HR4689-119

What This Bill Does

This bill renames a VA community-based outpatient clinic in Bloomington, Illinois, for Civil War Medal of Honor recipient Andrew Jackson Smith. The findings recount Smith's service in the 55th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, formerly the 41st Illinois Infantry Regiment, and quote his Medal of Honor citation from the Battle of Honey Hill, South Carolina, on November 30, 1864. After the color bearer was killed, Smith took up the regimental colors and carried them through heavy grape and canister fire, keeping the colors from being lost despite severe casualties. The operative section designates the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic at 207 Hamilton Road, Bloomington, Illinois, as the Andrew Jackson Smith Medal of Honor Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic. Any federal law, regulation, map, document, record, or other paper referring to that clinic is deemed to refer to the new name.

Who Benefits and How

Veterans using the Bloomington VA clinic benefit from a facility name honoring Medal of Honor recipient Andrew Jackson Smith. Andrew Jackson Smith's descendants and commemorative supporters benefit from federal recognition tied to his Civil War valor. Illinois veterans organizations benefit from a local VA commemoration connected to the 55th Massachusetts Infantry and 41st Illinois Infantry. Civil War history educators benefit from congressional findings describing Smith's actions at Honey Hill.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Department of Veterans Affairs must update clinic signage, records, maps, and documents to use the new name. Bloomington VA clinic administrators must implement the facility renaming. Federal recordkeepers must treat prior clinic references as references to the Andrew Jackson Smith Medal of Honor clinic. Veterans Health Administration communications staff must update public-facing materials.

Key Provisions

• Provides that the VA community-based outpatient clinic at 207 Hamilton Road in Bloomington, Illinois, shall be known as the Andrew Jackson Smith Medal of Honor Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic.
• Provides that the clinic shall be known as the Andrew Jackson Smith Medal of Honor Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic.
• Requires all federal references to the clinic in law, regulation, maps, documents, records, and other papers to refer to the new name.
• Adds congressional findings recognizing Smith's Civil War Medal of Honor actions at the Battle of Honey Hill.