I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 6406 

To amend title 10, United States Code, to establish the Last Servicemember 

Standing Medal. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 14, 2023 

Ms. KAPTUR (for herself and Mr. CARTER of Texas) introduced the following 

bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services 

A BILL 

To amend title 10, United States Code, to establish the 

Last Servicemember Standing Medal. 

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 ‘‘Last Servicemember 

5 Standing Medal Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION FOR LAST SERVICEMEMBER 

7 STANDING MEDAL. 

8 (a) AUTHORIZATION.—Chapter 57 of title 10, United 

9 States Code, is amended— 


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1 (1) by redesignating sections 1135 and 1136 as 

2 sections 1136 and section 1137, respectively; and 

3 (2) by inserting after section 1134 the following 

4 new section: 

5 ‘‘§ 1135. Last Servicemember Standing medal 

6 ‘‘(a) MEDAL AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary con7 cerned may issue a service medal, to be known as the ‘Last 

8 Servicemember Standing medal’, to persons eligible under 

9 subsection (c). 

10 ‘‘(b) DESIGN.—The Last Servicemember Standing 

11 medal shall be of an appropriate design approved by the 

12 Secretary of Defense, with ribbons, lapel pins, and other 

13 appurtenances. 

14 ‘‘(c) ELIGIBLE PERSONS.—Subject to subsection (d), 

15 a person eligible to be issued the Last Servicemember 

16 Standing medal is any member who— 

17 ‘‘(1) served on active duty; 

18 ‘‘(2) was deployed during war or overseas con19 tingency operation; 

20 ‘‘(3) as a result of a combat instance during 

21 such war or overseas contingency, was the last sur22 viving member of a unit; 

23 ‘‘(4) demonstrated extraordinary heroism in de24 fense of the United States during such combat in25 stance; and 


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1 ‘‘(5) whose character is recommended for rec2 ognition by their commanding officer and at least 

3 two peers. 

4 ‘‘(d) ONE MEDAL AUTHORIZED.—Not more than one 

5 Last Servicemember Standing medal may be issued to any 

6 person. 

7 ‘‘(e) ISSUANCE TO NEXT-OF-KIN.—If a person de8 scribed in subsection (c) is deceased, the Secretary con9 cerned may provide for issuance of the Last Servicemem10 ber Standing medal to the next-of-kin of the person. 

11 ‘‘(f) REGULATIONS.—The issuance of a Last Service12 member Standing medal shall be subject to such regula13 tions as the Secretaries concerned shall prescribe for pur14 poses of this section. The Secretary of Defense shall en15 sure that any regulations prescribed under this subsection 

16 are uniform to the extent practicable.’’. 

17 (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con18 gress that the Secretary of Defense should take appro19 priate actions to expedite— 

20 (1) the design of the Last Servicemember 

21 Standing medal provided for by section 1136 of title 

22 10, United States Code, as added by subsection (a); 

23 and 

24 (2) the establishment and implementation of 

25 mechanisms to facilitate the issuance of the Last 


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1 Servicemember Standing Medal to persons eligible 

2 for the issuance of the medal under such section. 

Æ 


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