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Committee approves recognition of POW/MIA Day as a state proclamation holiday
Summary
The Government and Veterans Affairs committee voted to recommend that North Dakota designate an annual Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Day as an unpaid state holiday requiring a gubernatorial proclamation; veterans and advocates urged passage.
The Government and Veterans Affairs committee voted to recommend House Bill 1403, which would designate an annual Prisoner of War and Missing in Action Day as a state recognition day requiring an annual gubernatorial proclamation. The day would be unpaid and not require closures, but proponents said it would honor service members who remain missing or suffered as prisoners of war.
Representative Mary Schneider, sponsor of the bill, said the designation provides family members and the public a yearly moment of recognition for POWs and MIAs. “A state holiday will at least give those POWMIA families the dignity of a day they are recognized, remembered, and proclaimed,” Schneider said.
Testimony in support came from veterans and veterans’ organizations. Senator Richard Marschlade described state and national statistics for unrecovered service members and noted that the federal National POW/MIA Flag Act (2019) requires the POW/MIA flag to be flown at certain federal sites; he and Jim Nelson of the Veterans Legislative Council urged a state-level recognition as appropriate public acknowledgement. Commissioner of Veterans Affairs Lonnie Wong (testimony provided) said a proclamation should be issued annually and described the state’s active list of missing service members.
Representative Satrim moved the committee recommendation and Representative Steiner seconded; the committee adopted the do-pass recommendation on a roll-call 12–0–2 and forwarded the bill for further consideration.
