10 U.S.C. § 1501
10 U.S.C. § 1501
EDITORIAL NOTES
AMENDMENTS2016-Subsec. (a)(1)(A). Pub. L. 114-328, §953(a)(1), inserted "from past conflicts" after "matters relating to missing persons".Subsec. (a)(2)(A). Pub. L. 114-328, §953(a)(2)(A), (B), redesignated subpar. (B) as (A) and struck out former subpar. (A) which read as follows: "Policy, control, and oversight within the Department of Defense of the entire process for investigation and recovery related to missing persons, including matters related to search, rescue, escape, and evasion."Subsec. (a)(2)(B). Pub. L. 114-328, §953(a)(2)(B), (C), redesignated subpar. (C) as (B) and inserted "from past conflicts" after "missing persons" in two places. Former subpar. (B) redesignated (A).Subsec. (a)(2)(C), (D). Pub. L. 114-328, §953(a)(2)(B), redesignated subpars. (D) and (E) as (C) and (D), respectively. Former subpar. (C) redesignated (B).Subsec. (a)(2)(E), (F). Pub. L. 114-328, §953(a)(2)(B), (C), redesignated subpar. (F) as (E) and inserted "from past conflicts" after "missing persons" in two places.Subsec. (a)(4). Pub. L. 114-328, §953(a)(3)(B), inserted "from past conflicts" after "missing persons". Pub. L. 114-328, §953(a)(3)(A), which directed striking out "for personal recovery (including search, rescue, escape, and evasion) and" was executed by striking out "for personnel recovery (including search, rescue, escape, and evasion) and" after "Department of Defense,", to reflect the probable intent of Congress.Subsec. (a)(5). Pub. L. 114-328, §953(a)(4), struck out par. (5) which read as follows: "The designated Agency Director shall establish procedures to be followed by Department of Defense boards of inquiry, and by officials reviewing the reports of such boards, under this chapter."2014-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 113-291 amended subsec. (a) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (a) related to responsibility for missing personnel, consisting of pars. (1) to (6). 2013-Subsec. (a)(1)(D). Pub. L. 113-66 added subpar. (D).2011-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 111-383, §901(g)(1), substituted "Responsibility for Missing Personnel" for "Office for Missing Personnel" in heading.Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 111-383, §901(g)(2)(A) -(C), in introductory provisions, substituted "designate within the Office of the Secretary of Defense an official as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Affairs to have responsibility for Department of Defense matters" for "establish within the Office of the Secretary of Defense an office to have responsibility for Department of Defense policy", struck out "Such office shall be known as the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office." after "persons.", and substituted "of the official designated under this paragraph" for "of the office".Subsec. (a)(1)(B), (C). Pub. L. 111-383, §901(g)(2)(D) -(F), added subpar. (B) and redesignated former subpar. (B) as (C).Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 111-383, §901(g)(4), added par. (2). Former par. (2) redesignated (3).Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 111-383, §901(g)(3), (5), redesignated par. (2) as (3), struck out "of the office" after "responsibilities", and substituted "official designated under paragraph (1) and (2)" for "head of the office". Former par. (3) redesignated (4).Subsec. (a)(4). Pub. L. 111-383, §901(g)(3), (6), redesignated par. (3) as (4), substituted "designated official" for "office", and inserted "and for personnel accounting (including locating, recovering, and identifying missing persons or their remains after hostilities have ceased)" after "evasion)". Former par. (4) redesignated (5).Subsec. (a)(5). Pub. L. 111-383, §901(g)(3), (7), redesignated par. (4) as (5) and substituted "designated official" for "office". Former par. (5) redesignated (6).Subsec. (a)(6). Pub. L. 111-383, §901(g)(3), redesignated par. (5) as (6). Subsec. (a)(6)(A). Pub. L. 111-383, §901(g)(8)(A) (ii), which directed the substitution of "activity" for "office" both places appearing, was executed by making the substitution in three places to reflect the probable intent of Congress. Pub. L. 111-383, §901(g)(8)(A)(i), inserted "The Secretary of Defense shall establish an activity to account for personnel who are missing or whose remains have not been recovered from the conflict in which they were lost. This activity shall be known as the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office." after "(A)". Subsec. (a)(6)(B)(i). Pub. L. 111-383, §901(g)(8)(B), substituted "activity" for "to the office".Subsec. (a)(6)(B)(ii). Pub. L. 111-383, §901(g)(8)(C), substituted "activity" for "to the office" and "of the activity" for "of the office".Subsec. (a)(6)(C). Pub. L. 111-383, §901(g)(8)(D), substituted "activity" for "office".2004-Subsec. (a)(5)(B). Pub. L. 108-375 designated existing provisions as cl. (i), inserted ",whether temporary or permanent," after "civilian personnel", and added cl. (ii). 