II 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1500 

To declare the November 5, 2009, attack at Fort Hood, Texas, a terrorist 

attack, and to ensure that the victims of the attack and their families 

receive the same honors and benefits as those Americans who have 

been killed or wounded in a combat zone overseas and their families. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 12, 2013 

Mr. CORNYN (for himself, Ms. COLLINS, Mr. CRUZ, Mr. MORAN, and Ms. 

AYOTTE) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Armed Services 

A BILL 

To declare the November 5, 2009, attack at Fort Hood, 

Texas, a terrorist attack, and to ensure that the victims 

of the attack and their families receive the same honors 

and benefits as those Americans who have been killed 

or wounded in a combat zone overseas and their families. 

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

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Honoring the Fort 

5 Hood Heroes Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DECLARATIONS OF POLICY. 

7 Congress makes the following declarations of policy: 


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1 (1) The November 5, 2009, attack at Fort 

2 Hood, Texas constituted an act of terrorism, not 

3 merely workplace violence. 

4 (2) The United States Government has a fun5 damental duty to our military service members to 

6 safeguard them against avoidable harm in the course 

7 of their service, and the attack on Fort Hood could 

8 and should have been prevented. 

9 (3) Nidal Hasan, the perpetrator of the attack, 

10 had become radicalized while serving in the United 

11 States Army and was principally motivated to carry 

12 out the attack by an ideology of violent Islamist ex13 tremism. 

14 (4) Through his actions that day, Nidal Hasan 

15 proved himself to be not just a terrorist, but also a 

16 traitor and an enemy of the United States. 

17 SEC. 3. AWARDS REQUIRED. 

18 (a) PURPLE HEART.—The Secretary of the military 

19 department concerned shall award the Purple Heart to the 

20 members of the Armed Forces who were killed or wounded 

21 in the attack that occurred at Fort Hood, Texas, on No22 vember 5, 2009. 

23 (b) SECRETARY OF DEFENSE MEDAL FOR THE DE24 FENSE OF FREEDOM.—The Secretary of Defense shall 

25 award the Secretary of Defense Medal for the Defense of 


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1 Freedom to civilian employees of the Department of De2 fense and civilian contractors who were killed or wounded 

3 in the attack that occurred at Fort Hood, Texas, on No4 vember 5, 2009. 

5 SEC. 4. BENEFITS FOR MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES 

6 AND CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES OF THE DEPART7 MENT OF DEFENSE WHO WERE KILLED OR 

8 WOUNDED IN THE NOVEMBER 5, 2009, AT9 TACK AT FORT HOOD, TEXAS. 

10 (a) TREATMENT.—For purposes of all applicable 

11 Federal laws, regulations, and policies, a member of the 

12 Armed Forces or civilian employee of the Department of 

13 Defense who was killed or wounded in the attack that oc14 curred at Fort Hood, Texas, on November 5, 2009, shall 

15 be deemed, effective as of such date, as follows: 

16 (1) In the case of a member, to have been killed 

17 or wounded in a combat zone as the result of an act 

18 of an enemy of the United States. 

19 (2) In the case of a civilian employee of the De20 partment of Defense— 

21 (A) to have been killed or wounded by hos22 tile action while serving with the Armed Forces 

23 in a contingency operation; and 

24 (B) to have been killed or wounded in a 

25 terrorist attack. 


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1 (b) EXCEPTION.—Subsection (a) shall not apply to 

2 a member of the Armed Forces whose death or wound as 

3 described in that subsection is the result of the willful mis4 conduct of the member. 

5 (c) COVERAGE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL INJURIES.—Sub6 section (a) applies to members of the Armed Forces and 

7 civilian employees of the Department of Defense suffering 

8 from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or other 

9 psychological injuries as a result of the attack that oc10 curred at Fort Hood, Texas, on November 5, 2009. 

Æ 


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