Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

PRINTER'S NO.    1524
                      THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
                         SENATE BILL
                         No. 1160
                                                 Session of
                                                   2024
     INTRODUCED BY MASTRIANO, ARGALL, BAKER, COSTA, CULVER, GEBHARD,
        HUTCHINSON, KANE, MARTIN, PHILLIPS-HILL, ROTHMAN AND VOGEL,
        APRIL 16, 2024
     REFERRED TO VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS,
        APRIL 16, 2024
                                      AN ACT
 Amending Title 38 (Holidays and Observances) of the Pennsylvania
    Consolidated Statutes, in veteran recognition, providing for
    Vietnam War Veterans Day.
    The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 hereby enacts as follows:
    Section 1.     Title 38 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
 Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:
 § 1306.    Vietnam War Veterans Day.
    (a)    Legislative findings and declarations.--The General
 Assembly finds and declares as follows:
           (1)   The Vietnam Conflict was fought in Vietnam from 1961
    to 1975 and involved North Vietnam and the Viet Cong in
    conflict with the United States and South Vietnam.
           (2)   The United States became involved in the Vietnam
    Conflict because policymakers in the United States believed
    that if South Vietnam fell to a communist government then
    communism would spread throughout the rest of Southeast Asia.
      (3)    Members of the United States Armed Forces began
  serving in an advisory role to South Vietnam in 1961.
      (4)    As a result of the Gulf of Tonkin incidents on
  August 2 and 4, 1964, the Congress of the United States
  overwhelmingly passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (Public
  Law 88-408) on August 7, 1964, effectively handing over
  warmaking powers to President Lyndon B. Johnson until the
  time of the return of peace and security to Vietnam.
      (5)    In 1965, United States Armed Forces ground combat
  units arrived in Vietnam.
      (6)    By the end of 1965 there were 80,000 United States
  troops in Vietnam.
      (7)    By 1969, a peak of approximately 543,000 troops was
  reached.
      (8)    On January 27, 1973, the Paris Peace Accords were
  signed, requiring the release of all United States prisoners
  of war held in North Vietnam and the withdrawal of all United
  States Armed Forces from South Vietnam.
      (9)    On March 29, 1973, the United States Armed Forces
  completed the withdrawal of combat troops from Vietnam.
      (10)    On March 30, 1973, the last of the United States
  Armed Forces landed at home.
      (11)    More than 58,000 members of the United States Armed
  Forces lost their lives in Vietnam and more than 300,000
  members were wounded.
      (12)    The Vietnam War was an extremely divisive issue
  among the people of the United States and a conflict that
  caused a generation of veterans to wait too long for the
  public of the United States to acknowledge and honor the
  efforts and services of those veterans.
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          (13)   The members of the United States Armed Forces who
    served bravely and faithfully for the United States during
    the Vietnam War were often wrongly criticized for the
    decisions of policymakers that were beyond the control of
    those members.
          (14)   In 1982, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was
    dedicated by President Ronald Reagan in the District of
    Columbia to commemorate those members of the United States
    Armed Forces who died or were declared missing in action in
    Vietnam.
          (15)   In 2012, President Barack Obama signed a
    presidential proclamation designating March 29 as the annual
    observance of Vietnam War Veterans Day.
          (16)   In 2017, President Donald J. Trump signed into law
    the Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017 which
    designates March 29 each year as National Vietnam War
    Veterans Day and amended the United States Flag Code to
    include National Vietnam War Veterans Day as a day on which
    the flag should be flown.
    (b)   Designation.--March 29 of each year is designated as
 Vietnam War Veterans Day in this Commonwealth.
    (c)   Proclamation.--The Governor shall issue annually a
 proclamation encouraging all public schools and educational
 institutions to observe Vietnam War Veterans Day and conduct
 exercises recognizing the contributions of all those involved in
 the Vietnam War and remembering the sacrifices they made for
 their country. The proclamation may not mandate a public school
 or educational institution to participate in the observance.
    Section 2.    This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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