I 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 705 

To ensure that the victims and victims’ families of the November 5, 2009, 

attack at Fort Hood, Texas, receive the same treatment and benefits 

as those Americans who have been killed or wounded in a combat 

zone overseas and their families. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 14, 2013 

Mr. CARTER (for himself, Mr. MCCAUL, Mr. WOLF, Mr. BURGESS, and Mr. 

FLORES) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight 

and Government Reform, 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 ensure that the victims and victims’ families of the November 5, 2009, attack at Fort Hood, Texas, receive 

the same treatment 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 ‘‘Fort Hood Victims 

5 and Families Benefits Protection Act’’. 


pwalker on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 705 IH

1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

2 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find3 ings: 

4 (1) Fort Hood, Texas, has played a highly 

5 prominent role in the Global War on Terror, deploy6 ing more members of the Armed Forces into over7 seas theaters of combat since September 11, 2001, 

8 than any other United States military installation. 

9 (2) The members of the Armed Forces and 

10 community of Fort Hood have answered the call to 

11 service with honor and distinction, and the post has 

12 paid a steep price, suffering more combat casualties 

13 in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring 

14 Freedom than any other United States military in15 stallation. 

16 (3) In February 2011, the Committee on 

17 Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the 

18 Senate issued a report entitled ‘‘A Ticking Time 

19 Bomb: Counterterrorism Lessons from the U.S. 

20 Government’s Failure to Prevent the Fort Hood At21 tack’’, which stated the following: ‘‘On November 5, 

22 2009, 13 Americans—12 servicemembers and one ci23 vilian employee of DoD—were killed and 32 were 

24 wounded in an attack at the military base at Fort 

25 Hood, Texas. This tragedy was the deadliest terVerDate Mar 15 2010 07:29 Feb 26, 2013 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H705.IH H705

pwalker on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 705 IH

1 rorist attack within the United States since Sep2 tember 11, 2001.’’. 

3 (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con4 gress that— 

5 (1) any member of the Armed Forces or civilian 

6 employee of the Department of Defense who was 

7 killed or wounded in the attack that occurred at 

8 Fort Hood, Texas, on November 5, 2009, and the 

9 family members of those victims, should receive the 

10 same treatment and benefits as the victims and fam11 ilies of victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist 

12 attacks on the United States; and 

13 (2) these Americans have made tremendous 

14 sacrifices, and the United States should provide 

15 them with the maximum level of benefits available, 

16 identical to the level of benefits available to those 

17 who have been killed or wounded in an overseas 

18 combat zone such as Iraq or Afghanistan. 

19 SEC. 3. TREATMENT OF MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES 

20 AND CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES OF THE DEPART21 MENT OF DEFENSE WHO WERE KILLED OR 

22 WOUNDED IN THE NOVEMBER 5, 2009, AT23 TACK AT FORT HOOD, TEXAS. 

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

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


pwalker on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 705 IH

1 Armed Forces or civilian employee of the Department of 

2 Defense who was killed or wounded in the attack that oc3 curred at Fort Hood, Texas, on November 5, 2009, shall 

4 be deemed as follows: 

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

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

7 of an enemy of the United States. 

8 (2) In the case of a civilian employee of the De9 partment of Defense— 

10 (A) to have been killed or wounded while 

11 serving with the Armed Forces in a contingency 

12 operation; and 

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

14 terrorist attack. 

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

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

17 described in that subsection is the result of the willful mis18 conduct of the member. 

Æ 


pwalker on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with BILLS