Title: Army Combat Action Badge Eligibility Act
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Army Combat Action Badge Eligibility Act
This bill authorizes the Department of the Army to award the Army Combat Action Badge to a person who (1) participated as a member of the Army in combat during which the person was personally engaged with the enemy at any time from December 7, 1941, to September 18, 2001, and (2) has not been recognized previously for such participation.
The Army may make arrangements with suppliers of the badge so that eligible persons may procure it directly from suppliers, thereby substantially reducing or eliminating administrative costs for carrying out this bill.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 853 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 853

 To expand retroactive eligibility of the Army Combat Action Badge to 
  include members of the Army who participated in combat during which 
 they personally engaged, or were personally engaged by, the enemy at 
                 any time on or after December 7, 1941.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 29, 2019

Mr. Mooney of West Virginia (for himself and Mr. Latta) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To expand retroactive eligibility of the Army Combat Action Badge to 
  include members of the Army who participated in combat during which 
 they personally engaged, or were personally engaged by, the enemy at 
                 any time on or after December 7, 1941.

    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 ``Army Combat Action Badge Eligibility 
Act''.

SEC. 2. RETROACTIVE AWARD OF ARMY COMBAT ACTION BADGE.

    (a) Authority To Award.--The Secretary of the Army may award the 
Army Combat Action Badge to a person who, as determined by the 
Secretary--
            (1) participated as a member of the Army at any time during 
        the eligibility period in combat during which the person 
        personally engaged, or was personally engaged by, the enemy; 
        and
            (2) has not been previously recognized in an appropriate 
        manner for the member's participation in such combat.
    (b) Procurement of Badge.--The Secretary of the Army may make 
arrangements with suppliers of the Army Combat Action Badge so that 
persons eligible to receive the Army Combat Action Badge pursuant to 
subsection (a) may procure the badge directly from suppliers, thereby 
eliminating, or at least substantially reducing, administrative costs 
for the Army to carry out this section.
    (c) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Army combat action badge.--The term ``Army Combat 
        Action Badge'' means the military decoration established by 
        order of the Secretary of the Army through Headquarters, 
        Department of the Army Letter 600-05-1, dated June 3, 2005.
            (2) Eligibility period.--The term ``eligibility period'' 
        means the period beginning on December 7, 1941, and ending on 
        September 18, 2001 (the date of the otherwise applicable 
        limitation on the retroactive award of the Army Combat Action 
        Badge).
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