# 114-hr-3040: To require the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, 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 records, including records damaged by a 1973 fire at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri.

114-hr-3040, To require the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, 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 records, including records damaged by a 1973 fire at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri., is a 114th Congress bill sponsored by LOIS CAPPS (D-CA); status Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs. (as of 2025-11-18).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/114-hr-3040
- As of: 2025-11-18
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 114-hr-3040
- Congress: 114
- Title: To require the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, 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 records, including records damaged by a 1973 fire at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri.
- Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.
- Introduced: 2015-07-13
- Sponsor: LOIS CAPPS (D-CA)
- Cosponsors: 32
- Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2025-11-18

## Summary

Directs the Department of Defense (DOD) to develop guidelines for use, by the Secretaries of the military departments and the Department of Veterans Affairs, of unofficial sources of information, including eyewitness statements, 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 records as a result of the 1973 fire at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri, or any subsequent incident while the records were in DOD's possession.

## Cosponsors (32)

- Rep. LaMalfa, Doug [R-CA-1] (R-CA), 2015-07-13T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Brownley, Julia [D-CA-26] (D-CA), 2015-07-13T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Clarke, Yvette D. [D-NY-9] (D-NY), 2015-07-13T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Costa, Jim [D-CA-21] (D-CA), 2015-07-13T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Higgins, Brian [D-NY-26] (D-NY), 2015-07-13T00:00:00.000Z
- MICHAEL HONDA (D-CA), 2015-07-13T00:00:00.000Z
- STEVE ISRAEL (D-NY), 2015-07-13T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Pingree, Chellie [D-ME-1] (D-ME), 2015-07-13T00:00:00.000Z
- CHARLES RANGEL (D-NY), 2015-07-13T00:00:00.000Z
- JOSE SERRANO (D-NY), 2015-07-13T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Stewart, Chris [R-UT-2] (R-UT), 2015-07-13T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Tonko, Paul [D-NY-20] (D-NY), 2015-07-13T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Tsongas, Niki [D-MA-3] (D-MA), 2015-07-13T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD] (D-MD), 2015-07-13T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Velázquez, Nydia M. [D-NY-7] (D-NY), 2015-07-13T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Yoho, Ted S. [R-FL-3] (R-FL), 2015-07-13T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Takano, Mark [D-CA-39] (D-CA), 2015-07-15T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Simpson, Michael K. [R-ID-2] (R-ID), 2015-07-15T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2] (D-MA), 2015-07-15T00:00:00.000Z
- Del. Sablan, Gregorio Kilili Camacho [D-MP-At Large] (D-MP), 2015-07-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Rush, Bobby L. [D-IL-1] (D-IL), 2015-07-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Gabbard, Tulsi [D-HI-2] (D-HI), 2015-07-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Del. Bordallo, Madeleine Z. [D-GU-At Large] (D-GU), 2015-07-27T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Neal, Richard E. [D-MA-1] (D-MA), 2015-07-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9] (D-TN), 2015-07-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Johnson, Bill [R-OH-6] (R-OH), 2015-09-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lowenthal, Alan S. [D-CA-47] (D-CA), 2015-09-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Jackson Lee, Sheila [D-TX-18] (D-TX), 2015-09-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lynch, Stephen F. [D-MA-8] (D-MA), 2015-09-17T00:00:00.000Z
- WALTER JONES (R-NC), 2015-11-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Wilson, Joe [R-SC-2] (R-SC), 2015-12-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Perlmutter, Ed [D-CO-7] (D-CO), 2015-12-15T00:00:00.000Z

## Related bills

- 114-hr-2737: Filipino Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2015
- 114-hr-3268: PAST Act
- 114-hr-1475: Korean War Veterans Memorial Wall of Remembrance Act
- 114-hr-2992: Merchant Marine of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act
- 114-hr-699: Email Privacy Act
- 114-hr-5044: Making supplemental appropriations for fiscal year 2016 to respond to Zika virus.

## Sources
- [114-hr-3040 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/3040)

## Related
- [114-hr-2737: Filipino Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2015](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/114-hr-2737)
- [114-hr-3268: PAST Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/114-hr-3268)
- [114-hr-1475: Korean War Veterans Memorial Wall of Remembrance Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/114-hr-1475)
- [114-hr-2992: Merchant Marine of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/114-hr-2992)
- [114-hr-699: Email Privacy Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/114-hr-699)
- [114-hr-5044: Making supplemental appropriations for fiscal year 2016 to respond to Zika viru…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/114-hr-5044)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/114-hr-3040 (as of 2025-11-18).