Cold War Service Medal Act of 2009

Cold War Service Medal Act of 2009 - Authorizes the Secretary of the military department concerned to issue the Cold War Service Medal to members of the Armed Forces who were discharged or released under honorable conditions after having: (1) served on active duty for at least 24 consecutive months during the Cold War (September 2, 1945, through December 26, 1991); (2) deployed outside the continental United States for at least 30 days during such period; or (3) performed other Cold War service as the Secretary of Defense may prescribe.

Expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary should expedite the design of the Medal as well its issuance to eligible members.

[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4051 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4051

 To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for the award of a 
   military service medal to members of the Armed Forces who served 
         honorably during the Cold War, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            November 6, 2009

  Mr. Israel introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for the award of a 
   military service medal to members of the Armed Forces who served 
         honorably during the Cold War, 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 ``Cold War Service Medal Act of 
2009''.

SEC. 2. COLD WAR SERVICE MEDAL.

    (a) Medal Authorized.--
            (1) In general.--Chapter 57 of title 10, United States 
        Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new 
        section:
``Sec. 1136. Cold War Service Medal
    ``(a) Medal Authorized.--The Secretary concerned may issue a 
service medal, to be known as the `Cold War Service Medal', to persons 
eligible to receive the medal under subsection (c).
    ``(b) Design.--The Cold War Service Medal shall be of an 
appropriate design approved by the Secretary of Defense, with ribbons, 
lapel pins, and other appurtenances.
    ``(c) Eligible Persons.--A person eligible to be issued the Cold 
War Service Medal is any person--
            ``(1) who--
                    ``(A) served on active duty in the armed forces for 
                not less than 24 consecutive months during the Cold 
                War;
                    ``(B) was deployed as a member of the armed forces 
                outside the continental United States for a period of 
                at least 30 days during the Cold War; or
                    ``(C) performed such other service in the armed 
                forces during the Cold War as the Secretary of Defense 
                may prescribe for purposes of this section; and
            ``(2) who, if discharged or released from the armed forces, 
        was so discharged or released under honorable conditions after 
        service in the armed forces characterized as honorable.
    ``(d) One Medal Authorized.--Not more than one Cold War Service 
Medal may be issued to any person.
    ``(e) Issuance to Representative of Deceased.--If a person 
described in subsection (c) dies before being issued the Cold War 
Service Medal, the medal may be issued to the person's representative, 
as designated by the Secretary concerned.
    ``(f) Replacement.--Under regulations prescribed by the Secretary 
concerned, a Cold War Service Medal that is lost, destroyed, or 
rendered unfit for use without fault or neglect on the part of the 
person to whom it was issued may be replaced without charge.
    ``(g) Regulations.--The issuance of a Cold War Service Medal shall 
be subject to such regulations as the Secretaries concerned shall 
prescribe for purposes of this section. The Secretary of Defense shall 
ensure that any regulations prescribed under this subsection are 
uniform to the extent practicable.
    ``(h) Cold War Defined.--In this section, the term `Cold War' means 
the period beginning on September 2, 1945, and ending on December 26, 
1991.''.
            (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the 
        beginning of chapter 57 of such title is amended by adding at 
        the end the following new item:

``1136. Cold War Service Medal.''.
    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the 
Secretary of Defense should take appropriate actions to expedite--
            (1) the design of the Cold War Service Medal provided for 
        by section 1136 of title 10, United States Code (as added by 
        subsection (a)); and
            (2) the establishment and implementation of mechanisms to 
        facilitate the issuance of the Cold War Service Medal to 
        persons eligible for the issuance of the medal under such 
        section.
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