Gus Bilirakis: “although I intend to support the conference report for H.R. 3230, I do have concerns about several aspects of the bill.…”

“although I intend to support the conference report for H.R. 3230, I do have concerns about several aspects of the bill. Congress included H.R. 945, the Missing Service Personnel Act, in the FY96 Department of Defense Authorization Act. As a cosponsor of H.R. 945, I was pleased that this important legislation was finally enacted into law. The Missing Service Personnel Act, as contained in Section 569 of P.L. 104-106, consists of a number of critical provisions that provide due process for the families of missing service members who are desperately seeking honest information about the fate of their loved ones. The conference report revokes key provisions contained in this law. As a result of the these changes: Civilian Defense Department employees stationed in hostile fire zones will no longer be covered by the Missing Service Personnel Act, meaning that DOD will not be required to account for civilian employees who might be captured by enemy forces or who disappear during combat. Unit commanders will be permitted to wait 10 days--rather than 48 hours, as required by current law--before reporting that a service person is missing or unaccounted for. Criminal penalties for someone who knowingly and willfully withholds information about the disappearance, whereabouts or status of a missing person will be repealed. Missing service persons can be declared dead without credible proof.”