Overview

Title

To develop a database of members of the Armed Forces who died in non-combat military plane crashes and to provide support to the families of such members, and for other purposes.

ELI5 AI

S. 411 wants to make a list of soldiers who died in plane accidents that didn't happen during fighting and help their families by showing them how to get help and benefits. This list would be available for everyone to see, and there would be a special person to help the families find what they need.

Summary AI

S. 411 is a bill that aims to create a database of Armed Forces members who died in non-combat military plane crashes and to provide support to their families. The bill instructs the Secretary of Defense to identify such crashes starting from 1984 and maintain a publicly accessible database. It also requires offering assistance to affected families, including guidance on available benefits and connecting them to support networks. The bill mandates a designated point of contact to help families access benefits and requires reporting to Congress on the program's progress and effectiveness within two years.

Published

2025-02-05
Congress: 119
Session: 1
Chamber: SENATE
Status: Introduced in Senate
Date: 2025-02-05
Package ID: BILLS-119s411is

Bill Statistics

Size

Sections:
2
Words:
1,055
Pages:
6
Sentences:
14

Language

Nouns: 330
Verbs: 91
Adjectives: 49
Adverbs: 11
Numbers: 35
Entities: 71

Complexity

Average Token Length:
4.40
Average Sentence Length:
75.36
Token Entropy:
4.89
Readability (ARI):
40.59

AnalysisAI

General Summary of the Bill

The proposed legislation, titled the "Flight 293 Remembrance Act", aims to address the needs of families of Armed Forces members who have died in non-combat military plane crashes. The core initiatives of the bill involve developing a comprehensive and publicly accessible database of these incidents and offering tailored support services to affected families. These services include access to benefits, counseling, and connection with community support networks. Additionally, the bill requires regular reporting on the program's effectiveness and mandates a nondiscrimination policy in the provision of services.

Summary of Significant Issues

One of the prominent issues of the bill is the creation of a publicly accessible database that details the personal information of deceased military personnel. This raises significant privacy concerns and the risk of misuse of sensitive data. Furthermore, the bill contains no specified budget or financial cap, allowing for potentially unlimited spending, which might lead to financial concerns regarding open-ended resource allocation.

Another concern lies in the potential redundancy and inefficiencies with the requirement for a designated point of contact within the Department of Defense. If similar roles currently exist, this could result in unnecessary duplication and inefficiency. The bill also includes vague descriptions, particularly around what constitutes a "thorough review of records," leading to possible inconsistencies in implementation. Nondiscrimination provisions require further clarity to avoid potential legal complications. Finally, gathering subjective assessments of family satisfaction could skew the reliability of program evaluations.

Impact on the Public Broadly

From a broad societal perspective, this bill seeks to honor veterans and provide essential support to grieving families who have experienced unique types of military loss. By systematically recognizing non-combat military plane crash victims, the bill may foster greater public awareness of military personnel's sacrifices beyond combat scenarios. Nevertheless, the unintended consequences of maintaining an open-ended budget and privacy concerns may require stringent oversight to ensure ethical standards are met.

Impact on Specific Stakeholders

For families of deceased Armed Forces members, the bill promises tangible support through streamlined access to benefits and assistance tailored to their unique circumstances, which can be tremendously positive in aiding their recovery process. Such clear acknowledgment and assistance may also serve as a meaningful form of national appreciation for their loved ones' service.

However, families might also encounter challenges if the database poses risks to privacy or if bureaucratic inefficiencies delay support. The Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs will bear the burden of implementing these measures while ensuring compliance with complex nondiscrimination provisions. Proper execution will require significant coordination and resources, potentially creating burdens within these departments unless adequately planned and financed.

In conclusion, while the bill outlines noteworthy goals and intentions, the execution will require careful management and detailed planning to minimize drawbacks such as financial ambiguity and privacy concerns, ensuring meaningful benefits for affected families while upholding ethical transparency and fiscal responsibility.

Issues

  • The creation and maintenance of a publicly accessible database containing personal details of deceased Armed Forces members (Section 2(a)(2)) raises privacy concerns and risks of misuse, which may be significant from both a legal and ethical standpoint.

  • The bill does not specify a particular budget or financial cap (entire bill), creating the potential for open-ended and potentially wasteful spending without clear constraints, which is a significant financial concern.

  • The requirement for a designated point of contact within the Department of Defense (Section 2(c)) could lead to unnecessary duplication of roles if similar positions already exist, potentially resulting in inefficient use of resources.

  • The language in subsection 2(a)(1)(A) referencing 'a thorough review of records' is vague and may lead to differing interpretations of what constitutes a sufficient review, potentially affecting the consistency and reliability of identifying and documenting plane crashes.

  • The provisions related to nondiscrimination in Section 2(f)(1) are complex and might be challenging to implement effectively without further clarification on application in practice, which could lead to legal challenges.

  • Subsection 2(e) requires an assessment of satisfaction from families, which can be subjective and challenging to quantify, potentially affecting the reliability of the report's findings and subsequent legislative decisions.

  • The assistance and benefits provided to families in Section 2(b) and (c) are dependent on coordination and updates from various government agencies, which could lead to implementation challenges and delays in delivering promised support.

Sections

Sections are presented as they are annotated in the original legislative text. Any missing headers, numbers, or non-consecutive order is due to the original text.

1. Short title Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

The first section of this act names it as the “Flight 293 Remembrance Act,” which means that throughout the document, it will be referred to by this title.

2. Program to support families of members of the Armed Forces who died in non-combat military plane crashes Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

The section establishes a program to support families of Armed Forces members who died in non-combat military plane crashes by creating a database of such incidents, providing them with benefits and support services, and designating a point of contact within the Department of Defense. It also mandates regular reporting on the program's effectiveness and enforces nondiscrimination in accessing these benefits.