I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2947 

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 

MAY 23, 2019 

Mr. CARBAJAL (for himself and Mr. LAMALFA) 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. 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
2 

•HR 2947 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. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans’ Record Re5 construction Act of 2019’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEVELOPMENT OF GUIDELINES FOR USE OF UNOF7 FICIAL SOURCES OF INFORMATION TO DE8 TERMINE ELIGIBILITY OF MEMBERS AND 

9 FORMER MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES 

10 FOR BENEFITS AND DECORATIONS WHEN 

11 THE SERVICE RECORDS ARE INCOMPLETE 

12 BECAUSE OF DAMAGE TO THE OFFICIAL 

13 RECORD. 

14 (a) GUIDELINES REQUIRED.—The Secretary of De15 fense shall develop guidelines regarding the use by the 

16 Secretaries of the military departments and the Secretary 

17 of Veterans Affairs of unofficial sources of information, 

18 including eyewitness statements, to determine the eligi19 bility of a member or former member of the Armed Forces 

20 for benefits and decorations when the service records of 

21 the member are incomplete because of damage to the 

22 records as a result of the 1973 fire at the National Per23 sonnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri, or any sub24 sequent incident while the records were in the possession 

25 of the Department of Defense. 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
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•HR 2947 IH

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

2 prepare the guidelines in consultation with the Secretary 

3 of Veterans Affairs, with respect to veterans benefits 

4 under title 38, United States Code, whose eligibility deter5 minations depend on the use of service records maintained 

6 by the Department of Defense. 

7 (c) TIME FOR COMPLETION.—The Secretary of De8 fense shall complete development of the guidelines not 

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

10 Act. 

Æ 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS