PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Feb 5, 2025
Flight 293 Remembrance Act
This bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to identify and publish information related to non-combat military plane crashes and provide support to families of members of the Armed Forces who die in such crashes.
Specifically, DOD must identify and document all non-combat military plane crashes categorized as Operational Loss/Non-War Loss. Further, DOD must develop and maintain a public database of the names, ranks, and service details of all members of the Armed Forces who died in such crashes.
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
DOD must also provide assistance to the families of members of the Armed Forces who have died in non-combat crashes by (1) ensuring the families are aware of and have access to DOD benefits, resources, and support services; (2) offering personalized guidance on navigating and applying for such benefits, resources, and support services; and (3) connecting those families with community and peer support networks.
Additionally, DOD must establish a designated point of contact for such families to guide them through the benefits process, provide certain updates, and liaise with relevant agencies or organizations to ensure coordinated assistance.
The bill prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability, sex, race, color, or national origin in the provision of assistance and services under this bill.
People & committees
Rep. Strickland, Marilyn [D-WA-10] · D–WA
Legislative record
A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.
Referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
Source last updated: Jun 1, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2025-02-05 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
The proposed Flight 293 Remembrance Act would require the Defense Department to document qualifying non-combat military plane crashes and maintain a public database of service members who died in them. It would help their families access available benefits and support, including personalized guidance and connections to other bereaved families. It would also apply specified civil-rights protections to the family-assistance programs. These are proposed requirements, not evidence of enacted law.
This Act may be cited as the Flight 293 Remembrance Act.
identify and document all non-combat military plane crashes categorized as Operational Loss/Non-War Loss
develop and maintain a publicly accessible database of the names, ranks, and service details of all members of the Armed Forces who died in such crashes.
to offer personalized guidance on navigating and applying for those benefits, resources, and services, including financial assistance, counseling services, and survivor benefits tailored to non-combat losses;
to connect those families with community and peer support networks that allow them to meet and share experiences with others who have faced similar losses.
For the purpose of applying the prohibitions against discrimination on the basis of disability under section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794), on the basis of sex under title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.), or on the basis of race, color, or national origin under title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq.)
Within one year after enactment, the Defense Secretary, consulting the Veterans Affairs Secretary, would have to identify and document non-combat military plane crashes classified as “Operational Loss/Non-War Loss.” The review would use Defense Department records beginning in 1984 and information from other organizations for earlier crashes.
Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, shall— (1) identify and document all non-combat military plane crashes categorized as Operational Loss/Non-War Loss— (A) based on a thorough review of records of the Department of Defense starting with calendar year 1984; and (B) for such crashes that occurred before calendar year 1984, using information obtained from other organizations;
The same one-year deadline would apply to developing a public database listing the names, ranks, and service details of all service members who died in the qualifying crashes. The Defense Secretary would also have to maintain that database.
Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, shall—
(2) develop and maintain a publicly accessible database of the names, ranks, and service details of all members of the Armed Forces who died in such crashes.
The Defense Secretary, consulting the Veterans Affairs Secretary, would have to help families of those killed learn about and access available Defense Department benefits, resources, and services. Assistance would include personalized application guidance for financial assistance, counseling, and survivor benefits tailored to non-combat losses, plus connections to community and peer support networks.
The Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, shall provide assistance to the families of members of the Armed Forces who died in crashes described in subsection (a)(1)— (1) to ensure that those families are aware of and have full access to the benefits, resources, and support services available from the Department of Defense; (2) to offer personalized guidance on navigating and applying for those benefits, resources, and services, including financial assistance, counseling services, and survivor benefits tailored to non-combat losses; and (3) to connect those families with community and peer support networks that allow them to meet and share experiences with others who have faced similar losses.
The Defense Department would have to designate a contact to guide families through the benefits process. That contact would provide updates on new support, legal changes affecting eligibility, and efforts to recover those who died, and would coordinate with relevant agencies and local support organizations.
The Secretary of Defense shall establish a designated point of contact within the Department of Defense— (1) to be responsible for guiding families of members of the Armed Forces who died in crashes described in subsection (a)(1) through the benefits process; (2) to provide those families with updates on— (A) the availability of new programs, services, and benefits; (B) changes to law that may affect the eligibility of those families for support; and (C) advancements in efforts to recover members who died in crashes described in subsection (a)(1); and (3) to liaise with relevant agencies, such as the Department of Veterans Affairs, and local support organizations to ensure those families receive coordinated, streamlined assistance.
The Defense Secretary could consult organizations with expertise about the qualifying crashes. This consultation would be permitted, not required.
In carrying out this section, the Secretary of Defense may consult with organizations with knowledge of and expertise relating to crashes described in subsection (a)(1).
Within two years after enactment, the Defense Secretary would have to report to Congress on the number of families supported, the support provided, and database progress, including an estimate of the percentage of qualifying crashes included. The report would also assess effectiveness and family satisfaction and include any recommendations for legislative improvements.
Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to Congress a report on efforts carried out under this section that includes— (1) the number of families receiving support under subsection (b) and a description of the types of support those families received; (2) an assessment of progress made in developing the database required by subsection (a)(2) that includes an estimate of the percentage of crashes described in subsection (a)(1) that have been included in the database as of the date of the report; (3) an assessment of the effectiveness of efforts carried out under this section and the satisfaction of the families of members of the Armed Forces who died in crashes described in subsection (a)(1); and (4) any recommendations for legislative changes to improve efforts carried out under this section.
For purposes of specified federal laws prohibiting disability, sex, race, color, and national-origin discrimination, family-assistance programs funded or financially assisted in whole or in part under the bill would be treated as federally assisted education programs. This would also cover programs run directly by the Defense or Veterans Affairs departments.
For the purpose of applying the prohibitions against discrimination on the basis of disability under section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794), on the basis of sex under title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.), or on the basis of race, color, or national origin under title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq.), programs and activities funded or otherwise financially assisted in whole or in part under this section to provide assistance to families under this section, even if carried out directly by the Department of Defense or the Department of Veterans Affairs, are considered to be education programs and activities receiving Federal financial assistance.
The Defense and Veterans Affairs secretaries would have to issue regulations implementing these nondiscrimination protections for their respective departments’ officers and employees who directly provide assistance. The regulations would have to specify how each secretary would enforce them.
The Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall effectuate the provisions of paragraph (1) by issuing regulations, applicable to officers or employees of the Department of Defense or Department of Veterans Affairs, respectively, who provide assistance under this section directly, including provisions specifying how the corresponding Secretary shall enforce the regulations.
The supplied actions snapshot, updated June 1, 2026, records introduction in the House and referral to the Armed Services and Veterans’ Affairs committees on February 5, 2025. It also records referral to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs on May 8, 2025.
Source snapshot updated 2026-06-01T21:17:33Z.
2025-02-05: Introduced in House
2025-02-05: Referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
2025-05-08: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2025-02-05. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No unrelated provision or policy change attached to appropriations was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for particular recipients or places was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version; formal earmark status cannot be fully assessed without accompanying materials.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
None identified in the reviewed text
No materially narrow carve-out, special exemption, or preferential treatment beyond the program’s intended beneficiaries was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. Program eligibility and equal-access protections alone do not constitute such findings. This conclusion is limited to that version.
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Jun 1, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI