A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for a Korea Defense Service Medal to be issued to members of the Armed Forces who participated in operations in Korea after the end of the Korean War.

Summary: Korea Defense Service Medal Act - Directs the Secretary of the military department concerned to issue a campaign medal, to be known as the Korea Defense Service Medal, to each member who served in the Republic of Korea or its adjacent waters after July 27, 1954.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Korea Defense Service Medal Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) More than 40,000 members of the United States Armed 
        Forces have served on the Korean Peninsula each year since the 
        signing of the cease-fire agreement in July 1953 ending the 
        Korean War.
            (2) An estimated 1,200 members of the United States Armed 
        Forces died as a direct result of their service in Korea since 
        the cease-fire agreement in July 1953.

SEC. 3. KOREA DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL.

    (a) Army.--(1) Chapter 357 of title 10, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 3754. Korea Defense Service Medal
    ``(a) The Secretary of the Army shall issue a campaign medal, to be 
known as the Korea Defense Service Medal, to each person who while a 
member of the Army served in the Republic of Korea or the waters 
adjacent thereto during the KDSM eligibility period and met the service 
requirements for the award of that medal prescribed under subsection 
(c).
    ``(b) In this section, the term `KDSM eligibility period' means the 
period beginning on July 28, 1954, and ending on such date after the 
date of the enactment of this section as may be determined by the 
Secretary of Defense to be appropriate for terminating eligibility for 
the Korea Defense Service Medal.
    ``(c) The Secretary of the Army shall prescribe service 
requirements for eligibility for the Korea Defense Service Medal. Those 
requirements shall not be more stringent than the service requirements 
for award of the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for instances in 
which the award of that medal is authorized.''.
    (2) The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is 
amended by adding at the end the following new item:

``3754. Korea Defense Service Medal.''.
    (b) Navy and Marine Corps.--(1) Chapter 567 of title 10, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 6256. Korea Defense Service Medal
    ``(a) The Secretary of the Navy shall issue a campaign medal, to be 
known as the Korea Defense Service Medal, to each person who while a 
member of the Navy or Marine Corps served in the Republic of Korea or 
the waters adjacent thereto during the KDSM eligibility period and met 
the service requirements for the award of that medal prescribed under 
subsection (c).
    ``(b) In this section, the term `KDSM eligibility period' means the 
period beginning on July 28, 1954, and ending on such date after the 
date of the enactment of this section as may be determined by the 
Secretary of Defense to be appropriate for terminating eligibility for 
the Korea Defense Service Medal.
    ``(c) The Secretary of the Navy shall prescribe service 
requirements for eligibility for the Korea Defense Service Medal. Those 
requirements shall not be more stringent than the service requirements 
for award of the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for instances in 
which the award of that medal is authorized.''.
    (2) The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is 
amended by adding at the end the following new item:

``6256. Korea Defense Service Medal.''.
    (c) Air Force.--(1) Chapter 857 of title 10, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 8754. Korea Defense Service Medal
    ``(a) The Secretary of the Air Force shall issue a campaign medal, 
to be known as the Korea Defense Service Medal, to each person who 
while a member of the Air Force served in the Republic of Korea or the 
waters adjacent thereto during the KDSM eligibility period and met the 
service requirements for the award of that medal prescribed under 
subsection (c).
    ``(b) In this section, the term `KDSM eligibility period' means the 
period beginning on July 28, 1954, and ending on such date after the 
date of the enactment of this section as may be determined by the 
Secretary of Defense to be appropriate for terminating eligibility for 
the Korea Defense Service Medal.
    ``(c) The Secretary of the Air Force shall prescribe service 
requirements for eligibility for the Korea Defense Service Medal. Those 
requirements shall not be more stringent than the service requirements 
for award of the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for instances in 
which the award of that medal is authorized.''.
    (2) The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is 
amended by adding at the end the following new item:

``8754. Korea Defense Service Medal.''.
    (d) Award for Service Before Date of Enactment.--The Secretary of 
the military department concerned shall take appropriate steps to 
provide in a timely manner for the issuance of the Korea Defense 
Service Medal, upon application therefor, to persons whose eligibility 
for that medal is by reason of service in the Republic of Korea or the 
waters adjacent thereto before the date of the enactment of this Act.