Fallen Heroes Family Travel Act of 2019

Bill: 116-s-2494
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Cotton, Tom [R-AR]
Introduced: 2019-09-18
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Delaware

Military facilities and property

Military personnel and dependents

Transportation costs

Travel and tourism
Latest action: action_date: 2019-09-18
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

Summaries:
action_date: 2019-09-18
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Fallen Heroes Family Travel Act of 2019</b></p> <p>This bill addresses the transportation of the remains of members of the Armed Forces who die outside of the United States. It requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to provide, in the case of such a member whose remains are returned through the mortuary facility at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, transportation of such remains to the applicable escorted remains destination. (Under current law, this service is limited to the remains of those who die in a combat theater of operations.)</p> <p>The bill also requires DOD to extend travel privileges to family members of those personnel whose remains are returned in this manner. </p>

tv_txt: II 116th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 2494 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES September 18, 2019 Mr. Cotton (for himself and Ms. Duckworth ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services A BILL To direct the Secretary of Defense to provide travel to Dover Air Force Base for family members of members of the Armed Forces who die outside of the United States but not in a theater of combat operations so the family may receive the remains of the deceased, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Fallen Heroes Family Travel Act of 2019 . 2. Transportation of remains of casualties; travel expenses for next of kin (a) Transportation for remains of a member who dies not in a theater of combat operations Section 562 of the John Warner National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007 ( Public Law 109–364 ; 10 U.S.C. 1482 note) is amended— (1) in the heading, by striking dying in a theater of combat operations ; and (2) in subsection (a), by striking in a combat theater of operations and inserting outside of the United States . (b) Transportation for family The Secretary of Defense shall revise Department of Defense Instruction 1300.18 to extend travel privileges via Invitational Travel Authorization to family members of members of the Armed Forces who die outside of the United States and whose remains are returned to the United States through the mortuary facility at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware.