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PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 2979
PRINTER'S NO. 4380
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
2100
Session of
2019
INTRODUCED BY BOBACK, SCHMITT, QUINN, KOSIEROWSKI, PICKETT,
THOMAS, MILLARD, MURT, HILL-EVANS, GROVE, KORTZ, DiGIROLAMO,
RYAN, ROTHMAN, JAMES, BROOKS, POLINCHOCK, SONNEY,
SCHLOSSBERG, JOHNSON-HARRELL, BURNS, ROWE, CALTAGIRONE, COX,
SAYLOR, FREEMAN, PASHINSKI, DeLUCA, MACKENZIE, SAINATO, DUSH,
SCHWEYER, METCALFE, KAUFER, MENTZER, MOUL, BERNSTINE,
EVERETT, YOUNGBLOOD, WILLIAMS, HENNESSEY, HOHENSTEIN, GILLEN
AND FARRY, DECEMBER 2, 2019
AS AMENDED ON SECOND CONSIDERATION, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
SEPTEMBER 15, 2020
AN ACT
Designating September 11 of each year as "September 11th
Remembrance Day" in this Commonwealth; and providing for the
observance of "September 11th Remembrance Day" in public
school entities and during public meetings. ; AND PROVIDING
FOR VETERAN RECOGNITION.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1. PRELIMINARY PROVISIONS
SECTION 101. SHORT TITLE.
CHAPTER 3. SEPTEMBER 11TH REMEMBRANCE DAY
SECTION 301. DEFINITIONS.
SECTION 302. DESIGNATION.
SECTION 303. OBSERVANCE.
CHAPTER 5. VETERAN RECOGNITION
SECTION 501. SCOPE OF CHAPTER.
SECTION 502. PERSIAN GULF WAR VETERANS DAY.
SECTION 503. GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM VETERANS DAY.
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CHAPTER 7. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
SECTION 701. EFFECTIVE DATE.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
CHAPTER 1
PRELIMINARY PROVISIONS
Section 1 101. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the September
11th Remembrance Day AND VETERAN RECOGNITION Act.
CHAPTER 3
SEPTEMBER 11TH REMEMBRANCE DAY
Section 2 301. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this act CHAPTER
shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Public meeting." Any meeting open to the public under 65
Pa.C.S. Ch. 7 (relating to open meetings).
"Public school entity." Any public school, charter school,
regional charter school, cyber charter school, intermediate unit
or area vocational-technical school.
Section 3 302. Designation.
September 11 of each year is designated as "September 11th
Remembrance Day" in this Commonwealth.
Section 4 303. Observance.
"September 11th Remembrance Day" shall be observed on
September 11 of each year in every public school entity and
during every public meeting by a brief period of silence to
remember the victims of the terrorist attacks that occurred on
September 11, 2001.
CHAPTER 5
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VETERAN RECOGNITION
SECTION 501. SCOPE OF CHAPTER.
THIS CHAPTER RECOGNIZES THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF VETERANS OF THE
UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES FROM THIS COMMONWEALTH IN MAJOR
CONFLICTS SINCE THE VIETNAM WAR.
SECTION 502. PERSIAN GULF WAR VETERANS DAY.
(A) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND DECLARATIONS.--THE GENERAL
ASSEMBLY FINDS AND DECLARES AS FOLLOWS:
(1) ON AUGUST 2, 1990, SADDAM HUSSEIN ORDERED IRAQI
TROOPS TO INVADE AND OCCUPY THE SOVEREIGN NATION OF KUWAIT.
(2) THE UNITED STATES LED AN INTERNATIONAL COALITION
DEMANDING SADDAM HUSSEIN TO WITHDRAW IRAQI FORCES FROM KUWAIT
BY JANUARY 15, 1991.
(3) AFTER IRAQ FAILED TO MEET THE DEADLINE, PASSED BY
THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL, PRESIDENT GEORGE H. W.
BUSH, ON JANUARY 16, 1991, ORDERED UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES
TO BEGIN "OPERATION DESERT STORM."
(4) ON JANUARY 17, 750,000 COALITION FORCES FROM 36
NATIONS, INCLUDING 540,000 UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES, BEGAN
THE BATTLE TO LIBERATE KUWAIT FROM OCCUPATION.
(5) AFTER AN INTENSIVE AIR CAMPAIGN, COALITION FORCES
LIBERATED KUWAIT CITY ON FEBRUARY 28, 1991.
(6) ON MARCH 6, AFTER NEGOTIATING A CEASE-FIRE,
PRESIDENT BUSH ANNOUNCED THE END OF COMBAT OPERATIONS.
(7) BY THE END OF THE CONFLICT, 200 UNITED STATES ARMED
FORCES MEMBERS WERE KILLED, INCLUDING 29 FROM THIS
COMMONWEALTH.
(8) THE BRAVERY OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES AND THEIR
ALLIES SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED FOR THE LIBERATION OF KUWAIT AND
RESTORATION OF KUWAIT'S SOVEREIGNTY AS AN INDEPENDENT NATION.
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(B) DESIGNATION.--MARCH 6 OF EACH YEAR IS DESIGNATED AS
"PERSIAN GULF WAR VETERANS DAY."
(C) PROCLAMATION.--THE GOVERNOR SHALL ISSUE ANNUALLY A
PROCLAMATION ENCOURAGING ALL PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND EDUCATIONAL
INSTITUTIONS TO OBSERVE "PERSIAN GULF WAR VETERANS DAY" AND TO
CONDUCT EXERCISES RECOGNIZING THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF ALL THOSE
INVOLVED IN THE PERSIAN GULF WAR AND REMEMBERING THE SACRIFICES
THEY MADE FOR THEIR COUNTRY. THE PROCLAMATION MAY NOT MANDATE A
PUBLIC SCHOOL OR EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION TO PARTICIPATE IN THE
OBSERVANCE.
ยง 503. GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM VETERANS DAY.
(A) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND DECLARATIONS.--THE GENERAL
ASSEMBLY FINDS AND DECLARES AS FOLLOWS:
(1) THE CAMPAIGN IN AFGHANISTAN, WHICH IS AMERICA'S
LONGEST CONFLICT, BEGAN IN 2001 AND CONTINUES TO THIS DAY.
(2) FOLLOWING THE TERRORIST ATTACKS ON SEPTEMBER 11,
2001, THE UNITED STATES DEMANDED THAT THE TALIBAN REGIME STOP
HARBORING AL QAEDA, THE TERRORIST ORGANIZATION RESPONSIBLE
FOR THE 9/11 ATTACKS, AND HAND OVER THE AL QAEDA LEADER OSAMA
BIN LADEN.
(3) PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH ORDERED UNITED STATES ARMED
FORCES TO BEGIN "OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM" (OEF) TO COMBAT
TERRORISM IN AFGHANISTAN AND CONFRONT AL QAEDA.
(4) UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES FIRST ENTERED AFGHANISTAN
AND BEGAN COMBAT OPERATIONS ON OCTOBER 7, 2001.
(5) ON MAY 2, 2011, OSAMA BIN LADEN WAS KILLED DURING
THE FIGHTING AFTER PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA ORDERED NAVY SEALS
TO RAID OSAMA BIN LADEN'S COMPOUND.
(6) ON DECEMBER 31, 2014, THE UNITED STATES AND THE
NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANIZATION (NATO) COMBAT OPERATIONS
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IN AFGHANISTAN OFFICIALLY ENDED.
(7) SINCE THE BEGINNING OF OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM,
OVER 830,000 AMERICANS, INCLUDING 18,000 FROM THIS
COMMONWEALTH, HAVE SERVED IN AFGHANISTAN.
(8) MORE THAN 2,000 MEMBERS OF THE UNITED STATES ARMED
FORCES, INCLUDING 98 FROM THIS COMMONWEALTH, WERE KILLED IN
ACTION IN AFGHANISTAN SINCE COMBAT BEGAN.
(9) MORE THAN 19,000 MEMBERS OF THE UNITED STATES ARMED
FORCES WERE WOUNDED IN SERVICE TO THEIR COUNTRY DURING
OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM.
(10) WHEN OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM ENDED, THE UNITED
STATES BEGAN A NEW PHASE OF THE CAMPAIGN NAMED OPERATION
FREEDOM'S SENTINEL (OFS).
(11) UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES REMAIN IN THE COUNTRY TO
PARTICIPATE IN A COALITION MISSION TO TRAIN, ADVISE AND
ASSIST AFGHAN NATIONAL DEFENSE AND SECURITY FORCES AND TO
CONDUCT COUNTERTERRORISM OPERATIONS AGAINST THE REMNANTS OF
AL QAEDA.
(12) DURING OPERATION FREEDOM'S SENTINEL MORE THAN 70
AMERICANS HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES AND ANOTHER 453 HAVE BEEN
WOUNDED IN ACTION.
(13) ON MARCH 19, 2003, PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH
ANNOUNCED THE BEGINNING OF COMBAT OPERATIONS IN IRAQ AFTER
SADDAM HUSSEIN FAILED TO MEET THE DEMANDS OF THE UNITED
STATES.
(14) "OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM" LASTED FOR MORE THAN
SEVEN YEARS, REDUCING THE INFLUENCE OF INSURGENTS, STOPPING
SECTARIAN VIOLENCE, ASSISTING IN TRAINING THE IRAQ SECURITY
FORCES AND PROMOTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF IRAQ'S CONSTITUTION
AND ELECTIONS.
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(15) MAJOR UNITED STATES COMBAT OPERATIONS ENDED ON
SEPTEMBER 1, 2010. AMERICAN TROOPS REMAINED IN THE COUNTRY TO
ADVISE IRAQI SECURITY FORCES AS PART OF "OPERATION NEW DAWN"
UNTIL THE WITHDRAWAL ON DECEMBER 15, 2011.
(16) MORE THAN 4,000 MEMBERS OF THE UNITED STATES ARMED
FORCES LOST THEIR LIVES DURING "OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM" AND
"OPERATION NEW DAWN," INCLUDING 197 FROM THIS COMMONWEALTH,
AND MORE THAN 32,000 WERE WOUNDED.
(17) WITH THE RISE OF THE TERRORIST GROUP KNOWN AS THE
ISLAMIC STATE OF IRAQ AND SYRIA (ISIS), THE UNITED STATES
CREATED A NEW COMBINED JOINT TASK FORCE IN 2014 DUBBED
"OPERATION INHERENT RESOLVE."
(18) MARCH 23, 2019, MARKED THE END OF ISIS CONTROLLING
ANY PHYSICAL TERRITORY.
(19) UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES UNDER "OPERATION
INHERENT RESOLVE" CONTINUE TO WORK BY, WITH AND THROUGH LOCAL
PARTNERS TO DEFEAT THE FINAL ISIS FORCE AND STABILIZE THE
REGION.
(20) THE FIGHT AGAINST ISIS UNDER "OPERATION INHERENT
RESOLVE" HAS CLAIMED MORE THAN 80 AMERICAN LIVES, WITH
ANOTHER 80 WOUNDED IN ACTION.
(21) UNITED STATES MILITARY PERSONNEL HAVE SERVED
DOMESTICALLY SECURING KEY INFRASTRUCTURE AND SUPPORT OVERSEAS
OPERATION.
(22) SINCE SEPTEMBER 11, 2001, MEMBERS OF THE UNITED
STATES MILITARY HAVE SERVED ON NEARLY EVERY CONTINENT
FIGHTING INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM.
(B) DESIGNATION.-- OCTOBER 7 OF EACH YEAR IS DESIGNATED AS
"GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM VETERANS DAY."
(C) PROCLAMATION.--THE GOVERNOR SHALL ISSUE ANNUALLY A
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PROCLAMATION ENCOURAGING ALL PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND EDUCATIONAL
INSTITUTIONS TO OBSERVE "GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM VETERANS DAY"
AND TO CONDUCT EXERCISES RECOGNIZING THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF ALL
THOSE INVOLVED IN THE GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM AND REMEMBERING
THE SACRIFICES THEY MADE FOR THEIR COUNTRY. THE PROCLAMATION MAY
NOT MANDATE A PUBLIC SCHOOL OR EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION TO
PARTICIPATE IN THE OBSERVANCE.
CHAPTER 7
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
Section 5 701. Effective date.
This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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