Official Summaries

Flight 293 Remembrance Act

This bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to identify and publish information related to non-combat military plane crashes and provide support to families of members of the Armed Forces who die in such crashes.

Specifically, DOD must identify and document all non-combat military plane crashes categorized as Operational Loss/Non-War Loss. Further, DOD must develop and maintain a public database of the names, ranks, and service details of all members of the Armed Forces who died in such crashes.

DOD must also provide assistance to the families of members of the Armed Forces who have died in non-combat crashes by (1) ensuring the families are aware of and have access to DOD benefits, resources, and support services; (2) offering personalized guidance on navigating and applying for such benefits, resources, and support services; and (3) connecting those families with community and peer support networks.

Additionally, DOD must establish a designated point of contact for such families to guide them through the benefits process, provide certain updates, and liaise with relevant agencies or organizations to ensure coordinated assistance.

The bill prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability, sex, race, color, or national origin in the provision of assistance and services under this bill.

Current Full Text

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1030 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1030

 To develop a database of members of the Armed Forces who died in non-
combat military plane crashes and to provide support to the families of 
                 such members, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 5, 2025

Ms. Strickland introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
   Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on 
 Veterans' Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To develop a database of members of the Armed Forces who died in non-
combat military plane crashes and to provide support to the families of 
                 such members, 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 ``Flight 293 Remembrance Act''.

SEC. 2. PROGRAM TO SUPPORT FAMILIES OF MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES WHO 
              DIED IN NON-COMBAT MILITARY PLANE CRASHES.

    (a) Identification.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with 
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, shall--
            (1) identify and document all non-combat military plane 
        crashes categorized as ``Operational Loss/Non-War Loss''--
                    (A) based on a thorough review of records of the 
                Department of Defense starting with calendar year 1984; 
                and
                    (B) for such crashes that occurred before calendar 
                year 1984, using information obtained from other 
                organizations; and
            (2) develop and maintain a publicly accessible database of 
        the names, ranks, and service details of all members of the 
        Armed Forces who died in such crashes.
    (b) Assistance to Families.--The Secretary of Defense, in 
consultation with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, shall provide 
assistance to the families of members of the Armed Forces who died in 
crashes described in subsection (a)(1)--
            (1) to ensure that those families are aware of and have 
        full access to the benefits, resources, and support services 
        available from the Department of Defense;
            (2) to offer personalized guidance on navigating and 
        applying for those benefits, resources, and services, including 
        financial assistance, counseling services, and survivor 
        benefits tailored to non-combat losses; and
            (3) to connect those families with community and peer 
        support networks that allow them to meet and share experiences 
        with others who have faced similar losses.
    (c) Designated Point of Contact.--The Secretary of Defense shall 
establish a designated point of contact within the Department of 
Defense--
            (1) to be responsible for guiding families of members of 
        the Armed Forces who died in crashes described in subsection 
        (a)(1) through the benefits process;
            (2) to provide those families with updates on--
                    (A) the availability of new programs, services, and 
                benefits;
                    (B) changes to law that may affect the eligibility 
                of those families for support; and
                    (C) advancements in efforts to recover members who 
                died in crashes described in subsection (a)(1); and
            (3) to liaise with relevant agencies, such as the 
        Department of Veterans Affairs, and local support organizations 
        to ensure those families receive coordinated, streamlined 
        assistance.
    (d) Consultations.--In carrying out this section, the Secretary of 
Defense may consult with organizations with knowledge of and expertise 
relating to crashes described in subsection (a)(1).
    (e) Report Required.--Not later than 2 years after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to 
Congress a report on efforts carried out under this section that 
includes--
            (1) the number of families receiving support under 
        subsection (b) and a description of the types of support those 
        families received;
            (2) an assessment of progress made in developing the 
        database required by subsection (a)(2) that includes an 
        estimate of the percentage of crashes described in subsection 
        (a)(1) that have been included in the database as of the date 
        of the report;
            (3) an assessment of the effectiveness of efforts carried 
        out under this section and the satisfaction of the families of 
        members of the Armed Forces who died in crashes described in 
        subsection (a)(1); and
            (4) any recommendations for legislative changes to improve 
        efforts carried out under this section.
    (f) Nondiscrimination Provisions.--
            (1) In general.--For the purpose of applying the 
        prohibitions against discrimination on the basis of disability 
        under section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 
        794), on the basis of sex under title IX of the Education 
        Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.), or on the basis of 
        race, color, or national origin under title VI of the Civil 
        Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq.), programs and 
        activities funded or otherwise financially assisted in whole or 
        in part under this section to provide assistance to families 
        under this section, even if carried out directly by the 
        Department of Defense or the Department of Veterans Affairs, 
        are considered to be education programs and activities 
        receiving Federal financial assistance.
            (2) Enforcement.--The Secretary of Defense and the 
        Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall effectuate the provisions 
        of paragraph (1) by issuing regulations, applicable to officers 
        or employees of the Department of Defense or Department of 
        Veterans Affairs, respectively, who provide assistance under 
        this section directly, including provisions specifying how the 
        corresponding Secretary shall enforce the regulations.
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