I 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 625 
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 
FEBRUARY 10, 2011 
Mr. CARTER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee 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 with-
in the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To ensure that the victims and victims’ families of the No-
vember 5, 2009, attack at Fort Hood, Texas, receive 
the same treatment, benefits, and honors as those Ameri-
cans who have been killed or wounded in a combat zone 
overseas and their families. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Fort Hood Victims 
and Families Benefits Protection Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find-
ings: 
(1) Fort Hood, Texas, has played a highly 
prominent role in the Global War on Terror, deploy-
ing more members of the Armed Forces into over-
seas theaters of combat since September 11, 2001, 
than any other United States military installation. 
(2) The members of the Armed Forces and 
community of Fort Hood have answered the call to 
service with honor and distinction, and the post has 
paid a steep price, suffering more combat casualties 
in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring 
Freedom than any other United States military in-
stallation. 
(3) In February 2011, the Committee on 
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the 
Senate issued a report entitled ‘‘A Ticking Time 
Bomb: Counterterrorism Lessons from the U.S. 
Government’s Failure to Prevent the Fort Hood At-
tack’’, which stated the following: ‘‘On November 5, 
2009, 13 Americans – 12 servicemembers and one 
civilian employee of DoD – were killed and 32 were 
wounded in an attack at the military base at Fort 
Hood, Texas. This tragedy was the deadliest ter-
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rorist attack within the United States since Sep-
tember 11, 2001.’’. 
(4) In the wake of the brutal September 11, 
2001, terrorist attacks on the United States, the 
Federal Government set a historical precedent when 
it awarded the victims of those attacks who were 
members of the Armed Forces with the Purple 
Heart medal and the victims of those attacks who 
were civilian employees of the Department of De-
fense with the Secretary of Defense Medal for the 
Defense of Freedom. 
(5) In the aftermath of the attack that occurred 
at Fort Hood, Texas, on November 5, 2009, this 
precedent should be followed in accordance with cur-
rent criteria for awarding the Purple Heart, as es-
tablished in Executive Order No. 11016, and the 
Secretary of Defense Medal for the Defense of Free-
dom. 
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that— 
(1) any member of the Armed Forces or civilian 
employee of the Department of Defense who was 
killed or wounded in the attack that occurred at 
Fort Hood, Texas, on November 5, 2009, and the 
family members of those victims, should receive the 
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same treatment and benefits as the victims and fam-
ilies of victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist 
attacks on the United States; 
(2) these Americans have made tremendous 
sacrifices, and the United States should provide 
them with the maximum level of benefits available, 
identical to the level of benefits available to those 
who have been killed or wounded in an overseas 
combat zone such as Iraq or Afghanistan; and 
(3) the Department of Defense should duly 
honor the Americans who were killed or injured in 
the attack at Fort Hood with awards that serve to 
recognize their physical sacrifices, including the Pur-
ple Heart Medal for members of the Armed Forces 
and the Secretary of Defense Medal for the Defense 
of Freedom for civilian employees of the Department 
of Defense. 
SEC. 3. TREATMENT OF MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES 
AND CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES OF THE DEPART-
MENT OF DEFENSE WHO WERE KILLED OR 
WOUNDED IN THE NOVEMBER 5, 2009, AT-
TACK AT FORT HOOD, TEXAS. 
(a) TREATMENT.—For purposes of all applicable 
Federal laws, regulations, and policies, a member of the 
Armed Forces or civilian employee of the Department of 
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Defense who was killed or wounded in the attack that oc-
curred at Fort Hood, Texas, on November 5, 2009, shall 
be deemed as follows: 
(1) In the case of a member, to have been killed 
or wounded in a combat zone as the result of an act 
of an enemy of the United States. 
(2) In the case of a civilian employee of the De-
partment of Defense— 
(A) to have been killed or wounded while 
serving with the Armed Forces in a contingency 
operation; and 
(B) to have been killed or wounded in a 
terrorist attack. 
(b) EXCEPTION.—Subsection (a) shall not apply to 
a member of the Armed Forces whose death or wound as 
described in that subsection is the result of the willful mis-
conduct of the member. 
Æ 
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