PRINTER'S NO. 692
No. 590 Session of 2003
INTRODUCED BY ADOLPH, BARRAR, FLICK, ALLEN, BAKER, BALDWIN,
BEBKO-JONES, BELARDI, BELFANTI, BISHOP, BUNT, CAPPELLI,
CAUSER, CAWLEY, CORRIGAN, COSTA, COY, CRAHALLA, CREIGHTON,
CRUZ, DALLY, DeWEESE, J. EVANS, FAIRCHILD, FICHTER, FLEAGLE,
FRANKEL, FREEMAN, GABIG, GEIST, GEORGE, GOODMAN, GORDNER,
GRUCELA, HARHAI, HASAY, HENNESSEY, HERMAN, HESS, HORSEY,
JAMES, JOSEPHS, KELLER, KENNEY, KIRKLAND, LAUGHLIN, LEACH,
LEDERER, LEH, LEWIS, MAJOR, MANN, MARKOSEK, McCALL, McGEEHAN,
McGILL, McILHINNEY, MELIO, MUNDY, O'NEILL, PETRARCA, PETRONE,
PHILLIPS, PICKETT, PIPPY, READSHAW, REED, ROHRER, RUBLEY,
SAINATO, SANTONI, SATHER, SHANER, SOLOBAY, STABACK,
R. STEVENSON, T. STEVENSON, SURRA, TANGRETTI, E. Z. TAYLOR,
TIGUE, TRUE, TURZAI, WALKO, WANSACZ, WATSON, WILT,
WOJNAROSKI, YEWCIC, YOUNGBLOOD, YUDICHAK, ZUG, REICHLEY,
WASHINGTON AND CIVERA, MARCH 3, 2003
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS, MARCH 3, 2003
AN ACT
1 Authorizing the Governor to award a distinguished military
2 service medal; and making an appropriation.
3 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
4 hereby enacts as follows:
5 Section 1. Short title.
6 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Distinguished
7 Military Service Medal Act.
8 Section 2. Medal eligibility.
9 (a) Criteria.--The Governor may present in the name of the
10 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania a distinguished military service
11 medal of appropriate design and ribbon to be worn in lieu
1 thereof to:
2 (1) any resident of this Commonwealth who was a resident
3 of this Commonwealth at the time of entry into active
4 military service and:
5 (i) who, while serving in the Federal military or in
6 an organized militia on active duty in time of war or
7 emergency, shall have been distinguished by especially
8 meritorious service and who has been or may be cited in
9 orders for distinguished service by the Governor or by an
10 appropriate Federal authority; or
11 (ii) who shall have seen active military service in
12 the armed forces of the United States in a combat theater
13 of operations during time of war or emergency as attested
14 to by the awarding of an honorable discharge and DD 214
15 or WD 53 by the respective armed force;
16 (2) any deceased person who, on the date of induction
17 into the Federal military or organized militia service, was a
18 resident of this Commonwealth; and
19 (i) who, while serving in the Federal military
20 service or in the organized militia on active duty in
21 time of war or emergency, shall have been distinguished
22 by especially meritorious service and who has been or may
23 be cited in orders for distinguished service by the
24 Governor or an appropriate Federal authority; or
25 (ii) who shall have seen active military service in
26 the armed forces of the United States in a combat theater
27 of operations during time of war or emergency as attested
28 to by the awarding of an honorable discharge and DD 214
29 or WD 53 by the respective armed force; or
30 (3) any person who, on the date of induction into the
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1 Federal military service or the organized militia was a
2 resident of this Commonwealth who, while serving in the
3 Federal military service or the organized militia on active
4 duty in time of war or emergency, shall have been officially
5 listed as a prisoner of war or missing in action by the
6 Department of Defense.
7 (b) Special presentation.--The service medal for a deceased
8 person or a person absent as a prisoner of war or missing in
9 action shall be issued to the parent, spouse, sibling or other
10 relative who submits all of the required forms and documentation
11 on behalf of that person.
12 Section 3. Regulations.
13 The Department of Military and Veterans Affairs shall develop
14 any necessary regulations needed for the implementation of this
15 act.
16 Section 4. Appropriation.
17 The sum of $4,000,000, or as much thereof as may be
18 necessary, is hereby appropriated to the Department of Military
19 and Veterans Affairs in order to carry out the provisions of
20 this act.
21 Section 5. Effective date.
22 This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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