Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Legacies of War Recognition and Unexploded Ordnance Removal Act”.
Legacies of War Recognition and Unexploded Ordnance Removal Act
A BILL
To authorize assistance to support activities relating to the clearance of landmines, unexploded ordnance, and other explosive remnants of war in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, and to recognize the refugee and immigrant communities who supported and defended the Armed Forces during the conflict in Southeast Asia, including Hmong, Cham, Cambodian, Iu-Mien, Khmu, Lao, Montagnard, and Vietnamese Americans, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Recognition of the communities who supported and defended the Armed Forces in Southeast Asia
Findings— Congress finds the following:
During the conflict in Southeast Asia during the 1960s and 1970s, many Hmong, Cham, Cambodians, Iu-Mien, Khmu, Lao, Montagnard, and Vietnamese people—
fought and died with the Armed Forces;
rescued United States pilots shot down in enemy-controlled territory and returned the pilots to safety;
gathered and provided intelligence to the Armed Forces about enemy troop positions, movement, and strength; and
provided food, shelter, and support to members of the Armed Forces.
The national armed forces of Cambodia facilitated the evacuation of the United States Embassy in Phnom Penh on April 12, 1975, by fighting Khmer Rouge forces that advanced upon the capital.
A tragic legacy of the conflict in Southeast Asia is the lethal risk posed by landmines, unexploded ordnance (in this Act, referred to as “UXO”), and explosive remnants of war in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia that still litter forests, rice fields, villages, school grounds, roads, and other populated areas, hindering development and efforts to reduce poverty.
Vietnam remains one of the world’s most contaminated countries, with an estimated 800,000 tons of UXO left over from the conflict in Southeast Asia that ended more than 40 years ago. Since 1975, UXO accidents have caused more than 105,000 casualties, including more than 38,000 deaths of Vietnamese civilians.
In Laos, much of the country’s land remains contaminated with tens of millions of small, unexploded cluster munitions. Since 1964, UXO and other explosive remnants of war have injured or killed more than 50,000 civilians in Laos.
Cambodia has experienced one of the highest rates of landmine and UXO casualties in the world. Over 64,000 Cambodians have been injured or killed by landmines, UXO, or other explosive remnants of war since 1979.
The United States is the world’s leading financial supporter of demining and programs to remove UXO. Since 1993, the United States has provided more than $3,700,000,000 in assistance to locate and destroy UXO and other explosive remnants of war in more than 100 countries, including more than $148,000,000 in Vietnam, $230,000,000 in Laos, and $154,000,000 in Cambodia.
Sense of Congress— It is the sense of Congress that—
the Hmong, Cham, Cambodian, Iu-Mien, Khmu, Lao, Montagnard, and Vietnamese people deserve recognition for their support and defense of the Armed Forces during the conflict in Southeast Asia; and
the United States should continue to support activities to clear landmines, UXO, and other explosive remnants of war in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, while strengthening people-to-people ties and reaffirming the long-standing commitment of the United States to Southeast Asia.
Sec. 3 Authorization of Assistance for Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia
In general— The President may provide humanitarian assistance to Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia for programs to support the following:
The development or updating of national surveys of landmines, UXO, and other explosive remnants of war.
Clearance of such landmines, UXO, and other explosive remnants of war.
Stockpile management of small arms, light weapons, and ammunition.
Capacity building, risk education, destruction, and physical security related to landmines, UXO, and other explosive remnants of war.
Survivors of incidents involving landmines, UXO, and other explosive remnants of war, including by providing medical assistance and prosthetic devices related to landmines, UXO, and other explosive remnants of war.
Coordination— In carrying out this section, the President shall seek to consult, partner, and coordinate with international organizations, civil societies, donor governments, and other stakeholders, as the President determines appropriate, to leverage the expertise, financial support, and resources of such entities to minimize duplication of efforts and maximize the efficient and effective provision of assistance from the United States.
Reporting and Briefing—
Reporting— Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the President shall provide a report to the appropriate committees of Congress on activities undertaken in accordance with this section on the progress of amounts made available from the Nonproliferation, Anti-terrorism, Demining, and related programs account for demining and clearance of landmines, UXO, and other explosive remnants of war in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Such reports shall also include—
the status of amounts made available from the Nonproliferation, Anti-terrorism, Demining, and related programs account that are obligated pursuant to authorities provided by prior Acts and the status of unallocated amounts made available to such account as of the date of enactment of this Act;
a description of how Nonproliferation, Anti-terrorism, Demining, and related programs account funds have contributed to landmine, UXO, and other explosive remnants of war clearance efforts in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia;
estimates of contaminated land that has been cleared, land that still contains landmines, UXO, and other explosive remnants of war, land that has not been assessed for contamination, and data on the origin of any antipersonnel mines cleared, to the extent possible;
a description of collaboration between the United States and the governments of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia including past and current progress to date in establishing nationwide contamination databases in such countries to refine landmine, UXO, and other explosive remnants of war locations and target clearance efforts; and
an assessment on the efforts of the Department of State to work with the Lao People’s Democratic Republic regarding repatriation and the efforts and effectiveness of reintegration of Hmonh, Lao, Khmu, and Mien or Yao descent who arrive in the United States as refugees fleeing persecution in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic.
Briefings— The President shall annually brief the appropriate committees of Congress on activities undertaken in accordance with this section for each year for which amounts are authorized under subsection (d).
Authorization of appropriations— There is authorized to be appropriated to the President $100,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2023 through 2027 to carry out this section.
Sec. 4 Definitions
In this Act:
The term appropriate committees of Congress means—
the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on Armed Services, and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and
the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Armed Services, and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate.
The term unexploded ordnance or UXO has the meaning given such term in section 101 of title 10, United States Code.