SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Legacies of War Rec-
ognition and Unexploded Ordnance Removal Act’’. 
SEC. 2. RECOGNITION OF HMONG, KHMER, LAOTIAN, 
MONTAGNARDS, 
AND 
OTHER 
ETHNIC 
GROUPS WHO SUPPORTED AND DEFENDED 
THE ARMED FORCES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) Many Hmong, Khmer, Laotian, and 
Montagnards— 
(A) fought and died with United States 
Armed Forces during the conflict in Southeast 
Asia in the 1960s and 1970s; 
(B) rescued United States pilots shot down 
in enemy-controlled territory and returned the 
pilots to safety; 
(C) captured and destroyed enemy supplies 
and prevented enemy forces from using the sup-
plies to kill members of the United States 
Armed Forces; 
(D) gathered and provided to the United 
States Armed Forces intelligence about enemy 
troop positions, movement, and strength; and 
(E) provided food, shelter, and support to 
the United States Armed Forces. 
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(2) The National Armed Forces of Cambodia 
facilitated the evacuation of the United States Em-
bassy in Phnom Penh on April 12, 1975, by con-
tinuing to fight Khmer Rouge forces as they ad-
vanced upon the capital. 
(3) A tragic legacy of the conflict in Southeast 
Asia is the lethal risk posed by unexploded ordnance 
(UXO) in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia that still 
litter forests, rice fields, villages, school grounds, 
roads, and other populated areas—hindering devel-
opment and poverty reduction efforts. 
(4) Vietnam remains one of the world’s most 
contaminated countries, with an estimated 800,000 
tons of UXO left over from the conflict in Southeast 
Asia that ended more than 40 years ago. It has 
caused more than 100,000 casualties, including 
40,000 deaths. 
(5) From 1964–1973, the United States 
dropped more than 2,000,000 tons of bombs on 
Laos during American operations to disrupt North 
Vietnamese military supply routes. As a result, Laos 
is the most heavily bombed country per capita in the 
world. Much of the country’s land remains contami-
nated with more than 80,000,000 small, unexploded 
cluster munitions. Since the end of the conflict, 
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UXO have injured or killed more than 25,000 civil-
ians in Laos. 
(6) Cambodia suffers from one of the highest 
rates of landmine and UXO accidents in the world. 
Over 64,000 Cambodians have been killed or injured 
by unexploded ordnance and other explosive rem-
nants of war since 1979, with an average of one cas-
ualty every week. 
(7) The United States is the world’s leading fi-
nancial supporter of conventional weapons destruc-
tion worldwide. Since 1993, the United States has 
provided more than $3,400,000,000 in assistance to 
more than 100 countries, including more than 
$132,000,000 in Vietnam, $200,000,000 in Laos, 
and $140,000,000 in Cambodia. 
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that— 
(1) 
the 
Hmong, 
Khmer, 
Laotian, 
and 
Montagnard Freedom Fighters deserve recognition 
for their support and defense of the Armed Forces 
and freedom during the conflict in Southeast Asia; 
and 
(2) the United States should continue to sup-
port activities to clear unexploded ordnance and 
other explosive remnants of war in Vietnam, Laos, 
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and Cambodia, and strengthen people-to-people ties 
and reaffirm America’s long-standing commitment 
to Southeast Asia. 
SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF ASSISTANCE IN VIETNAM, 
LAOS, AND CAMBODIA. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The President is authorized to 
provide humanitarian assistance for programs to support 
the activities described in subsection (b). 
(b) ACTIVITIES SUPPORTED.—Activities that may be 
supported by assistance under subsection (a) include the 
following: 
(1) Developing national surveys of unexploded 
ordnance and other explosive remnants of war in 
Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. 
(2) Providing for clearance of such unexploded 
ordnance. 
(3) Providing assistance for capacity building, 
risk education, and victims in Vietnam, Laos, and 
Cambodia related to both unexploded ordnance and 
other explosive remnants of war. 
(c) COORDINATION.—In carrying out this section, the 
President shall seek to consult, partner, and coordinate 
with international organizations, civil society, donor gov-
ernments through the Mine Action Support Group, and 
other stakeholders, as appropriate, to leverage their exper-
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tise, financial support, and resources to minimize duplica-
tion of efforts and maximize the efficient and effective pro-
vision of United States assistance. 
(d) BRIEFING.—The President shall provide annual 
briefings to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the 
Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representa-
tives and the Committee on Foreign Relations and the 
Committee on Appropriations of the Senate on activities 
undertaken in accordance with this section. 
(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to the President to carry 
out this section $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 
through 2024. 
Æ 
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