I 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3397 
To require the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary 
of Veterans Affairs, to develop guidelines regarding the use by the 
Secretaries of the military departments and the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs of unofficial sources of information to determine the eligibility 
of a member or former member of the Armed Forces for benefits and 
decorations when the member’s service records are incomplete because 
of damage to the records, including records damaged by a 1973 fire 
at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 30, 2013 
Mrs. CAPPS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans’ Af-
fairs, 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 require the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with 
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, to develop guidelines 
regarding the use by the Secretaries of the military de-
partments and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs of unof-
ficial sources of information to determine the eligibility 
of a member or former member of the Armed Forces 
for benefits and decorations when the member’s service 
records are incomplete because of damage to the records, 
including records damaged by a 1973 fire at the National 
Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri. 
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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. DEVELOPMENT OF GUIDELINES FOR USE OF 
UNOFFICIAL SOURCES OF INFORMATION TO 
DETERMINE ELIGIBILITY OF MEMBERS AND 
FORMER MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES 
FOR BENEFITS AND DECORATIONS WHEN 
THE SERVICE RECORDS ARE INCOMPLETE 
BECAUSE OF DAMAGE TO THE OFFICIAL 
RECORD. 
(a) GUIDELINES REQUIRED.—The Secretary of De-
fense shall develop guidelines regarding the use by the 
Secretaries of the military departments and the Secretary 
of Veterans Affairs of unofficial sources of information, 
including eyewitness statements, to determine the eligi-
bility of a member or former member of the Armed Forces 
for benefits and decorations when the service records of 
the member are incomplete because of damage to the 
records as a result of the 1973 fire at the National Per-
sonnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri, or any sub-
sequent incident while the records were in the possession 
of the Department of Defense. 
(b) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary of Defense shall 
prepare the guidelines in consultation with the Secretary 
of Veterans Affairs, with respect to veterans benefits 
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under title 38, United States Code, whose eligibility deter-
minations depend on the use of service records maintained 
by the Department of Defense. 
(c) TIME FOR COMPLETION.—The Secretary of De-
fense shall complete development of the guidelines not 
later than one year after the date of the enactment of this 
Act. 
Æ 
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