2002-Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 107-314, §551(b), inserted "Such office shall be known as the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office." after first sentence.Subsec. (a)(5). Pub. L. 107-314, §551(a), added par. (5). 1999-Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 106-65 substituted "described" for "prescribed" in first sentence.1997-Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 105-85, §599(a)(1)(A), added subsec. (c) and struck out former subsec. (c) which read as follows:"(c) COVERED PERSONS.-Section 1502 of this title applies in the case of any member of the armed forces on active duty who becomes involuntarily absent as a result of a hostile action, or under circumstances suggesting that the involuntary absence is a result of a hostile action, and whose status is undetermined or who is unaccounted for."Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 105-85, §599(a)(1)(B), added subsec. (f). 1996-Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 104-201, §578(a)(1)(A), substituted "applies in the case of" for "applies in the case of the following persons:" and "any member" for "(1) Any member" and struck out par. (2) which read as follows: "Any civilian employee of the Department of Defense, and any employee of a contractor of the Department of Defense, who serves with or accompanies the armed forces in the field under orders who becomes involuntarily absent as a result of a hostile action, or under circumstances suggesting that the involuntary absence is a result of a hostile action, and whose status is undetermined or who is unaccounted for." Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 104-201, §578(a)(1)(B), struck out subsec. (f) which read as follows:"(f) SECRETARY CONCERNED.-In this chapter, the term 'Secretary concerned' includes, in the case of a civilian employee of the Department of Defense or contractor of the Department of Defense, the Secretary of the military department or head of the element of the Department of Defense employing the employee or contracting with the contractor, as the case may be."
STATUTORY NOTES AND RELATED SUBSIDIARIES
EFFECTIVE DATE OF 2011 AMENDMENT Amendment by Pub. L. 111-383 effective Jan. 1, 2011, see section 901(p) of Pub. L. 111-383, set out as a note under section 131 of this title.
AUTHORITY TO ENTER INTO AGREEMENTS Pub. L. 118-31, div. A, title X, §1063(b), Dec. 22, 2023, 137 Stat. 401, provided that: "The Director of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency may enter into agreements with universities or research organizations under which such universities or research organizations agree to provide additional capabilities for specialized missions or research requirements relating to expanding accounting for persons missing from designated past conflicts."
RECOVERY AND IDENTIFICATION OF REMAINS OF CERTAIN WORLD WAR II SERVICEMEN LOST IN PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS Pub. L. 106-65, div. A, title V, §576, Oct. 5, 1999, 113 Stat. 624, as amended by Pub. L. 107-107, div. A, title X, §1048(g)(3), Dec. 28, 2001, 115 Stat. 1228, provided that:"(a) RECOVERY OF REMAINS.-(1) The Secretary of Defense shall make every reasonable effort to search for, recover, and identify the remains of United States servicemen lost in the Pacific theater of operations during World War II (including in New Guinea) while engaged in flight operations."(2) In order to provide high priority to carrying out paragraph (1), the Secretary of Defense shall consider increasing the number of personnel assigned to the Central Identification Laboratory, Hawaii."(3) Not later than September 30, 2000, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report setting forth the efforts made to accomplish the objectives specified in paragraph (1). The Secretary shall include in the report a statement of the backlog of cases at the Central Identification Laboratory, Hawaii, shown by conflict, and the status of the joint manning plan required by section 566(c) of the Strom Thurmond National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1999 (Public Law 105-261; 112 Stat. 2029). "(b) DIPLOMATIC INTERVENTION IF REQUIRED.-The Secretary of State, upon request by the Secretary of Defense, shall work with officials of governments of nations in the area that was covered by the Pacific theater of operations of World War II to seek to overcome any diplomatic obstacles that may impede the Secretary of Defense from carrying out the objectives specified in subsection (a)(1)."
