I 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3397 

To require the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary 

of Veterans Affairs, to develop guidelines regarding the use by the 

Secretaries of the military departments and the Secretary of Veterans 

Affairs of unofficial sources of information to determine the eligibility 

of a member or former member of the Armed Forces for benefits and 

decorations when the member’s service records are incomplete because 

of damage to the records, including records damaged by a 1973 fire 

at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 30, 2013 

Mrs. CAPPS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each 

case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of 

the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with 

the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, to develop guidelines 

regarding the use by the Secretaries of the military departments and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs of unofficial sources of information to determine the eligibility 

of a member or former member of the Armed Forces 

for benefits and decorations when the member’s service 

records are incomplete because of damage to the records, 

including records damaged by a 1973 fire at the National 

Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri. 


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2 

•HR 3397 IH

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

3 SECTION 1. DEVELOPMENT OF GUIDELINES FOR USE OF 

4 UNOFFICIAL SOURCES OF INFORMATION TO 

5 DETERMINE ELIGIBILITY OF MEMBERS AND 

6 FORMER MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES 

7 FOR BENEFITS AND DECORATIONS WHEN 

8 THE SERVICE RECORDS ARE INCOMPLETE 

9 BECAUSE OF DAMAGE TO THE OFFICIAL 

10 RECORD. 

11 (a) GUIDELINES REQUIRED.—The Secretary of De12 fense shall develop guidelines regarding the use by the 

13 Secretaries of the military departments and the Secretary 

14 of Veterans Affairs of unofficial sources of information, 

15 including eyewitness statements, to determine the eligi16 bility of a member or former member of the Armed Forces 

17 for benefits and decorations when the service records of 

18 the member are incomplete because of damage to the 

19 records as a result of the 1973 fire at the National Per20 sonnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri, or any sub21 sequent incident while the records were in the possession 

22 of the Department of Defense. 

23 (b) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary of Defense shall 

24 prepare the guidelines in consultation with the Secretary 

25 of Veterans Affairs, with respect to veterans benefits 


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•HR 3397 IH

1 under title 38, United States Code, whose eligibility deter2 minations depend on the use of service records maintained 

3 by the Department of Defense. 

4 (c) TIME FOR COMPLETION.—The Secretary of De5 fense shall complete development of the guidelines not 

6 later than one year after the date of the enactment of this 

7 Act. 

Æ 


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