Staff Sergeant John D. Martek Purple Heart Restoration Act

Bill: 119-hr-2719
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Kennedy, Timothy M. [D-NY-26]
Introduced: 2025-04-08
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Latest action: action_date: 2025-04-08
text: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.

Summaries:
action_date: 2025-04-08
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Staff Sergeant John D. Martek Purple Heart Restoration Act</strong></p><p>This bill provides for the awarding of the Purple Heart to veterans who experienced a traumatic brain injury on or after December 7, 1941, that is attributable to an act of an enemy of the United States. To be eligible, such veterans must have a service-connected disability attributable to the brain injury or have a military record demonstrating the occurrence of the brain injury.</p><p>The bill requires the military departments to (1) establish a process for persons to submit applications for the awarding of the Purple Heart to such veterans, and (2) award the Purple Heart to qualifying applicants regardless of the date of the brain injury.</p>

tv_txt: I 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 2719 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES April 8, 2025 Mr. Kennedy of New York introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services A BILL To provide for the awarding of the Purple Heart to certain veterans who experienced a traumatic brain injury, and for other purposes.

1. Short Title This Act may be cited as the Staff Sergeant John D. Martek Purple Heart Restoration Act . 2. Awarding of Purple Heart to Certain Veterans Who Experienced a Traumatic Brain Injury Chapter 57 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 1129a the following new section: 1129b. Purple Heart: certain veterans who experienced a traumatic brain injury (a) In General For purposes of the award of the Purple Heart, the Secretary concerned shall treat a veteran described in subsection (b) in the same manner as a member of the Armed Forces who is killed or wounded in action as the result of an act of an enemy of the United States. (b) Veteran Described A veteran described in this subsection is a veteran— (1) who experienced a traumatic brain injury while a member of the Armed Forces that is attributable to an act of an enemy of the United States that occurred on or after December 7, 1941; and (2) (A) who has a service-connected disability attributable to such traumatic brain injury, as determined by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or (B) with respect to whom there is a military record that demonstrates the occurrence of such traumatic brain injury. (c) Award Process Each Secretary concerned shall— (1) establish a process for persons to submit applications for the awarding of the Purple Heart under this section; and (2) award the Purple Heart to each person who submits an application that demonstrates the person is a veteran described in subsection (b), without regard to the date on which the veteran experienced the traumatic brain injury that is described in the application. (d) Definitions In this section, the terms service-connected and veteran have the meaning given the terms in section 101 of title 38. .