
    fewer than 778 combat and non-combat members of the Armed Forces
    have sacrificed their lives in service to the United States and
    not fewer than 797 have been wounded.
    (34) Since January 1, 1947, the unrecognized war eras
    involving active United States military personnel who were
    wounded and killed serving their country were administered under
    orders from the commander in chief and with the consent of
    Congress, proving that the United States has been conducting
    deadly wartime service to protect the country consistently since
    December 7, 1941.
    (35) Eligibility for membership in The American Legion is
    determined by Congress through the establishment of specific

    [[Page 1046]]

    dates of declared and officially recognized hostilities in which
    United States military personnel are on active service.
    (36) The American Legion provides invaluable services to its
    members and supports the community of veterans who sacrificed in
    service of the United States.
    (37) Membership in The American Legion allows veterans to
    engage in public service activities, such as supporting Boys and
    Girls State and Nation, youth mentorship programs, and benefit
    assistance, career fairs, and employment assistance for
    veterans.
    (38) The American Legion has gone on record as supporting
    the 12 unrecognized war eras involving active United States
    military personnel since the beginning of World War II.
    (39) The American Legion has aided, assisted, and comforted
    the families of the men and women who were called to serve or
    volunteered to serve during all of the unrecognized war eras and
    continues to provide support to veterans of those eras.
    (40) The American Legion has commended the heroic actions of
    all military personnel who risked their lives in defense of
    freedom during each of the unrecognized war eras involving
    active United States military personnel.

    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that, in
    accordance with the history, tradition, and purposes of The American
    Legion, it is fair, proper, and reasonable that the privilege of
    membership in The American Legion should be extended to all military
    personnel who served on active military duty during all of the
    unrecognized war eras involving active United States military personnel.
    SEC. 3. ELIGIBILITY FOR MEMBERSHIP IN THE AMERICAN LEGION.

    Section 21703 of title 36, United States Code, is amended--
    (1) in paragraph (1)--
    (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``during any
    period from--'' and all that follows through the end of
    clause (vii) and inserting the following: ``during--
    ``(i) the period from April 6, 1917, through
    November 11, 1918; or
    ``(ii) any time after December 7, 1941; or'';
    and
    (B) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ``or time''
    after ``a period''; and
    (2) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``or time'' after ``that
    period''.
    SEC. 4. NONDISCRIMINATION WITH RESPECT TO THE REQUIREMENTS FOR
    HOLDING A STAFF POSITION IN THE AMERICAN
    LEGION.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 217 of title 36, United States Code, is
    amended by inserting after section 21704 the following new section:
    ``Sec. 21704A. <>  Nondiscrimination

    ``The requirements for holding a staff position in the corporation
    may not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or
    national origin.''.

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    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of
    such chapter <>  is amended by inserting after
    the item relating to section 21704 the following new item:

    ``21704A. Nondiscrimination.''.

    Approved July 30, 2019.

    LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--S. 504:
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    CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 165 (2019):
    June 11, considered and passed Senate.
    July 23, considered and passed House.