II 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1776 

To amend title 10, United States Code, to expand the Operation Hero 

Miles program to include the authority to accept the donation of travel 

benefits in the form of hotel points or awards for free or reducedcost accommodations. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

NOVEMBER 1, 2011 

Mr. CARDIN (for himself, Mr. WICKER, and Mrs. FEINSTEIN) introduced the 

following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 

Armed Services 

A BILL 

To amend title 10, United States Code, to expand the Operation Hero Miles program to include the authority to 

accept the donation of travel benefits in the form of 

hotel points or awards for free or reduced-cost accommodations. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. EXPANSION OF OPERATION HERO MILES. 

4 (a) EXPANDED DEFINITION OF TRAVEL BENEFIT.— 

5 Subsection (b) of section 2613 of title 10, United States 

6 Code, is amended to read as follows: 


pwalker on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•S 1776 IS

1 ‘‘(b) TRAVEL BENEFIT DEFINED.—In this section, 

2 the term ‘travel benefit’ means— 

3 ‘‘(1) frequent traveler miles, credits for tickets, 

4 or tickets for air or surface transportation issued by 

5 an air carrier or a surface carrier, respectively, that 

6 serves the public; and 

7 ‘‘(2) points or awards for free or reduced-cost 

8 accommodations issued by an inn, hotel, or other 

9 commercial establishment that provides lodging to 

10 transient guests.’’. 

11 (b) CONDITION ON AUTHORITY TO ACCEPT DONA12 TION.—Subsection (c) of such section is amended— 

13 (1) by striking ‘‘the air or surface carrier’’ and 

14 inserting ‘‘the business entity referred to in sub15 section (b)’’; 

16 (2) by striking ‘‘the surface carrier’’ and insert17 ing ‘‘the business entity’’; and 

18 (3) by striking ‘‘the carrier’’ and inserting ‘‘the 

19 business entity’’. 

20 (c) USE.—Subsection (d) of such section is amend21 ed— 

22 (1) by striking ‘‘or’’ at the end of paragraph 

23 (1); 

24 (2) by striking the period at the end of para25 graph (2) and inserting a semicolon; and 


pwalker on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•S 1776 IS

1 (3) by adding at the end the following new 

2 paragraphs: 

3 ‘‘(3) providing humanitarian support to mem4 bers and eligible beneficiaries receiving care through 

5 the military health care system; and 

6 ‘‘(4) providing support to allow participation of 

7 members and their families in Department of De8 fense sponsored and authorized programs.’’. 

9 (d) ADMINISTRATION.—Subsection (e)(3) of such 

10 section is amended by striking ‘‘the air carrier or surface 

11 carrier’’ and inserting ‘‘the business entity referred to in 

12 subsection (b)’’. 

13 (e) STYLISTIC AMENDMENTS.— 

14 (1) SECTION HEADING.—The heading of such 

15 section is amended to read as follows: 

16 ‘‘§ 2613. Acceptance of frequent traveler miles, cred17 its, points, and tickets: use to facilitate 

18 rest and recuperation travel of deployed 

19 members and their families, support 

20 members and other beneficiaries of the 

21 military health care system, and support 

22 participation in authorized programs’’. 

23 (2) TABLE OF SECTIONS.—The table of sections 

24 at the beginning of chapter 155 of such title is 


pwalker on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

•S 1776 IS

1 amended by striking the item relating to section 

2 2613 and inserting the following new item: 

‘‘2613. Acceptance of frequent traveler miles, credits, points, and tickets: use 

to facilitate rest and recuperation travel of deployed members 

and their families, support members and other beneficiaries of 

the military health care system, and support participation in 

authorized programs.’’. 

Æ 


pwalker on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with BILLS