A bill to designate the outstation of the Department of Veterans Affairs in North Ogden, Utah, as the Major Brent Taylor Vet Center Outstation.
PL 116-10 (S.49), enacted 03/21/2019

[116th Congress Public Law 10]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



[[Page 839]]

                                     

[[Page 133 STAT. 840]]

Public Law 116-10
116th Congress

                                 An Act


 
  To designate the outstation of the Department of Veterans Affairs in 
        North Ogden, Utah, as the Major Brent Taylor Vet Center 
             Outstation. <<NOTE: Mar. 21, 2019 -  [S. 49]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Major Brent Taylor began his military service following 
        the attacks of September 11, 2001. He joined the Army National 
        Guard in 2003, three days after his engagement to his wife, 
        Jennie. Five of his brothers would eventually serve in the Armed 
        Forces following the deadly attacks.
            (2) During his time in the Army National Guard, Major Taylor 
        distinguished himself in service to the United States and the 
        State of Utah. He received a commission as a second lieutenant 
        from the Brigham Young University Reserve Officer Training Corps 
        in 2006, while graduating as a member of the National Society of 
        Collegiate Scholars.
            (3) During his impressive career with the Utah National 
        Guard, Major Taylor distinguished himself in multiple 
        specialties, including Intelligence and Military Police. One of 
        his earliest assignments included analyzing foreign language 
        documents in support of the Defense Intelligence Agency. He also 
        led document exploitation efforts in multiple European and South 
        American languages for a variety of intelligence community 
        customers. Major Taylor also managed a team that assessed 
        security vulnerabilities at high-profile facilities across the 
        United States, all while maintaining a successful private sector 
        career in Utah.
            (4) Major Taylor was continuously ready to take up a call to 
        arms from the United States and deployed four times in support 
        of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. His deployed duties 
        varied from Platoon Leader and Combat Advisor to Chief of Staff 
        to the Special Operations Advisory Group, responsible for 
        leading a joint task force advising and assisting an elite 
        Afghan special operations unit.
            (5) Throughout his deployments, Major Taylor distinguished 
        himself on several occasions, earning a multitude of awards 
        including the Bronze Star. The citation credits the ability of 
        Major Taylor to think calmly and decisively to keep his 
        subordinates safe while traversing 600,000 miles of roads in 
        Iraq, laden with improvised explosive devices (commonly referred 
        to as ``IED'') and ripe for ambush.

[[Page 133 STAT. 841]]

            (6) During one particularly harrowing mission, Major 
        Taylor's vehicle was struck by an IED. Although he survived the 
        attack, the wounds he received earned him the Purple Heart.
            (7) Major Taylor's amazing record of service was not limited 
        to the battlefield. In 2010, he served as a member of the North 
        Ogden City Council and, in 2013, Major Taylor was elected mayor. 
        His steadfast leadership led to the city being recognized as 
        ``Business Friendly'' by the Governor of Utah, and as one of the 
        safest, freest cities in the United States by several 
        organizations. His initiatives included improvements to public 
        works and infrastructure, attracting businesses to the area, 
        developing a local community center, and increasing 
        transparency. His action led his constituents to reelect Major 
        Taylor in 2017.
            (8) In 2018, Major Taylor placed himself on a leave of 
        absence from his mayoral duties in order to deploy to 
        Afghanistan, explaining to his constituents, ``Service is what 
        leadership is all about.''.
            (9) While serving in Afghanistan, a dear colleague, Afghani 
        Lieutenant Kefayatullah, was killed shortly before the Afghan 
        elections. Major Taylor wrote, ``The strong turnout at that 
        election, despite the attacks and challenges, was a success for 
        the long-suffering people of Afghanistan, and for the cause of 
        human freedom. I am proud of the brave Afghan and U.S. soldiers 
        I serve with. Many American, NATO and Afghan troops have died to 
        make moments like this election possible.''. He also extolled 
        the American public to embrace its civic duty, stating, ``I hope 
        everyone back home exercises their precious right to vote. And 
        that whether the Republicans or Democrats win, that we all 
        remember that we have far more as Americans that unites us than 
        divides us.''.
            (10) Tragically, on Saturday, November 3, 2018, Major Taylor 
        was killed in an attack in Afghanistan. He was survived by his 
        wife, Jennie, and his seven children, Megan, Lincoln, Alex, 
        Jacob, Ellie, Jonathan, and Caroline.
            (11) The impression that Major Taylor left was indelible. An 
        Afghan officer who had served with Major Taylor penned a letter 
        to his wife, stating, ``Your husband taught me to love my wife 
        Hamida as an equal and treat my children as treasured gifts, to 
        be a better father, to be a better husband, and to be a better 
        man.''. That officer further commented that, ``He died on our 
        soil but he died for the success of freedom and democracy in 
        both of our countries.''.
            (12) It is only well and fitting that, as a tribute to the 
        amazing life of Major Taylor, Congress name a facility in honor 
        of Major Taylor's shining example of service and sacrifice.
SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF MAJOR BRENT TAYLOR VET CENTER OUTSTATION IN 
                    NORTH OGDEN, UTAH.

    (a) Designation.--The outstation of the Department of Veterans 
Affairs located at 2357 North 400 East Washington Boulevard, North 
Ogden, Utah, shall after the date of the enactment of this Act be known 
and designated as the ``Major Brent Taylor Vet Center Outstation''.
    (b) Reference.--Any reference in any law, regulation, map, document, 
paper, or other record of the United States to the facility

[[Page 133 STAT. 842]]

referred to in subsection (a) shall be considered to be a reference to 
the Major Brent Taylor Vet Center Outstation.

    Approved March 21, 2019.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--S. 49:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 165 (2019):
            Feb. 5, considered and passed Senate.
            Mar. 5, considered and passed House.

                                  <all>