,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #ecjj  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,august #f1    
#bjbf,ms4 ,duckworth 7for herself1 ,mrs4
 ,shaheen1 ,mr4 ,peters1 ,mr4           
,hickenlooper1 ,ms4 ,hirono1 ,mr4 ,van  
,hollen1 ,mr4 ,merkley1 ,mr4 ,bennet1   
,mr4 ,gallego1 ,ms4 ,baldwin1 ,mr4      
,blumenthal1 ,ms4 ,warren1 ,mr4 ,kelly1 
,mr4 ,kim1 ,ms4 ,alsobrooks1 ,mr4       
,fetterman1 ,mr4 ,schatz1 and ,ms4      
,rosen7 introduced the following bill2  
which was read twice and referred to the
 ,committee on ,armed ,services  ,a     
,,bill  ,to ensure the transparency and 
integrity of casualty accounting and    
benefits and awards for military and    
civilian personnel during military      
operations1 and for other purposes4  #a4
 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as
 the ,honoring the ,sacrifice of ,troops
 in ,war ,act of #bjbf4  #b4 ,sense of  
,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress 
that-- 7#a7 every member of the ,armed  
,forces who dies or is wounded in       

hostilities is entitled to be counted1  
by name and in number1 in the casualty  
records of the operation in which the   
member served2  7#b7 the ,united ,states
 ,government owes to the fallen1 to     
their families1 and to history a        
complete1 honest1 and permanent         
accounting of every member of the ,armed
 ,forces killed or wounded in the       
service of the ,nation1 and no          
administrative reclassification may be  
permitted to obscure the human cost of  
war2  7#c7 accurate and complete        
casualty statistics are essential to the
 accountability of the executive branch 
to the ,american people and to the      
exercise by ,congress of its            
constitutional powers to declare war1 to
 raise and support ,armies1 to provide  
and maintain a ,navy1 and to appropriate
 funds2  7#d7 no reporting category1    
accounting methodology1 or assertion    
that hostilities have ceased may be used
 to conceal from ,congress or the       
,american people the human cost of the  

military operations of the ,united      
,states2 and  7#e7 no false assertion   
that hostilities have ceased nor        
arbitrary termination of the designation
 of an active contingency operation may 
be used to deny servicemembers1 their   
families1 or ,department of ,defense    
civilian employees the benefits and     
awards they are due for their support to
 active military operations4  #c4       
,contingency operation defined ,in this 
,act1 the term contingency operation has
 the meaning given the term in section  
#aja7;a77#ac7 of title #aj1 ,united     
,states ,code1 as amended by section #d 
of this ,act4  #d4 ,integrity of time   
periods of contingency operations       
,section #aja7;a77#ac7 of title #aj1    
,united ,states ,code1 is amended-- 7#a7
 by redesignating subparagraphs 7,a7 and
 7,b7 as clauses 7i7 and 7ii71          
respectively2  7#b7 by striking ,the    
term and inserting 7,a7 ,the term2 and  
7#c7 by adding at the end the following 
new subparagraph3  7,b7 ,the ,secretary 

of ,defense may not redesignate1 rename1
 or reclassify an ongoing designated    
contingency operation if the facts and  
circumstances on the ground at the time 
and place of the potential              
reclassification meets the criteria of  
subparagraph 7,a77ii7 and involve       
members of the ,armed ,forces involved  
in military actions1 operations1 or     
hostilities against the same enemy of   
the ,united ,states or opposing military
 force against which the original       
operation was conducted1 including      
during or following an announced        
ceasefire1 diplomatic negotiation1 or   
change in operational phase4  4  #e4    
,integrity of casualty records and      
statistics  7a7 ,in general ,subchapter 
,i of chapter #ge of title #aj1 ,united 
,states ,code1 is amended by adding at  
the end the following new section3      
#adgb4 ,casualty records and casualty   
statistics3 integrity2 prohibition on   
manipulative reclassification  7a7      
,public record and proper attribution of

 casualties  7#a7 ,the ,secretary of    
,defense shall publish and update as    
frequently as practicable statistics    
about covered casualties and shall      
ensure that each covered casualty is    
attributed1 in each casualty record and 
in each publication of casualty         
statistics of the ,department of        
,defense 7including the ,defense        
,casualty ,analysis ,system71 to each   
specific military operation in support  
of which the member of the ,armed       
,forces or civilian official concerned  
was serving at the time of the casualty4
  7#b7 ,except as provided in subsection
 7b77#b71 a covered casualty attributed 
to a designated military operation shall
 remain so attributed in the casualty   
records and cumulative casualty         
statistics of the ,department of        
,defense4 ,the establishment of a       
successor or additional designated      
military operation1 or of any new or    
revised reporting category1 shall not   
operate to remove1 transfer1 or reduce  

