Title: World War I Valor Medals Review Act
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
World War I Valor Medals Review Act
This bill requires review of the service records of certain decorated World War I veterans to determine whether they should be awarded the Medal of Honor for valor during that war. Specifically, the Secretary of the Army or the Secretary of the Navy shall review the records of any African American, Asian American, Hispanic American, Jewish American, or Native American war veteran who was recommended for review by a veterans service organization and who, for action that occurred between April 6, 1917, and November 11, 1918
If a review indicates that the award is warranted, a recommendation shall be made to the President to award the Medal of Honor to that veteran.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1218 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1218

 To require the review of the service of certain members of the Armed 
   Forces during World War I to determine if such members should be 
  awarded the Medal of Honor, to authorize the award of the Medal of 
   Honor based on the results of the review, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 11, 2019

 Mr. Van Hollen (for himself, Mr. Blunt, Mr. Scott of South Carolina, 
Mr. Blumenthal, and Ms. Duckworth) introduced the following bill; which 
     was read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To require the review of the service of certain members of the Armed 
   Forces during World War I to determine if such members should be 
  awarded the Medal of Honor, to authorize the award of the Medal of 
   Honor based on the results of the review, 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 ``World War I Valor Medals Review 
Act''.

SEC. 2. REVIEW ON AWARD OF THE MEDAL OF HONOR TO CERTAIN WORLD WAR I 
              VETERANS.

    (a) Review Required.--Each Secretary concerned shall review the 
service records of each World War I veteran described in subsection (b) 
under the jurisdiction of such Secretary who is recommended for such 
review by the Valor Medals Review Task Force referred to in subsection 
(c), or another veterans service organization, in order to determine 
whether such veteran should be awarded the Medal of Honor for valor 
during World War I.
    (b) Covered World War I Veterans.--The World War I veterans whose 
service records are to be reviewed under subsection (a) are the 
following:
            (1) Any African American war veteran, Asian American war 
        veteran, Hispanic American war veteran, Jewish American war 
        veteran, or Native American war veteran who was awarded the 
        Distinguished Service Cross or the Navy Cross for an action 
        that occurred between April 6, 1917, and November 11, 1918.
            (2) Any African American war veteran, Asian American war 
        veteran, Hispanic American war veteran, Jewish American war 
        veteran, or Native American war veteran who was awarded the 
        Croix de Guerre with Palm (that is, awarded at the Army level 
        or above) by the Government of France for an action that 
        occurred between April 6, 1917, and November 11, 1918.
            (3) Any African American war veteran, Asian American war 
        veteran, Hispanic American war veteran, Jewish American war 
        veteran, or Native American war veteran who was recommended for 
        a Medal of Honor for an action that occurred from April 6, 
        1917, to November 11, 1918.
    (c) Consultations.--In carrying out the review under subsection 
(a), each Secretary concerned shall consult at least once each fiscal 
year quarter with the Valor Medals Review Task Force, jointly 
established by the United States Foundation for the Commemoration of 
the World Wars (in consultation with the United States World War One 
Centennial Commission) and the George S. Robb Centre for the Study of 
the Great War, and with such other veterans service organizations as 
such Secretary considers appropriate, until the conclusion of the 
review.
    (d) Recommendation Based on Review.--If a Secretary concerned 
determines, based upon the review under subsection (a), that the award 
of the Medal of Honor to a covered World War I veteran is warranted, 
such Secretary shall submit to the President a recommendation that the 
President award the Medal of Honor to that veteran.
    (e) Authority To Award Medal of Honor.--The Medal of Honor may be 
awarded to a World War I veteran in accordance with a recommendation of 
a Secretary concerned under subsection (d).
    (f) Waiver of Time Limitations.--An award of the Medal of Honor may 
be made under subsection (e) without regard to--
            (1) section 7274 or 8298 of title 10, United States Code, 
        as applicable; and
            (2) any regulation or other administrative restriction on--
                    (A) the time for awarding the Medal of Honor; or
                    (B) the awarding of the Medal of Honor for service 
                for which a Distinguished Service Cross or Navy Cross 
                has been awarded.
    (g) Definitions.--
            (1) In general.--In this section:
                    (A) The term ``Secretary concerned'' means--
                            (i) the Secretary of the Army, in the case 
                        of members of the Armed Forces who served in 
                        the Army between April 6, 1917, and November 
                        11, 1918; and
                            (ii) the Secretary of the Navy, in the case 
                        of members of the Armed Forces who served in 
                        the Navy or the Marine Corps between April 6, 
                        1917, and November 11, 1918.
                    (B) The term ``African American war veteran'' means 
                any person who served in the United States Armed Forces 
                between April 6, 1917, and November 11, 1918, and who 
                identified himself as of African descent on his 
                military personnel records.
                    (C) The term ``Asian American war veteran'' means 
                any person who served in the United States Armed Forces 
                between April 6, 1917, and November 11, 1918, and who 
                identified himself racially, nationally, or ethnically 
                as originating from a country in Asia on his military 
                personnel records.
                    (D) The term ``Hispanic American war veteran'' 
                means any person who served in the United States Armed 
                Forces between April 6, 1917, and November 11, 1918, 
                and who identified himself racially, nationally, or 
                ethnically as originating from a country where Spanish 
                is an official language on his military personnel 
                records.
                    (E) The term ``Jewish American war veteran'' mean 
                any person who served in the United States Armed Forces 
                between April 6, 1917, and November 11, 1918, and who 
                identified himself as Jewish on his military personnel 
                records.
                    (F) The term ``Native American war veteran'' means 
                any person who served in the United States Armed Forces 
                between April 6, 1917, and November 11, 1918, and who 
                identified himself as a member of a federally 
                recognized tribe within the modern territory of the 
                United States on his military personnel records.
            (2) Application of definitions of origin.--If the military 
        personnel records of a person do not reflect the person's 
        membership in one of the groups identified in subparagraphs (B) 
        through (F) of paragraph (1) but historical evidence exists 
        that demonstrates the person's Jewish faith held at the time of 
        service, or that the person identified himself as of African, 
        Asian, Hispanic, or Native American descent, the person may be 
        treated as being a member of the applicable group by the 
        Secretary concerned (in consultation with the organizations 
        referred to in subsection (c)) for purposes of this section.
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