PRINTER'S NO. 471
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No. 511
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY MASTRIANO, BAKER, BROWN, CULVER, FONTANA, HUGHES,
HUTCHINSON, MARTIN, PENNYCUICK, PHILLIPS-HILL, STEFANO,
STREET, TARTAGLIONE AND VOGEL, MARCH 25, 2025
REFERRED TO VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS,
MARCH 25, 2025
AN ACT
1 Amending Title 38 (Holidays and Observances) of the Pennsylvania
2 Consolidated Statutes, in veteran recognition, providing for
3 Korean War Veterans Armistice Day.
4 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5 hereby enacts as follows:
6 Section 1. Title 38 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
7 Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:
8 § 1307. Korean War Veterans Armistice Day.
9 (a) Legislative findings and declarations.--The General
10 Assembly finds and declares as follows:
11 (1) The Korean War was fought in the Korean Peninsula
12 from 1950 to 1953 and involved North Korea in conflict with
13 South Korea supported by the United States.
14 (2) The United States became involved in the Korean War
15 on account of Cold War tensions promoting fear of Communism
16 spreading into South Korea and throughout Asia.
17 (3) On June 25, 1950, the Korean People's Army of North
 1 Korea invaded South Korea, leading to the acquisition of
2 South Korea's capital, Seoul.
3 (4) Following the invasion of South Korea, President
4 Harry Truman ordered the United States Armed Forces to
5 support South Korea on June 27, 1950, to serve as a police
6 action.
7 (5) On July 1, 1950, the first ground troops of the
8 United States Armed Forces arrived in South Korea.
9 (6) Prior to the invasion of South Korea, only 510
10 troops were based in South Korea.
11 (7) By 1953, a peak of approximately 326,863 troops was
12 reached.
13 (8) On July 27, 1953, the Korean War Armistice was
14 signed, preserving the independence of North Korea and South
15 Korea while maintaining a demilitarized zone between the two
16 nations. A formal peace treaty was never signed.
17 (9) In December 2021, South Korea, North Korea, China
18 and the United States agreed to declare a formal end to the
19 Korean War.
20 (10) Approximately 36,000 members of the United States
21 Armed Forces lost their lives in Korea, more than 92,000 were
22 wounded and 8,000 were missing.
23 (11) The Korean War has been referred to as the
24 Forgotten War from a lack of media attention following World
25 War II.
26 (12) The insufficient public awareness does not allow
27 the members of the United States Armed Forces who served
28 bravely and faithfully for the United States to be duly
29 recognized.
30 (13) In 1995, the Korean War Veterans Memorial was
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 1 completed and dedicated in the District of Columbia to
2 commemorate those members of the United States Armed Forces
3 who served in Korea.
4 (b) Designation.--July 27 of each year shall be designated
5 as Korean War Veterans Armistice Day in this Commonwealth.
6 (c) Proclamation.--The Governor shall issue annually a
7 proclamation encouraging all public schools and educational
8 institutions to observe Korean War Veterans Armistice Day and
9 conduct exercises recognizing the contributions of all those
10 involved in the Korean War and remembering the sacrifices they
11 made for their country. The proclamation may not mandate a
12 public school or educational institution to participate in the
13 observance.
14 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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