US Navy SEAL SCPO Tyrone Snowden Woods Ceremony Invitee Act of 2017

To ensure that United States Government personnel, including members of the Armed Forces and contractors, assigned to United States diplomatic missions are given the opportunity to designate next-of-kin for certain purposes in the event of the death of the personnel. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the US Navy SEAL SCPO Tyrone Snowden Woods Ceremony Invitee Act of 2017 2. Invitation of designated next-of-kin to ceremonies honoring United States diplomatic mission personnel who die in service to the United States (a) Definitions In this section: (1) Diplomatic mission The term diplomatic mission (2) Member The term member of a diplomatic mission (3) Memorial service The term memorial service (4) Next-of-kin The term next-of-kin (A) The surviving spouse of the deceased member. (B) The child or children of the deceased member (including stepchildren, adopted children, and illegitimate children). (C) The parent or parents of the deceased member (including a natural parent, a stepparent, a parent of the member by adoption, a parent, stepparent, or adopted parent of the surviving spouse, and any other person who has stood in loco parentis to the member at any time for a continuous period of at least five years before the member became 21 years of age). (D) The sibling or siblings of the deceased member (including stepsiblings and siblings by adoption). (E) The person authorized to direct the disposition of the remains of the deceased member. (b) Policy for Designation of next-of-Kin Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall— (1) proscribe a policy by which a member of a diplomatic mission may designate those next-of-kin who will be invited to, and be entitled to attend, any memorial service held to honor the life of the member of a diplomatic mission in the event of the death of the member in service to the United States; (2) publicize the existence of the policy to each member of a diplomatic mission; and (3) make forms reasonably available to each member of a diplomatic mission by which the designation of such next-of-kin may be made. (c) Consultation The Secretary of State shall carry out this section in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, and the head of any other Federal agency that assign persons to serve as a member of a diplomatic mission. (d) Effect of failure To make designation If a member of a diplomatic mission fails to complete the form described in subsection (b)(3) before the death of the member, the member shall be deemed to have designated all next-of-kin of the member for invitation to any memorial service held to honor the life of the member in the event of the death of the member in service to the United States. (e) Rule of Construction Nothing in this section or the policy required by this section shall be construed to authorize a private cause of action or legal claim against the United States Government, a Department or agency thereof, or any private individual.

Summary: US Navy SEAL SCPO Tyrone Snowden Woods Ceremony Invitee Act of 2017 This bill directs the Department of State to: prescribe a policy by which a member of a diplomatic mission may designate those next-of-kin who will be invited to, and be entitled to attend, any memorial service held to honor the member in the event of his or her death in service to the United States; and publicize such policy and make the appropriate forms available to each member of a diplomatic mission.