U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) has joined a bipartisan group of senators to introduce the Bring Our Heroes Home Act, aimed at improving access to records needed for the recovery of American prisoners of war (POWs) and those missing in action (MIA). The bill seeks to address barriers that families and caseworkers face when trying to obtain information about missing servicemembers.
“Families of servicemembers who never returned home deserve to know that the government is doing everything it can to determine the fates of their loved ones as quickly and efficiently as possible,” said Senator Hirono. “This legislation will help to eliminate bureaucratic obstacles and streamline processes to identify and recover our lost servicemembers so we can properly honor their lives and legacies.”
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency reports that about 80,930 Americans remain unaccounted for from conflicts including World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Cold War, the Gulf Wars, and others. More than 150 individuals from Hawaii are among those still missing.
The proposed legislation would create a dedicated collection at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) for records related to missing Armed Forces members and civilian personnel. It would also require executive agencies to locate any relevant records and transfer them to NARA. Additionally, an independent review board would be established to oversee identification, transmission, disclosure of these records, and review agency decisions regarding postponement of declassification due to sensitive material.
Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jim Risch (R-ID), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) have cosponsored the bill.
The full text of the legislation is available here.
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