The first section of this Act specifies that it can be called the "Bring Our Heroes Home Act."

Congress acknowledges the lack of priority and accountability in handling records of missing Armed Forces and civilian personnel and calls for legislation to ensure these records are preserved, declassified, and accessible to the public. The Act aims to create a dedicated collection at the National Archives and promote transparency by mandating quick public access to these records while minimizing exceptions.

The section provides definitions for key terms used in the Act, including roles like the "Archivist" and entities such as "Executive agency" and "National Archives." It also explains what constitutes records related to missing Armed Forces and civilian personnel, detailing terms such as "missing person" and "official investigation."

The section describes the establishment of a collection at the National Archives for records related to missing military and civilian personnel. It requires the Archivist to begin this process within 90 days after the initial board members are confirmed, including setting guidelines for the records' format and creating a guidebook, while the Review Board must also develop rules for how the records will be shared.

The bill mandates that government offices must identify, locate, and preserve records of missing military and civilian personnel to provide those records to the National Archives for public access. It outlines procedures for reviewing, transmitting, and justifying the withholding or redaction of these records, while allowing specific exemptions for ongoing investigations and support cases by certain agencies.

The section outlines conditions under which the release of missing Armed Forces and civilian personnel records to the public can be delayed. Disclosure can be postponed if it involves sensitive military, intelligence, or diplomatic information that poses a significant threat greater than the public's interest in the information, or if it risks revealing the identities of confidential sources or poses a major privacy invasion or harm to individuals.

The section establishes the Missing Armed Forces and Civilian Personnel Records Review Board, detailing its formation, membership requirements, duties, powers, and the process for handling vacancies and member removals. The Board is tasked with reviewing and ensuring the public disclosure of missing personnel records, with oversight from Congress, and is set to terminate four years after its formation, after which all records will be archived.

The Missing Armed Forces and Civilian Personnel Records Review Board sets rules for appointing an Executive Director and staff who must be impartial U.S. citizens. The Executive Director, who coordinates the board's activities, cannot decide on record disclosures and needs a security clearance. Staff, also requiring security clearances, are appointed without typical civil service rules. The board may create advisory committees subject to federal regulations and sets compensation according to specific guidelines.

The Review Board is tasked with reviewing and deciding on the public disclosure of records related to missing Armed Forces and civilian personnel. It must publish schedules, report its activities to various government bodies, and handle requests for postponements while ensuring that as much information as possible is made available to the public.

The section discusses a process where the Review Board can ask the Attorney General to request courts to release sealed information about missing Armed Forces and civilian personnel, including secret grand jury information. It also expresses Congress's viewpoint that the Attorney General, Secretary of State, and all agencies should work cooperatively and in good faith with the Review Board to obtain relevant information from both domestic and foreign sources.

This section explains that the Act takes priority over other laws when it comes to transmitting records to the Archivist or making them public, except for certain specific cases. It clarifies that the Act does not limit people's rights under the Freedom of Information Act, does not stop judicial reviews, does not change existing powers to disclose records, and outlines how it fits within the rules of the Senate and House, allowing those bodies to change their procedures as needed.

The section allows the head of a Government office to ask for more time to meet a deadline set by a law, which is based on when the members of a certain review board are confirmed. If the board agrees, they can set a new deadline for the office.

The Act's sections about the Review Board's appointment and operation will stop being effective once the Board and its members' terms end, as specified in a different section. Other parts of the Act will remain in effect until the Archivist confirms that all military and civilian records have been publicly disclosed.

Congress is allowing an unspecified amount of money to be set aside and spent as needed to implement this Act, with the funds remaining available until they are fully used.

If any part of this law is found to be invalid, the rest of the law will still remain in effect, and the invalid part will not affect people or situations that are not related.

The first section of the bill states that the official short title for the legislation is the "Bring Our Heroes Home Act."

Congress recognizes that many records about missing Armed Forces and civilian personnel have not been properly handled, leading to a lack of public access. This section of the bill aims to create a special collection for these records at the National Archives and ensure they are released to the public quickly, with few exceptions, because existing laws like the Freedom of Information Act have not been effective in making this information available.

The text provides definitions for terms used in an act, such as "Archivist," meaning the Archivist of the U.S., and "Collection," referring to a specific set of records related to missing military and civilian personnel. It also clarifies what is meant by terms like "Executive agency," "missing person," "official investigation," and "public interest" to ensure a common understanding for interpreting the act.

The section requires the establishment of a collection of missing Armed Forces and civilian personnel records at the National Archives. It mandates the creation of guidelines for record disclosure and designates the Senate and the House of Representatives committees to oversee the collection.

Each government office must locate and send any missing Armed Forces and civilian personnel records to the National Archives and disclose them to the public, ensuring no records are destroyed or altered. Certain records may be withheld if releasing them would cause significant harm, with periodic reviews required for records withheld from public access, and exemptions apply to specific Department of Defense and Department of State offices.

Disclosure of missing Armed Forces and civilian personnel records can be postponed if the information risks national security by revealing sensitive military plans, intelligence sources, or foreign relations activities, among other things. Disclosure can also be delayed if it risks the privacy of individuals or conflicts with U.S. law, and the need to keep the information private is greater than the public's right to know.

The Missing Armed Forces and Civilian Personnel Records Review Board is established as an independent entity to oversee the identification, review, and public release of missing personnel records. This Board consists of five members appointed through a consultative process, has various powers and duties to ensure transparency, receives oversight from certain Congressional committees, and will terminate four years after its members are sworn in, with a report on its activities and expenses submitted to Congress.

The section outlines the establishment and responsibilities of the Missing Armed Forces and Civilian Personnel Records Review Board, including appointing an Executive Director and staff. It details qualifications, security clearance requirements, and duties for these positions, and allows the creation of advisory committees to assist the board, with compensation limits for the roles specified.

The section outlines the responsibilities of the Missing Armed Forces and Civilian Personnel Records Review Board. It includes starting the review process, determining the disclosure or postponement of records, reporting to Congress and the President, and notifying the public about postponed disclosures. The Board must also provide annual reports on its activities and prepare to terminate its operations with advance notice.

The bill allows the Review Board to request the Attorney General to ask courts to release information about missing Armed Forces and civilians, even if it's sealed or under grand jury secrecy. It also expresses that the U.S. should work with other countries and agencies to uncover information about their status, emphasizing cooperation.

The Rules of Construction section clarifies several points: it states that the Act's requirements for transmitting records to the Archivist override other laws unless they specifically protect such records, while still preserving rights under the Freedom of Information Act. It ensures judicial review can be sought for final actions under the Act and confirms existing authorities for disclosing records remain unchanged. Additionally, it outlines that any procedural rules for Congress under this Act are part of Congress's rulemaking power but can be modified by either House at any time.

The head of a government office can ask for more time to meet a deadline set by this law if the delay is due to waiting for a quorum of the Missing Armed Forces and Civilian Personnel Records Review Board. The Board can extend the deadline if there is a good reason, deciding on a new deadline that they find suitable.

The act specifies that the part about the Review Board stops being effective once the board and its members' terms end. Other parts of the act will continue until the Archivist confirms that all relevant military and civilian records are publicly available.

Appropriations are sums of money authorized by Congress to fund activities in the Act. This section allows for the necessary funds to be allocated and specifies that these funds can be used until they are fully spent.

If any part of this Act is found to be invalid, the rest of the Act remains effective, and this invalidation does not impact the application of the Act to individuals or scenarios that are different from the one in question.