Operation Hero Miles Act of 2004 - Authorizes the Secretary of Defense to accept the donation of frequent traveler miles, credits, and tickets for air or surface transportation to facilitate the travel of: (1) a member of the Armed Forces who is deployed on active duty away from his or her permanent duty station and granted leave during such deployment; or (2) family members of such member to be reunited with the member.
Directs the Secretary to reimburse members who participated in the Department of Defense Rest and Recuperation Leave program during the period beginning on September 15, 2003, and ending on December 18, 2003, for travel expenses incurred by the member (or family members on behalf of the member) to travel to or from a designated embarkation point before the program was expanded to include a domestic travel component.
[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4130 Introduced in House (IH)]
108th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 4130
To amend title 10, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of
Defense to accept the donation of frequent traveler miles, credits, and
tickets for the purpose of facilitating the travel of members of the
Armed Forces who are deployed away from their permanent duty station
and are granted, during such deployment, rest and recuperative leave
and certain other forms of leave and the travel of family members to be
reunited with such a member, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 2, 2004
Mr. Ruppersberger (for himself, Mr. Lewis of California, Mr. Murtha,
Mr. Hunter, and Mr. Skelton) introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Armed Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 10, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of
Defense to accept the donation of frequent traveler miles, credits, and
tickets for the purpose of facilitating the travel of members of the
Armed Forces who are deployed away from their permanent duty station
and are granted, during such deployment, rest and recuperative leave
and certain other forms of leave and the travel of family members to be
reunited with such a member, 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 ``Operation Hero Miles Act of 2004''.
SEC. 2. ACCEPTANCE OF FREQUENT TRAVELER MILES, CREDITS, AND TICKETS TO
FACILITATE THE AIR OR SURFACE TRAVEL OF CERTAIN MEMBERS
OF THE ARMED FORCES AND THEIR FAMILIES.
Section 2608 of title 10, United States Code, is amended--
(1) by redesignating subsections (g) through (k) as
subsections (h) through (l), respectively; and
(2) by inserting after subsection (f) the following new
subsection:
``(g) Operation Hero Miles.--(1) The Secretary of Defense may use
the authority of subsection (a) to accept the donation of frequent
traveler miles, credits, and tickets for air or surface transportation
issued by any air carrier or surface carrier that serves the public and
that consents to such donation, and under such terms and conditions as
the air or surface carrier may specify. The Secretary shall designate a
single office in the Department of Defense to carry out this
subsection, including the establishment of such rules and procedures as
may be necessary to facilitate the acceptance of such frequent traveler
miles, credits, and tickets.
``(2) Frequent traveler miles, credits, and tickets accepted under
this subsection shall be used only in accordance with the rules
established by the air carrier or surface carrier that is source of the
miles, credits, or tickets and shall be used only for the purpose of--
``(A) facilitating the travel of a member of the armed
forces who--
``(i) is deployed on active duty away from the
permanent duty station of the member; and
``(ii) is granted, during such deployment, rest and
recuperative leave, emergency leave, convalescent
leave, or another form of leave authorized for the
member; or
``(B) facilitating the travel of family members of the
member to be reunited with the member.
``(3) The Secretary of Defense may enter into an agreement with a
nonprofit organization to use the services of the organization--
``(A) to promote the donation of frequent traveler miles,
credits, and tickets under paragraph (1), except that amounts
appropriated to the Department of Defense may not be expended
for this purpose; and
``(B) to assist in administering the collection,
distribution, and use of donated frequent traveler miles,
credits, and tickets.
``(4) Members of the armed forces and family members who receive
air or surface transportation using frequent traveler miles, credits,
or tickets donated under this subsection are deemed to recognize no
income from such use. Donors of frequent traveler miles, credits, or
tickets under this subsection are deemed to obtain no tax benefit from
such donation.
``(5) In this subsection, the term `family member' has the meaning
given that term in section 411h(b)(1) of title 37.''.
SEC. 3. REIMBURSEMENT FOR TRAVEL COSTS INCURRED BY MEMBERS OF THE ARMED
FORCES UNDER DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE REST AND RECUPERATION
LEAVE PROGRAM.
The Secretary of Defense shall reimburse each member of the Armed
Forces who participated in the Department of Defense Rest and
Recuperation Leave program during the period beginning on September 15,
2003, and ending on December 18, 2003, for travel expenses incurred by
the member, or by family members on behalf of the member, to travel to
or from a designated embarkation point for the program before the
program was expanded to include a domestic travel component.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Total Force.
Executive Comment Requested from DOD.
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