I 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 705 
To ensure that the victims and victims’ families of the November 5, 2009, 
attack at Fort Hood, Texas, receive the same treatment and benefits 
as those Americans who have been killed or wounded in a combat 
zone overseas and their families. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 14, 2013 
Mr. CARTER (for himself, Mr. MCCAUL, Mr. WOLF, Mr. BURGESS, and Mr. 
FLORES) 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 and benefits as those Americans 
who have been killed or wounded in a combat zone over-
seas 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 ci-
vilian 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.’’. 
(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 
same treatment and benefits as the victims and fam-
ilies of victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist 
attacks on the United States; and 
(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. 
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 
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Armed Forces or civilian employee of the Department of 
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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