any attribution previously made4  7b7   
,prohibition on manipulative            
reclassification  7#a7 ,except as       
provided in paragraph 7#b71 the         
,secretary of ,defense may not direct   
any component of the ,department of     
,defense to modify a casualty record1   
reclassify a covered casualty1 or change
 the casualty status or operation       
attribution of a covered casualty1 or   
restart1 reset1 or rebase any cumulative
 count of casualties if the basis for   
doing so is a redesignation1 renaming1  
or reclassification of an ongoing       
designated contingency operation that-- 
7,a7 meets the criteria of section      
#aja7;a77#ac77;,b7 of this title2 and   
7,b7 involves members of the ,armed     
,forces in military actions1 operations1
 or hostilities against the same enemy  
of the ,united ,states or opposing      
military force against which the        
original operation was conducted1       
including during or following periods of
 an announced ceasefire1 diplomatic     

negotiation1 or change in operational   
phase4  7#b7 ,paragraph 7#a7 does not   
apply to a modification of a casualty   
record that-- 7,a7 corrects a           
demonstrable error of fact concerning   
the individual casualty1 including an   
error as to the identity1 unit1 duty    
status1 location1 or cause of death or  
injury of the member concerned2  7,b7 is
 documented in writing1 including the   
specific facts establishing the error2  
and  7,c7 is not based1 in whole or in  
part1 on a change in policy1            
methodology1 or the structure or        
presentation of reporting categories1 or
 on any assertion described in          
subsection 7c74  7c7 ,asserted cessation
 of hostilities ,a covered casualty may 
not be excluded from attribution to a   
designated military operation1 and may  
not be removed or transferred from such 
an attribution1 on the basis of any     
assertion1 determination1 announcement1 
or agreement1 whether by the ,president1
 the ,secretary of ,defense1 any other  

officer or employee of the ,united      
,states1 or a foreign government1 that  
hostilities associated with the         
operation have ceased1 concluded1       
paused1 or diminished1 if the facts and 
circumstances on the ground at the time 
and place of the potential              
reclassification met the criteria of    
section #aja7;a77#ac77;,b7 of this title
 and involve members of the ,armed      
,forces in military actions1 operations1
 or hostilities against the same enemy  
of the ,united ,states or opposing      
military force against which the        
original operation was conducted4  7d7  
,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7     
,covered casualty ,the term covered     
casualty means1 with respect to a member
 of the ,armed ,forces--  7,a7 the death
 of the member while serving on active  
duty1 or while serving in support of1 or
 in the area of operations of1 a        
designated military operation2 or  7,b7 
a wound or injury of the member incurred
 in combat operations in the            

circumstances described in subparagraph 
7,a74  7#b7  ,casualty record  ,the term
 casualty record means any record of the
 ,department of ,defense documenting the
 death of a member of the ,armed ,forces
 or civilian official1 or a wound or    
injury of such an individual1 including 
any record in the ,defense ,casualty    
,analysis ,system or any individual     
casualty report4  7#c7 ,designated      
military operation ,the term designated 
military operation means a military     
operation to which the ,secretary of    
,defense or the commander of a command  
has officially designated a contingency 
operation under the conditions of       
section #aja7;a77#ac7 of this title4  4 
7b7 ,subchapter heading ,the heading of 
subchapter ,i of chapter #ge of title   
#aj1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended  
to read as follows3 ,,subchapter        
,i--,death investigations and casualty  
records4  #f4 ,restoration of casualty  
records relating to ,operation ,epic    
,fury  7a7 ,restoration ,not later than 

#cj days after the date of enactment of 
this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,defense   
shall restore all casualty records and  
casualty statistics by the ,department  
of ,defense modified since ,february    
#bh1 #bjbf1 to comply with section #adgb
 of title #aj1 ,united ,states ,code1 as
 added by section #e of this ,act4  7b7 
,notice to next of kin ,not later than  
#cj days after the date of the enactment
 of this ,act1 the ,secretary of        
,defense shall provide to the primary   
next of kin of each deceased or wounded 
member of the ,armed ,forces whose      
casualty record or operation attribution
 was modified during the covered period 
written notice of the restoration of the
 record or attribution required by      
subsection 7a71 and the reason for such 
restoration4  7c7 ,covered period       
defined ,in this section1 the term      
covered period means the period         
beginning on ,february #bh1 #bjbf1 and  
ending on the date of the enactment of  
this ,act4  #g4 ,integrity of benefits  

