Bring Our Heroes Home Act
Analysis under review: This bill has generated analysis that may be too generic or incomplete. Clause-level evidence remains available below.
Summary
What This Bill Does
This bill creates a system to declassify and publicly release federal government records about missing military personnel and civilians who disappeared during service since World War II. It establishes a five-member Review Board to determine which records can be disclosed and creates a permanent collection at the National Archives. All records must be released within 10 years unless the President personally certifies continued secrecy is essential.
Who Benefits and How
Families of missing service members and civilians gain access to previously classified information about their loved ones' fates. Historians and researchers benefit from access to millions of declassified military and intelligence records. Veterans' organizations gain a formal process to advocate for accountability. The public gains transparency into how the government has accounted for missing personnel.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Federal agencies face significant compliance burdens to identify, review, and transmit records within strict deadlines. Intelligence agencies must justify any continued classification with clear and convincing evidence. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency and military casualty offices receive partial exemptions for active investigations. Federal taxpayers fund the Review Board operations and declassification efforts.
Key Provisions
- Creates Missing Armed Forces and Civilian Personnel Records Collection at National Archives
- Establishes 5-member independent Review Board with 4-year term to oversee declassification
- Requires all agencies to transmit records within 270 days of Review Board establishment
- Mandates full public disclosure within 10 years unless President personally certifies postponement
- Allows Review Board to subpoena records and compel testimony
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Establishes a comprehensive system for declassifying and publicly disclosing federal records related to missing Armed Forces and civilian personnel from World War II through the present, creating a Review Board to oversee the process and a permanent collection at the National Archives.
Key Policy Areas
National Security, Government Transparency, Veterans Affairs, Archives and Records
Primary Purpose
Establishes a comprehensive system for declassifying and publicly disclosing federal records related to missing Armed Forces and civilian personnel from World War II through the present, creating a Review Board to oversee the process and a permanent collection at the National Archives.
Policy Domains
Sections 7-9 - Review Board Structure and Operations
Identified Gains
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Public seeking government accountability
- Families of missing personnel
- Congress
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Identified Costs
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Executive agencies
- Intelligence community
- President
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Sections 5-6 - Record Review and Disclosure Standards
Identified Gains
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Families of missing personnel
- Veterans organizations
- Public transparency advocates
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Identified Costs
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Intelligence agencies
- Department of Defense
- State Department
- Executive agencies generally
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Sections 3-4 - Definitions and Collection Establishment
Identified Gains
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Families of missing service members
- Historians and researchers
- National Archives
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Identified Costs
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Federal taxpayers
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeMr. Crapo (for himself, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Risch, Mr. Padilla, …
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security …
Introduced in Senate
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Agencies seeking to withhold records under other laws, Congress oversight committees, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency
Positive-direction: Congress oversight committees, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Executive Director and Review Board staff positions, Government offices facing compliance challenges, Intelligence agencies with sources to protect, Review Board and declassification operations, Review Board members (5 positions)
Negative-direction: Agencies seeking to withhold records under other laws, Department of Defense and military departments, Department of Justice, Executive agencies subject to Review Board authority, Executive agencies subject to disclosure requirements, Federal agencies holding classified records, Intelligence community agencies, National Archives and Records Administration, Review Board
Families and public seeking accountability, Families of missing personnel, Families of missing service members and civilians
Positive-direction: Families and public seeking accountability, Families of missing personnel, Families of missing service members and civilians, Families of personnel missing in Cold War conflicts, Public and researchers using FOIA, Public seeking government accountability, Public seeking information on postponed records
Negative-direction: Taxpayers
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "archivist"
- → Archivist of the United States
- "review_board"
- → Missing Armed Forces and Civilian Personnel Records Review Board
- "originating_body"
- → Government office or source that created a record
- "government_office"
- → Executive agencies, Library of Congress, or National Archives
- "president"
- → President of the United States
- "review_board"
- → Missing Armed Forces and Civilian Personnel Records Review Board
- "executive_director"
- → Executive Director of the Review Board
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
Missing persons as defined in 10 U.S.C. 1513, including federal civilian employees and contractors serving with the Armed Forces who are in missing status
A record relating directly or indirectly to the loss, fate, or status of missing personnel created by or in possession of any government office, relating to persons who became missing between December 7, 1941 and the date of enactment
The compelling interest in prompt public disclosure for historical purposes, public research, and informing families about the fate of missing personnel
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology