,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #bidg  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,may #bc1 #bjai,mr4  
,carbajal 7for himself and ,mr4         
,la,malfa7 introduced the following     
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,armed ,services1 and in  
addition to the ,committee on ,veterans'
 ,affairs1 for a period to be           
subsequently determined by the ,speaker1
 in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the           
jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
,a ,,bill  ,to require the ,secretary of
 ,defense1 in consultation with the     
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs1 to    
develop guidelines regarding the use by 
the ,secretaries of the military        
departments and the ,secretary of       
,veterans ,affairs of unofficial sources
 of information to determine the        
eligibility of a member or former member
 of the ,armed ,forces for benefits and 
decorations when the member's service   
records are incomplete because of damage

 to the records1 including records      
damaged by a #aigc fire at the ,national
 ,personnel ,records ,center in ,st4    
,louis1 ,missouri4  #a4 ,short title    
,this ,act may be cited as the          
,veterans' ,record ,reconstruction ,act 
of #bjai4  #b4 ,development of          
guidelines for use of unofficial sources
 of information to determine eligibility
 of members and former members of the   
,armed ,forces for benefits and         
decorations when the service records are
 incomplete because of damage to the    
official record  7a7 ,guidelines        
required ,the ,secretary of ,defense    
shall develop guidelines regarding the  
use by the ,secretaries of the military 
departments and the ,secretary of       
,veterans ,affairs of unofficial sources
 of information1 including eyewitness   
statements1 to determine the eligibility
 of a member or former member of the    
,armed ,forces for benefits and         
decorations when the service records of 
the member are incomplete because of    

damage to the records as a result of the
 #aigc fire at the ,national ,personnel 
,records ,center in ,st4 ,louis1        
,missouri1 or any subsequent incident   
while the records were in the possession
 of the ,department of ,defense4  7b7   
,consultation ,the ,secretary of        
,defense shall prepare the guidelines in
 consultation with the ,secretary of    
,veterans ,affairs1 with respect to     
veterans benefits under title #ch1      
,united ,states ,code1 whose eligibility
 determinations depend on the use of    
service records maintained by the       
,department of ,defense4  7c7 ,time for 
completion ,the ,secretary of ,defense  
shall complete development of the       
guidelines not later than one year after
 the date of the enactment of this ,act4