H.R. 3015 · 118th Congress
Safeguarding Our Forces Abroad Act
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Never voted on. It didn't reach a floor vote before the 118th Congress ended, so it expired. A bill has to be introduced again to be considered in a new Congress.
R
LaLotaSponsor1 cosponsor · 1 R
0 signed on when it was introduced; the rest joined later. Cosponsors who withdrew aren't shown.
This bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to reduce, at a rate of 1% each month, the number of members of the Armed Forces stationed in foreign countries where (1) at least 1,000 members of the Armed Forces were stationed in the previous fiscal year, and (2) there are not enforceable Status of Forces Agreements in place that contain specified…
What it does: CRS summary · Introduced in House · Apr 28, 2023
Safeguarding Our Forces Abroad Act or the SOFA Act
This bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to reduce, at a rate of 1% each month, the number of members of the Armed Forces stationed in foreign countries where (1) at least 1,000 members of the Armed Forces were stationed in the previous fiscal year, and (2) there are not enforceable Status of Forces Agreements in place that contain specified elements.
Specifically, the bill applies to countries that do not have enforceable Status of Forces Agreements in place that
- prohibit pretrial detention of any member of the Armed Forces who has been accused of committing a non-violent crime,
- guarantees an accused member of the Armed Forces immediate access to legal counsel and language translation services during the legal process,
- guarantees an accused member of the Armed Forces may not be compelled to be a witness against themselves, and
- guarantees an accused member of the Armed Forces will be protected from confessions obtained through torture, coercion, threats, violence, or any means of improper influence.
The requirement to reduce force numbers may be waived if DOD certifies to Congress that it is in the national security interests of the United States to avoid a reduction in forces.
Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov
About this bill and sources
Official title: SOFA Act
Latest action (Apr 28, 2023): Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security · Origin: House · Introduced: Apr 28, 2023
Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)
No recorded floor vote found.