Bring Them Home Alive Act of 2000
PL 106-484 (S.484), enacted 11/09/2000

PUBLIC LAW 106-484—NOV. 9, 2000 
114 STAT. 2195 
Public Law 106-484 
106th Congress 
An Act 
To provide for the granting of refugee status in the United States to nationals 
of certain foreign countries in which American Vietnam War POW/MIAs or Amer- 
Nov. 9, 2000 
ican Korean War POW/MIAs may be present, if those nationals assist in the 
[S. 484] 
return to the United States of those POW/MIAs alive. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 
of 
the United States of America in Congress assembled. 
Bring Them 
Home Alive Act 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
of 2000. 
This Act may be cited as the "Bring Them Home Alive Act 
of 2000". 
SEC. 2. AMERICAN VIETNAM WAR POW/MIA ASYLUM PROGRAM. 
8 USC 1157 note. 
(a) ASYLUM FOR ELIGIBLE ALIENS.—^Notwithstanding any other 
provision of law, the Attorney General shall grant refugee status 
in the United States to any alien described in subsection (b), upon 
the application of that alien, 
(b) ELIGIBILITY.—Refugee status shall be granted under sub-
section (a) to— 
(1) any alien who— 
(A) is a national of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, China, 
or any of the independent states of the former Soviet Union; 
and 
(B) personally delivers into the custody of the United 
States Government a living American Vietnam War POW/ 
MIA; and 
(2) any parent, spouse, or child of an alien described in 
paragraph (1). 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) AMERICAN VIETNAM WAR pow/MiA.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in subparagraph 
(B), the term "American Vietnam War POW/MIA" means 
an individual— 
(i) who is a member of a uniformed service (within 
the meaning of section 101(3) of title 37, United States 
Code) in a missing status (as defined in section 551(2) 
of such title and this subsection) as a result of the 
Vietnam War; or 
(ii) who is an employee (as defined in section 
5561(2) of title 5, United States Code) in a missing 
status (as defined in section 5561(5) of such title) as 
a result of the Vietnam War. 
(B) EXCLUSION.—Such term does not include an indi-
vidual with respect to whom it is officially determined 
under section 552(c) of title 37, United States Code, that 
114 STAT. 2196 
PUBLIC LAW 106-484—NOV. 9, 2000 
such individual is officially absent from such individual's 
post of duty without authority. 
(2) MISSING STATUS.—The term "missing status", with 
respect to the Vietnam War, means the status of an individual 
as a result of the Vietnam War if immediately before that 
status began the individual— 
(A) was performing service in Vietnam; or 
(B) was performing service in Southeast Asia in direct 
support of military operations in Vietnam. 
(3) VIETNAM WAR.—The term "Vietnam War" means the 
conflict in Southeast Asia during the period that began on 
February 28, 1961, and ended on May 7, 1975. 
8 use 1157 note. 
SEC. 3. AMERICAN KOREAN WAR POW/MIA ASYLUM PROGRAM. 
(a) ASYLUM FOR ELIGIBLE ALIENS.—^Notwithstanding any other 
provision of law, the Attorney Greneral shall grant refUgee status 
in the United States to any alien described in subsection (b), upon 
the application of that alien. 
(b) ELIGIBILITY.—Refugee status shall be granted under sub-
section (a) to— 
(1) any alien— 
(A) who is a national of North Korea, China, or any 
of the independent states of the former Soviet Union; and 
(B) who personally delivers into the custody of the 
United States Government a living American Korean War 
POW/MIA; and 
(2) any parent, spouse, or child of an alien described in 
paragraph (1). 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—^In this section: 
(1) AMERICAN KOREAN WAR POW/MIA.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in subparagraph 
(B), the term "American Korean War POW/MIA" means 
an individual— 
(i) who is a member of a uniformed service (within 
the meaning of section 101(3) of title 37, United States 
Code) in a missing status (as defined in section 551(2) 
of such title and this subsection) as a result of the 
KoreEin War; or 
(ii) who is an employee (as defined in section 
5561(2) of title 5, United States Code) in a missing 
status (as defined in section 5561(5) of such title) as 
a result of the Korean War. 
(B) EXCLUSION,—Such term does not include an indi-
vidual with respect to whom it is officially determined 
under section 552(c) of title 37, United States Code, that 
such individual is officially absent from such individual's 
post of duty without authority. 
(2) KOREAN WAR.—^The term "Korean War" means the con-
flict on the Korean peninsula during the period that began 
on June 27, 1950, and ended January 31, 1955. 
(3) MISSING STATUS.^The term "missing status", with 
respect to the Korean War, means the status of an individual 
as a result of the Korean War if immediately before that status 
began the individual— 
(A) was performing service in the Korean peninsula; 
or 
PUBLIC LAW 106-484—NOV. 9, 2000 
114 STAT. 2197 
(B) was performing service in Asia in direct support 
of military operations in the Korean peninsula. 
SEC. 4. BROADCASTING INFORMATION ON THE "BRING THEM HOME 8 USC 1157 note. 
ALIVE" PROGRAM. 
(a) REQUIREMENT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—^The International Broadcasting Bureau 
shall broadcast, through WORLDNET Television and Film 
Service and Radio, VOA-TV, VOA Radio, or otherwise, informa-
tion that promotes the "Bring Them Home Alive" refugee pro-
gram under this Act to foreign countries covered by paragraph 
(2). 
(2) COVERED COUNTRIES.—^The foreign countries covered 
by paragraph (1) are— 
(A) Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, China, and North Korea; 
and 
(B) Russia and the other independent states of the 
former Soviet Union. 
(b) LEVEL OF PROGRAMMING.—The International Broadcasting 
Bureau shall broadcast— 
(1) at least 20 hours of the programming described in 
subsection (a)(1) during the 30-day period that begins 15 days 
after the date of enactment of this Act; and 
(2) at least 10 hours of the programming described in 
subsection (a)(1) in each calendar quarter during the period 
beginning with the first calendar quarter that begins after 
the date of enactment of this Act and ending five years after 
the date of enactment of this Act. 
(c) AVAILABILITY OF INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET.—The 
International Broadcasting Bureau shall ensure that information 
regarding the "Bring Them Home Alive" refugee program under 
this Act is readily available on the World Wide Web sites of the 
Bureau. 
(d) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Congress that 
RFE/RL, Incorporated, Radio Free Asia, and any other recipient 
of Federal grants that engages in international broadcasting to 
the countries covered by subsection (a)(2) should broadcast informa-
tion similar to the information required to be broadcast by sub-
section (a)(1). 
(e) DEFINITION.—^The term "International Broadcasting Bureau" 
means the International Broadcasting Bureau of the United States 
Information Agency or, on and after the effective date of title 
XIII of the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998 
(as contained in division G of Public Law 105-277), the Inter-
national Broadcasting Bureau of the Broadcasting Board of Gov-
ernors. 
114 STAT. 2198 
PUBLIC LAW 106-484—NOV. 9, 2000 
8 u s e 1157 note. 
SEC. 5. INDEPENDENT 
STATES OF THE FORMER SOVIET 
UNION 
DEFINED. 
In this Act, the term "independent states of the former Soviet 
Union" has the meaning given the term in section 3 of the 
FREEDOM Support Act (22 U.S.C. 5801). 
Approved November 9, 2000. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 484: 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 146 (2000): 
May 24, considered and passed Senate. 
Oct. 24, considered and passed House.