§ 1135. Replacement of military decorations

• (a) In addition to other authorities available to the Secretary concerned to replace a military decoration, the Secretary concerned shall replace, on a one-time basis and without charge, a military decoration upon the request of the recipient of the military decoration or the immediate next of kin of a deceased recipient.
• (b) When a request for the replacement of a military decoration is received under this section or section 7277, 7281, 8303, 9277, or 9281 of this title, the Secretary concerned shall ensure that—
  • (1) all actions to be taken with respect to the request, including verification of the service record of the recipient of the military decoration, are completed within one year; and
  • (2) the replacement military decoration is mailed to the person requesting the replacement military decoration within 90 days after verification of the service record.
• (c) In this section, the term “decoration” means any decoration or award (other than the medal of honor) that may be presented or awarded by the President or the Secretary concerned to a member of the armed forces.