THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

INTRODUCED BY ADOLPH, KILLION, MICOZZIE, BARRAR, BAKER, BEAR, BELFANTI, BEYER, BOYD, CARROLL, CIVERA, COHEN, CONKLIN, CREIGHTON, DALEY, EVERETT, FAIRCHILD, FLECK, GEIST, GEORGE, GODSHALL, HENNESSEY, HESS, W. KELLER, KORTZ, KOTIK, MAJOR, MANN, McGEEHAN, MILLARD, MILLER, MOUL, MURT, O'NEILL, PERRY, PHILLIPS, QUINN, RAPP, READSHAW, REICHLEY, SCAVELLO, SIPTROTH, K. SMITH, SOLOBAY, STEVENSON AND SWANGER, FEBRUARY 23, 2009

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, FEBRUARY 23, 2009  

AN ACT

Authorizing the Governor to award a distinguished military

service medal; and making an appropriation.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1.  Short title.

This act shall be known and may be cited as the Distinguished

Military Service Medal Act.

Section 2.  Medal eligibility.

(a)  Criteria.--The Governor may present in the name of the

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania a distinguished military service

medal of appropriate design and ribbon to be worn in lieu

thereof to:

(1)  any resident of this Commonwealth who was a resident

of this Commonwealth at the time of entry into active

military service and:

(i)  who, while serving in the Federal military or in

an organized militia on active duty in time of war or

emergency, shall have been distinguished by especially

meritorious service and who has been or may be cited in

orders for distinguished service by the Governor or by an

appropriate Federal authority; or

(ii)  who shall have seen active military service in

the armed forces of the United States in a combat theater

of operations during time of war or emergency as attested

to by the awarding of an honorable discharge and DD 214

or WD 53 by the respective armed force;

(2)  any deceased person who, on the date of induction

into the Federal military or organized militia service, was a

resident of this Commonwealth; and

(i)  who, while serving in the Federal military

service or in the organized militia on active duty in

time of war or emergency, shall have been distinguished

by especially meritorious service and who has been or may

be cited in orders for distinguished service by the

Governor or an appropriate Federal authority; or

(ii)  who shall have seen active military service in

the armed forces of the United States in a combat theater

of operations during time of war or emergency as attested

to by the awarding of an honorable discharge and DD 214

or WD 53 by the respective armed force; or

(3)  any person who, on the date of induction into the

Federal military service or the organized militia was a

resident of this Commonwealth who, while serving in the

Federal military service or the organized militia on active

duty in time of war or emergency, shall have been officially

listed as a prisoner of war or missing in action by the

Department of Defense.

(b)  Special presentation.--The service medal for a deceased

person or a person absent as a prisoner of war or missing in

action shall be issued to the parent, spouse, sibling or other

relative who submits all of the required forms and documentation

on behalf of that person.

Section 3.  Regulations.

The Department of Military and Veterans Affairs shall develop

any necessary regulations needed for the implementation of this

act.

Section 4.  Appropriation.

The sum of $4,000,000, or as much thereof as may be

necessary, is hereby appropriated to the Department of Military

and Veterans Affairs in order to carry out the provisions of

this act.

Section 5.  Effective date.

This act shall take effect in 60 days.