I 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3293 

To amend title 10, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Defense 

(and the Secretary of Homeland Security in the case of the Coast 

Guard) to issue, at no cost to the United States, a military service 

identification card to persons who served in the Armed Forces. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 1, 2011 

Mr. BASS of New Hampshire (for himself and Mr. GUINTA) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services 

A BILL 

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

Secretary of Defense (and the Secretary of Homeland 

Security in the case of the Coast Guard) to issue, at 

no cost to the United States, a military service identification card to persons who served in the Armed Forces. 

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

3 SECTION 1. MILITARY SERVICE IDENTIFICATION CARD. 

4 (a) ESTABLISHMENT AND AVAILABILITY.—Chapter 

5 59 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by inserting 

6 after section 1166 the following new section: 


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1 ‘‘§ 1167. Military service identification card: avail2 ability and issuance 

3 ‘‘(a) DESIGN AND AVAILABILITY.—The Secretary of 

4 Defense (and the Secretary of Homeland Security with re5 spect to the Coast Guard) shall design an appropriate 

6 identification card (to be known as the ‘military service 

7 identification card’) to identify and recognize the service 

8 of a member of the armed forces after the retirement or 

9 other separation of the member from the armed forces. 

10 ‘‘(b) CONTENTS.—At a minimum, the military service 

11 identification card shall include the information contained 

12 on the Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active 

13 Duty (DD Form 214). 

14 ‘‘(c) ISSUANCE.—The Secretary concerned shall issue 

15 the military service identification card to an eligible person 

16 upon the request of the person, subject to the payment 

17 of the amount required by subsection (e). In the case of 

18 a member of the armed forces who is being separated from 

19 the armed forces and requests the military service identi20 fication card, the Secretary concerned is encouraged to 

21 provide for issuance of the military service identification 

22 card as part of any ceremony conducted in connection with 

23 the separation of the member to recognize the service of 

24 the member. 

25 ‘‘(d) APPLICATION.—The Secretary of Defense (and 

26 the Secretary of Homeland Security with respect to the 


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1 Coast Guard) shall establish an application process by 

2 which a person can request the military service identifica3 tion card. 

4 ‘‘(e) COST.—Issuance of the military service identi5 fication card to a person is conditioned upon the payment 

6 of an amount sufficient to cover the costs incurred by the 

7 United States to manufacture and issue the military serv8 ice identification card. 

9 ‘‘(f) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary of Defense (and 

10 the Secretary of Homeland Security with respect to the 

11 Coast Guard) shall issue such regulations as may be nec12 essary to carry out this section.’’. 

13 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

14 at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting 

15 after the item relating to section 1166 the following new 

16 item: 

‘‘1167. Military service identification card: availability and issuance.’’. 

17 (c) RETROACTIVE AVAILABILITY.— 

18 (1) AVAILABILITY.—The Secretary of Defense 

19 (and the Secretary of Homeland Security with re20 spect to the Coast Guard) shall make the military 

21 service identification card authorized by section 

22 1167 of title 10, United States Code, as added by 

23 subsection (a), available to retired and former mem24 bers of the Armed Forces who retired or were sepa25 rated before the date of the enactment of this Act. 


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1 (2) NOTICE.—The Secretaries should widely an2 nounce the availability of the military service identi3 fication card through military and public informa4 tion channels. 

5 (3) APPLICATION PROCESS.—The Secretaries 

6 shall provide a mechanism by which a person eligible 

7 under paragraph (1) may apply for the military 

8 service identification card. 

9 (4) COST AND ISSUANCE.—Subsection (e) of 

10 section 1167 of title 10, United States Code, shall 

11 apply with respect to the issuance of the military 

12 service identification card under this subsection. 

Æ 


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