I 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4791 

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

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

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

zone overseas and their families. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 9, 2010 

Mr. CARTER 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, benefits, and honors 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’’. 


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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 the wake of the brutal September 11, 

17 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States, the 

18 Federal Government set a historical precedent when 

19 it awarded the victims of those attacks who were 

20 members of the Armed Forces with the Purple 

21 Heart medal and the victims of those attacks who 

22 were civilian employees of the Department of De23 fense with the Secretary of Defense Medal for the 

24 Defense of Freedom. 


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1 (4) In the aftermath of the attack that occurred 

2 at Fort Hood, Texas, on November 5, 2009, this 

3 precedent should be followed. 

4 (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con5 gress that— 

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

7 employee of the Department of Defense who was 

8 killed or wounded in the attack that occurred at 

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

10 family members of those victims, should receive the 

11 same treatment and benefits as the victims and fam12 ilies of victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist 

13 attacks on the United States; 

14 (2) these Americans have made tremendous 

15 sacrifices, and the United States should provide 

16 them with the maximum level of benefits available, 

17 identical to the level of benefits available to those 

18 who have been killed or wounded in an overseas 

19 combat zone such as Iraq or Afghanistan; and 

20 (3) the Department of Defense should duly 

21 honor the Americans who were killed or injured in 

22 the attack at Fort Hood with awards that serve to 

23 recognize their physical sacrifices, including the Pur24 ple Heart Medal for members of the Armed Forces 

25 and the Secretary of Defense Medal for the Defense 


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1 of Freedom for civilian employees of the Department 

2 of Defense. 

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

4 AND CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES OF THE DEPART5 MENT OF DEFENSE WHO WERE KILLED OR 

6 WOUNDED IN THE NOVEMBER 5, 2009, AT7 TACK AT FORT HOOD, TEXAS. 

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

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

10 Armed Forces or civilian employee of the Department of 

11 Defense who was killed or wounded in the attack that oc12 curred at Fort Hood, Texas, on November 5, 2009, shall 

13 be deemed as follows: 

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

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

16 of an enemy of the United States. 

17 (2) In the case of a civilian employee of the De18 partment of Defense— 

19 (A) to have been killed or wounded while 

20 serving with the Armed Forces in a contingency 

21 operation; and 

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

23 terrorist attack. 

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

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


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1 described in that subsection is the result of the willful mis2 conduct of the member. 

Æ 


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