A group of conservative lawmakers are eyeing legislation that would ban the Pentagon from releasing summaries of military service records. The discussion comes after the Air Force mistakenly leaked service records of congressional Republicans earlier this year.
The House Appropriations Committee is reportedly looking to stop the public release of military service records of United States veterans without consent, according to NBC News. Under the new bill, members of the public would need to request the information through the Freedom of Information Act, and the person that is targeted would need to give consent.
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The types of information that can currently be released without notification or consent generally include the service member's full name, rank, date of rank, past and present duty assignments, awards and decorations, attendance at professional military schools, duty status at any given time, home of record, and official photo, according to the Department of Defense.
Employers often use the information to verify someone's military service. If passed, the new law would make the process to verify an applicant's background more difficult and time-consuming because FOIA requests are often backlogged and can take months to fulfill.
The bill comes after the Air Force admitted to improperly releasing private information about Reps. Don Bacon (R-NE) and Zach Nunn (R-IA) during the 2022 midterm elections. Both congressmen are former Air Force officers, and Bacon rose to the rank of brigadier general. The person who requested the private information had ties to the Democratic Party.
The Air Force also mistakenly released private health information about Indiana Republican congressional hopeful Jennifer-Ruth Green during the midterm elections. The information revealed that Green was sexually assaulted in the Air Force.
“Department of the Air Force employees did not follow proper procedures requiring the member’s authorizing signature consenting to the release of information,” Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek told NBC. “There was no evidence of political motivation or malicious intent on the part of any employee.”
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The person making the request about Green had filled out a Standard Form 180, which requests more than just basic information on the service member. But typically, the service member is supposed to sign the form that gives the Air Force permission to release the more detailed information. However, Green did not sign the form.
An SF-180 can include a person's medical records and the contents of their military personnel file and can help in the one-time replacement of any lost medals.