POW/MIA INTELLIGENCE ANALYSIS Pub. L. 105-85, div. A, title IX, §934, Nov. 18, 1997, 111 Stat. 1866, as amended by Pub. L. 106-65, div. A, title X, §1066(c)(4), Oct. 5, 1999, 113 Stat. 773, provided that:"(a) INTELLIGENCE ANALYSIS.-The Director of Central Intelligence, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall provide intelligence analysis on matters concerning prisoners of war and missing persons (as defined in chapter 76 of title 10, United States Code) to all departments and agencies of the Federal Government involved in such matters."(b) USE OF INTELLIGENCE IN ANALYSIS OF POW/MIA CASES IN DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.-The Secretary of Defense shall ensure that the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office of the Department of Defense takes into full account all intelligence regarding matters concerning prisoners of war and missing persons (as defined in chapter 76 of title 10, United States Code) in analyzing cases involving such persons."[Reference to the Director of Central Intelligence or the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency in the Director's capacity as the head of the intelligence community deemed to be a reference to the Director of National Intelligence. Reference to the Director of Central Intelligence or the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency in the Director's capacity as the head of the Central Intelligence Agency deemed to be a reference to the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. See section 1081(a), (b) of Pub. L. 108-458, set out as a note under section 3001 of Title 50, War and National Defense.]
CONGRESSIONAL STATEMENT OF PURPOSE Pub. L. 104-106, div. A, title V, §569(a), Feb. 10, 1996, 110 Stat. 336, provided that: "The purpose of this section [enacting this chapter and section 655 of this title, amending sections 552, 553, 555, and 556 of Title 37, Pay and Allowances of the Uniformed Services, and enacting provisions set out as a note under section 5561 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees] is to ensure that any member of the Armed Forces (and any Department of Defense civilian employee or contractor employee who serves with or accompanies the Armed Forces in the field under orders) who becomes missing or unaccounted for is ultimately accounted for by the United States and, as a general rule, is not declared dead solely because of the passage of time."
- includes
- "includes" means "includes but is not limited to"; and
- Defense Agency
- The term "Defense Agency" means an organizational entity of the Department of Defense-(A) that is established by the Secretary of Defense under section 191 of this title (or under the second sentence of section 125(d) of this title (as in effect before October 1, 1986)) to perform a supply or service activity common to more than one military department (other than such an entity that is designated by the Secretary as a Department of Defense Field Activity); or(B) that is designated by the Secretary of Defense as a Defense Agency.
- Secretary concerned
- The term "Secretary concerned" means-(A) the Secretary of the Army, with respect to matters concerning the Army;(B) the Secretary of the Navy, with respect to matters concerning the Navy, the Marine Corps, and the Coast Guard when it is operating as a service in the Department of the Navy;(C) the Secretary of the Air Force, with respect to matters concerning the Air Force and the Space Force; and(D) the Secretary of Homeland Security, with respect to matters concerning the Coast Guard when it is not operating as a service in the Department of the Navy.
- active duty
- The term "active duty" means full-time duty in the active military service of the United States, including sustained duty in the Space Force. Such term includes full-time training duty, annual training duty, and attendance, while in the active military service, at a school designated as a service school by law or by the Secretary of the military department concerned. Such term does not include full-time National Guard duty.
- armed forces
- The term "armed forces" means the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force, and Coast Guard.
- military departments
- The term "military departments" means the Department of the Army, the Department of the Navy, and the Department of the Air Force.
- missing person
- The term "missing person" means-(A) a member of the armed forces on active duty who is in a missing status; or(B) a civilian employee of the Department of Defense or an employee of a contractor of the Department of Defense who serves in direct support of, or accompanies, the armed forces in the field under orders and who is in a missing status.Such term includes an unaccounted for person described in subsection (a) of section 1509 of this title who is required by subsection (c) of such section to be considered a missing person.
- officer
- The term "officer" means a commissioned or warrant officer.
- pay
- The term "pay" includes basic pay, special pay, retainer pay, incentive pay, retired pay, and equivalent pay, but does not include allowances.
- uniformed services
- The term "uniformed services" means-(A) the armed forces;(B) the commissioned corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and(C) the commissioned corps of the Public Health Service.