FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) — Federal lawmakers have proposed making the victims of the 2009 Fort Hood shooting rampage eligible for the Purple Heart.
A bill introduced in Congress would remove the distinction between international and domestic terrorism, making any military victims of terrorist attacks in the U.S. eligible for the Purple Heart. It's now awarded only to troops attacked in a combat zone.
The bill is sponsored by Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, an independent, and Republican Rep. