PRINTER'S NO. 3112
No. 2259 Session of 2002
INTRODUCED BY ADOLPH, BARRAR, ALLEN, ARMSTRONG, M. BAKER,
BASTIAN, BEBKO-JONES, BELFANTI, BENNINGHOFF, BUNT, CAPPELLI,
COY, CREIGHTON, CRUZ, DeLUCA, DeWEESE, DiGIROLAMO, FAIRCHILD,
FICHTER, FLICK, FRANKEL, FREEMAN, GABIG, GEIST, GEORGE,
GODSHALL, GORDNER, GRUCELA, HANNA, HARHART, HENNESSEY,
HERMAN, HESS, JADLOWIEC, JAMES, JOSEPHS, KELLER, LAUGHLIN,
LEDERER, LEH, LESCOVITZ, LUCYK, MANN, MARKOSEK, McGEEHAN,
McGILL, MELIO, MUNDY, PALLONE, PERZEL, PHILLIPS, PIPPY,
READSHAW, ROBERTS, ROBINSON, ROHRER, RUBLEY, SATHER, SAYLOR,
SCHRODER, SCHULER, SHANER, S. H. SMITH, SOLOBAY, SURRA,
TRAVAGLIO, TRICH, TURZAI, WALKO, WASHINGTON, WATSON, WILT,
WOGAN, WOJNAROSKI, M. WRIGHT, YOUNGBLOOD, YUDICHAK AND ZUG,
JANUARY 2, 2002
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS, JANUARY 2, 2002
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. Medal eligibility.
6 (a) Criteria.--The Governor may present in the name of the
7 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania a distinguished military service
8 medal of appropriate design, and ribbon to be worn in lieu
9 thereof, to:
10 (1) any resident of this Commonwealth who was a resident
11 of this Commonwealth at the time of entry into active
12 military service and:
1 (i) who, while serving in the Federal military or in
2 an organized militia on active duty in time of war or
3 emergency, shall have been distinguished by especially
4 meritorious service and who has been or may be cited in
5 orders for distinguished service by the Governor or by an
6 appropriate Federal authority; or
7 (ii) who shall have seen active military service in
8 the armed forces of the United States in a combat theater
9 of operations during time of war or emergency as attested
10 to by the awarding of an honorable discharge and DD 214
11 or WD 53 by the respective armed force;
12 (2) any deceased person who, on the date of induction
13 into the Federal military or organized militia service, was a
14 resident of this Commonwealth; and
15 (i) who, while serving in the Federal military
16 service or in the organized militia on active duty in
17 time of war or emergency, shall have been distinguished
18 by especially meritorious service and who has been or may
19 be cited in orders for distinguished service by the
20 Governor or an appropriate Federal authority; or
21 (ii) who shall have seen active military service in
22 the armed forces of the United States in a combat theater
23 of operations during time of war or emergency as attested
24 to by the awarding of an honorable discharge and DD 214
25 or WD 53 by the respective armed force; or
26 (3) any person who, on the date of induction into the
27 Federal military service or the organized militia was a
28 resident of this Commonwealth who, while serving in the
29 Federal military service or the organized militia on active
30 duty in time of war or emergency, shall have been officially
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1 listed as a prisoner of war or missing in action by the
2 Department of Defense.
3 (b) Special presentation.--The service medal for a deceased
4 person or a person absent as a prisoner of war or missing in
5 action shall be issued to the parent, spouse, sibling or other
6 relative who submits all of the required forms and documentation
7 on behalf of that person.
8 Section 2. Regulations.
9 The Department of Military and Veterans Affairs shall develop
10 any necessary regulations needed for the implementation of this
11 act.
12 Section 3. Appropriation.
13 The sum of $4,000,000, or as much thereof as may be
14 necessary, is hereby appropriated to the Department of Military
15 and Veterans Affairs in order to carry out the provisions of
16 this act.
17 Section 4. Effective date.
18 This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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