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Congress·In Committee·H.R. 5945

USS Frank E. Evans Act

Vietnam Veterans Memorial: Adding USS Frank E. Evans Crew Names

This bill was recently introduced and is currently being reviewed by the House Armed Services and Natural Resources committees. It is in the early stages of the legislative process and is actively moving forward. There are no upcoming votes scheduled at this time.

Legislative Progress

House
Senate
President
Law
Could go either way

This bill has strong bipartisan support and addresses a long-standing request from veterans' families. However, similar efforts have struggled to pass in previous years due to limited time on the legislative calendar.

Key Points

  • This bill would add the names of 74 sailors who died on the USS Frank E. Evans to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C. These sailors were killed on June 3, 1969, when their ship collided with an Australian vessel during the Vietnam War.
  • The names were originally left off the wall because the accident happened just outside the official combat zone. For decades, families and survivors have argued that these sailors deserve the same recognition as others who died during the war.
  • If the bill becomes law, the Department of Defense would have one year to add the names. Officials would work with the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund to figure out how to fit the new names on the existing monument.
  • This action bypasses certain rules that usually make it hard to change national monuments. It focuses on honoring the specific crew members known as the Lost 74 to ensure their service is officially remembered.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions
Nov 7, 2025House

Referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, 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.

Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.

Nov 7, 2025

Introduced in House

The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.

Votes

No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.

News

No related news coverage found for this legislation yet.

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

USS Frank E. Evans Act

Bill NumberHR 5945
Congress119th Congress
ChamberHouse of Representatives
Latest ActionReferred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, 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.

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(18)
D: 14R: 4

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.