SPC Christian Ward Act

SPC Christian Ward Act

This bill requires the military branches to pay the expenses to deliver the personal effects of a deceased service member (including the reserve components) to the next of kin or other appropriate person.

In situations where a military branch has entered into an agreement with an entity to carry out such deliveries, the branch concerned must pursue a claim against the entity when it fails to carry out any delivery. The branch must also reimburse the next of kin or other appropriate person if the entity fails to make a delivery because of the loss or destruction of the personal effects.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3363 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3363

    To amend title 10, United States Code, to direct the Secretary 
 concerned to pursue a claim against an entity hired by the Secretary 
 concerned to return the personal effects of a deceased member of the 
                    Armed Forces to the next of kin.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 20, 2021

 Mr. Johnson of Ohio introduced the following bill; which was referred 
                   to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To amend title 10, United States Code, to direct the Secretary 
 concerned to pursue a claim against an entity hired by the Secretary 
 concerned to return the personal effects of a deceased member of the 
                    Armed Forces to the next of kin.

    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 ``SPC Christian Ward Act''.

SEC. 2. CLAIMS RELATING TO THE RETURN OF PERSONAL EFFECTS OF A DECEASED 
              MEMBER OF THE ARMED FORCES.

    Section 1482(a) of title 10, United States Code, is amended by 
adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(11)(A) Delivery of personal effects of a decedent to the 
        next of kin or other appropriate person.
            ``(B) If the Secretary concerned enters into an agreement 
        with an entity to carry out subparagraph (A), the Secretary 
        concerned shall pursue a claim against such entity that arises 
        from the failure of such entity to carry out such subparagraph.
            ``(C) If an entity described in subparagraph (B) fails to 
        carry out subparagraph (A) because of the loss or destruction 
        of the personal effects of a decedent, the Secretary concerned 
        shall reimburse the next of kin or other appropriate person the 
        amount of the value of such personal effects.''.
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