Title: Legacies of War Recognition and Unexploded Ordnance Removal Act
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Legacies of War Recognition and Unexploded Ordnance Removal Act
This bill authorizes the President to provide humanitarian aid to Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia for (1) the clearance of unexploded ordnance, and (2) assistance for survivors of the explosive remnants of war in the region. The President shall annually brief Congress on such assistance activities.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4686 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4686

To recognize the refugee and immigrant communities from Cambodia, Laos, 
 and Vietnam including the Hmong, Cham, Cambodian, Iu-Mien, Khmu, Lao, 
  Montagnard, and Vietnamese Americans who supported and defended the 
     Armed Forces during the conflict in Southeast Asia, authorize 
 assistance to support activities relating to clearance of unexploded 
 ordnance and other explosive remnants of war, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 24, 2020

  Ms. Baldwin introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
             referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To recognize the refugee and immigrant communities from Cambodia, Laos, 
 and Vietnam including the Hmong, Cham, Cambodian, Iu-Mien, Khmu, Lao, 
  Montagnard, and Vietnamese Americans who supported and defended the 
     Armed Forces during the conflict in Southeast Asia, authorize 
 assistance to support activities relating to clearance of unexploded 
 ordnance and other explosive remnants of war, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Legacies of War Recognition and 
Unexploded Ordnance Removal Act''.

SEC. 2. RECOGNITION OF THE HMONG, CHAM, CAMBODIAN, IU-MIEN, KHMU, LAO, 
              MONTAGNARD, AND VIETNAMESE AMERICAN COMMUNITIES WHO 
              SUPPORTED AND DEFENDED THE ARMED FORCES IN SOUTHEAST 
              ASIA.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) Many Hmong, Cham, Cambodian, Iu-Mien, Khmu, Lao, 
        Montagnard and Vietnamese Americans--
                    (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) gathered and provided to the United States 
                Armed Forces intelligence about enemy troop positions, 
                movement, and strength; and
                    (D) provided food, shelter, and support to the 
                United States Armed Forces.
            (2) The National Armed Forces of Cambodia facilitated the 
        evacuation of the United States Embassy in Phnom Penh on April 
        12, 1975, by continuing to fight Khmer Rouge forces as they 
        advanced 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 development 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. Since 1975, mine and UXO accidents have caused more than 
        100,000 casualties, including 40,000 deaths of Vietnamese 
        civilians.
            (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 contaminated with 
        tens of millions small, unexploded cluster munitions. Since the 
        end of the conflict, UXO have injured or killed more than 
        25,000 civilians 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 UXO and other explosive remnants 
        of war since 1979, with an average of one casualty every week.
            (7) The United States is the world's leading financial 
        supporter of demining and UXO removal programs. Since 1993, the 
        United States has provided more than $3,700,000,000 in 
        assistance to locate and destroy UXO and other explosive 
        remnants of war in more than 100 countries, including more than 
        $148,000,000 in Vietnam, $230,000,000 in Laos, and $150,000,000 
        in Cambodia.
    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) the Hmong, Cham, Cambodian, Iu-Mien, Khmu, Lao, 
        Montagnard, and Vietnamese Americans deserve recognition for 
        their support and defense of the Armed Forces during the 
        conflict in Southeast Asia; and
            (2) the United States should continue to support activities 
        to clear UXO and other explosive remnants of war in Vietnam, 
        Laos, and Cambodia, and strengthen people-to-people ties and 
        reaffirm America's long-standing commitment to Southeast Asia.

SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF ASSISTANCE FOR 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 
        (UXO) and other explosive remnants of war in Vietnam, Laos, and 
        Cambodia.
            (2) Providing for clearance of such UXO and other explosive 
        remnants of war.
            (3) Providing assistance for capacity building, risk 
        education, and assistance to survivors, including medical 
        assistance and prosthetic devices, in Vietnam, Laos, and 
        Cambodia related to both UXO 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 governments, and other 
stakeholders, as appropriate, to leverage their expertise, financial 
support, and resources to minimize duplication of efforts and maximize 
the efficient and effective provision of United States assistance.
    (d) Briefings.--
            (1) Annual briefings.--The President shall provide annual 
        briefings to the appropriate committees of Congress on 
        activities undertaken in accordance with this section.
            (2) Appropriate committees of congress defined.--In this 
        subsection, the term ``appropriate committees of Congress'' 
        means--
                    (A) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the 
                Committee on Armed Services, and the Committee on 
                Appropriations of the Senate; and
                    (B) the Committee of Foreign Affairs, the Committee 
                on Armed Services, and the Committee on Appropriations 
                of the House of Representatives.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the President to carry out this section $100,000,000 
for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025.
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