Valor Has No Expiration Act Waives Award Deadlines for Veterans with Classified Records Since 1940

The newly introduced Valor Has No Expiration Act aims to fix a long-standing issue where military service members missed out on awards they earned simply because the records proving their valor were classified or restricted for national security reasons. Essentially, this bill says that if you served on active duty in any branch of the Armed Forces since January 1, 1940, and your records were locked away, the usual time limits for recommending you for a decoration are now waived.

The Bureaucratic Barrier to Valor

Think about the folks who worked in intelligence or specialized units—the people whose jobs were so sensitive that their achievements couldn't be recognized publicly, sometimes for decades. Under current rules, once a certain amount of time passes, the window for recommending an award closes. This bill (Sec. 2) creates a special exception for these cases, recognizing that the delay wasn't the veteran's fault but a necessity of national security. For a veteran or their family, this means they can finally submit a request for the recognition that was earned during a period of classified service, whether it was during World War II or a more recent conflict.

The One-Year Clock Starts Now

Once a request for one of these late awards is submitted, the Secretary of the relevant military department (Army, Navy, etc.) must begin a review within 30 days and has one year to complete it. This is a crucial timeline for the service member waiting for an answer. While the bill sets this one-year deadline, it also includes a practical reality check: if the Secretary misses the deadline, it doesn't mean the award can't still be given later. This prevents the process from stalling out completely due to bureaucratic backlog, though it does mean the veteran might still face a longer wait.

Who Has the Final Say?

One of the most interesting provisions addresses the highest honors, like the Medal of Honor. If the Secretary reviews the case and recommends against awarding a decoration that the President usually grants, that negative recommendation does not stop the President from deciding to award it anyway. This ensures that the military brass's internal recommendation doesn't completely override the potential for the nation's highest recognition. It keeps the ultimate decision-making power intact while still utilizing the department's expert review process.

Mandatory Reporting and Future Improvements

Once the review is complete, the Secretary has to send a detailed report within 30 days to the Armed Services Committees in Congress and, if applicable, to the President. This report must summarize the request, the review findings, and the final decision. The bill specifically mandates that this reporting process must also include suggestions for how to improve the award process, especially for military intelligence personnel. This suggests the bill isn't just about fixing past wrongs, but about streamlining the recognition process for current and future service members whose work remains behind the curtain of classification.