and recognition during contingency      
operations ,section #iia of title #aj1  
,united ,states ,code1 is amended-- 7#a7
 by redesignating subsection 7f7 as     
subsection 7g72 and  7#b7 by inserting  
after subsection 7e7 the following new  
subsection3  7f7 ,prohibition on        
alteration of benefit eligibility based 
on administrative redesignation of      
contingency operations  7#a7 ,the       
,secretary of ,defense may not direct   
any component of the ,department of     
,defense to modify1 adjust1 shorten1    
extend1 pause1 reset1 or otherwise alter
 any deployment-related benefit         
eligibility if the basis for such       
modification is solely a redesignation1 
renaming1 or reclassification of an     
ongoing designated contingency operation
 where the facts and circumstances on   
the ground at the time and place of     
potential redesignation meet the        
criteria of section #aja7;a77#ac77;,b7  
of this title and members of the ,armed 
,forces are involved in military        

actions1 operations1 or hostilities     
against the same enemy of the ,united   
,states or opposing military force      
against which the original operation was
 conducted1 including during or         
following periods of an announced       
ceasefire1 temporary cessation of       
hostilities1 diplomatic negotiation1 or 
change in operational phase4  7#b7 ,for 
purposes of paragraph 7#a71             
deployment-related benefit eligibility  
determinations shall continue to be     
calculated as if the original           
designation of the operation remained in
 effect1 except as provided under       
paragraph 7#d74  7#c7 ,administrative   
changes to the naming1 structuring1     
categorization1 or classification of an 
ongoing designated operation shall not  
be considered a basis to alter the      
eligibility of any member of the ,armed 
,forces or civilian personnel for any   
benefit1 including awards or            
decorations1 veterans' preference       
accrual1 pay or leave entitlement1      

deployment-related threshold1 or        
contingency military leave tied to      
service in that operation4  7#d7        
,nothing in this subsection prohibits   
adjustments to eligibility windows when 
such adjustments are--  7,a7 explicitly 
required by statute2  7,b7 necessary due
 to a substantive change in operational 
conditions1 including commencement of   
hostilities against a new enemy or      
opposing force2 or  7,c7 authorized     
under subsection 7a77#c7 pursuant to a  
,secretary-approved deployment          
exception4  7#e7 ,in this subsection1   
the term designated military operation  
means a military operation to which the 
,secretary of ,defense or the commander 
of a combatant command has officially   
designated a contingency operation under
 the conditions of section #aja7;a77#ac7
 of this title4  4  #h4 ,restoration of 
benefits and recognition for military   
and civilian personnel support to       
,operation ,epic ,fury  7a7 ,in general 
,not later than #cj days after the date 

of enactment of this ,act1 the          
,secretary of ,defense shall restore all
 covered benefits to members of the     
,armed ,services and civilian personnel 
who supported covered military          
operations since ,february #bh1 #bjbf1  
in order to comply with subsection 7f7  
of section #iia of title #aj1 ,united   
,states ,code1 as added by section #g of
 this ,act4  7b7 ,notice to affected    
personnel ,not later than #cj days after
 the date of the enactment of this ,act1
 the ,secretary of ,defense shall       
provide to each member of the ,armed    
,forces or civilian personnel whose     
covered benefits were modified during   
the covered period written notice of the
 restoration of benefits required by    
subsection 7a71 and of the reason for   
such restoration4  7c7 ,definitions ,in 
this section3 7#a7 ,covered benefits    
,the term covered benefits means        
benefits to which members of the ,armed 
,forces and civilian personnel who      
support covered military operations are 

entitled1 including ,department of      
,defense awards or decorations1         
veterans' preference accrual1           
contingency military leave1 or other    
benefits associated with special pay1   
leave1 and tax authorities in titles    
#aj1 #cg1 and #e1 ,united ,states ,code1
 the ,department of ,state ,standardized
 ,regulations1 ,internal ,revenue       
,service combat zone regulations1 and   
,office of ,personnel ,management       
policies that are triggered by the      
statutory definition of a contingency   
operation4  7#b7 ,covered period ,the   
term covered period means the period    
beginning on ,february #bh1 #bjbf1 and  
ending on the date of the enactment of  
this ,act4  7#c7 ,covered military      
operations ,the term covered military   
operations means ,united ,states        
military activities against ,iran from  
,february #bh1 #bjbf1 until the date of 
the enactment of this ,act4