H.R. 5144: To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for the award of the Purple Heart to members of the Armed Forces who are killed or wounded in a terrorist attack perpetrated within the United States.

H.R. 5144: To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for the award of the Purple Heart to members of the Armed Forces who are killed or wounded in a terrorist attack perpetrated within the United States.

112th Congress · introduced 2012-04-27 · Armed Forces and National Security · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2012-04-27 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. King, Peter T. [R-NY-3] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for the award of the Purple Heart to members of the Armed Forces who are killed or wounded in a terrorist attack perpetrated within the United States.

Plain summary

Expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary of Defense (DOD), and the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) with respect to the Coast Guard, should duly honor those members of the Armed Forces who are killed or wounded in the United States in terrorist attacks that are inspired by the ideology that gives rise to terrorism, as defined by the Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States. Provides that, for purposes of awarding the Purple Heart, the Secretary of the military department concerned shall treat a member of the Armed Forces who is killed or wounded in a terrorist attack within the United States in the same manner as a member killed or wounded in action due to an act of an enemy of the United States. Makes this Act effective as of January 1, 2009. Directs the Secretaries concerned to: (1) review each death or wounding of a member within the United States between January 1, 2009, and the date of enactment of this Act to determine whether such death or wounding qualifies as a death or wounding resulting from a terrorist attack for purposes of this Act; and (2) upon a positive determination, take appropriate action.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for the award of the Purple Heart to members of the Armed Forces who are killed or wounded in a terrorist attack perpetrated within the United States.

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. King, Peter T. [R-NY-3] · 13 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Henry Cuellar (D-TX), Mike Rogers (R-AL), Michael T. McCaul (R-TX), John R. Carter (R-TX)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (2)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Securities: Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-112hr5144.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/112/hr>

Record fed-us-cong112-hr5144 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong112 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong112