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 identifica-
tion card to persons who served in the Armed Forces. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. MILITARY SERVICE IDENTIFICATION CARD. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT AND AVAILABILITY.—Chapter 
59 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by inserting 
after section 1166 the following new section: 
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‘‘§ 1167. Military service identification card: avail-
ability and issuance 
‘‘(a) DESIGN AND AVAILABILITY.—The Secretary of 
Defense (and the Secretary of Homeland Security with re-
spect to the Coast Guard) shall design an appropriate 
identification card (to be known as the ‘military service 
identification card’) to identify and recognize the service 
of a member of the armed forces after the retirement or 
other separation of the member from the armed forces. 
‘‘(b) CONTENTS.—At a minimum, the military service 
identification card shall include the information contained 
on the Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active 
Duty (DD Form 214). 
‘‘(c) ISSUANCE.—The Secretary concerned shall issue 
the military service identification card to an eligible person 
upon the request of the person, subject to the payment 
of the amount required by subsection (e). In the case of 
a member of the armed forces who is being separated from 
the armed forces and requests the military service identi-
fication card, the Secretary concerned is encouraged to 
provide for issuance of the military service identification 
card as part of any ceremony conducted in connection with 
the separation of the member to recognize the service of 
the member. 
‘‘(d) APPLICATION.—The Secretary of Defense (and 
the Secretary of Homeland Security with respect to the 
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Coast Guard) shall establish an application process by 
which a person can request the military service identifica-
tion card. 
‘‘(e) COST.—Issuance of the military service identi-
fication card to a person is conditioned upon the payment 
of an amount sufficient to cover the costs incurred by the 
United States to manufacture and issue the military serv-
ice identification card. 
‘‘(f) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary of Defense (and 
the Secretary of Homeland Security with respect to the 
Coast Guard) shall issue such regulations as may be nec-
essary to carry out this section.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting 
after the item relating to section 1166 the following new 
item: 
‘‘1167. Military service identification card: availability and issuance.’’. 
(c) RETROACTIVE AVAILABILITY.— 
(1) AVAILABILITY.—The Secretary of Defense 
(and the Secretary of Homeland Security with re-
spect to the Coast Guard) shall make the military 
service identification card authorized by section 
1167 of title 10, United States Code, as added by 
subsection (a), available to retired and former mem-
bers of the Armed Forces who retired or were sepa-
rated before the date of the enactment of this Act. 
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(2) NOTICE.—The Secretaries should widely an-
nounce the availability of the military service identi-
fication card through military and public informa-
tion channels. 
(3) APPLICATION
PROCESS.—The Secretaries 
shall provide a mechanism by which a person eligible 
under paragraph (1) may apply for the military 
service identification card. 
(4) COST
AND
ISSUANCE.—Subsection (e) of 
section 1167 of title 10, United States Code, shall 
apply with respect to the issuance of the military 
service identification card under this subsection. 
Æ 
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