Title: Veterans' Record Reconstruction Act
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
This bill directs the Department of Defense (DOD) to develop guidelines regarding the use by the military departments and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) of unofficial sources of information, including eyewitness statements, 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 from the 1973 fire at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri, or any subsequent incident while the records were in DOD's possession.
DOD shall prepare the guidelines in consultation with the VA with respect to veterans benefits whose eligibility determinations depend on the use of service records maintained by DOD.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3781 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3781

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

                           September 14, 2017

 Mr. Carbajal (for himself, Mr. LaMalfa, and Mr. Ruiz) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services, 
and in addition to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, 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 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.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans' Record Reconstruction 
Act''.

SEC. 2. 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 Defense 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 
eligibility 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 Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri, 
or any subsequent 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 under title 38, United States Code, whose 
eligibility determinations depend on the use of service records 
maintained by the Department of Defense.
    (c) Time for Completion.--The Secretary of Defense shall complete 
development of the guidelines not later than one year after the date of 
the enactment of this Act.
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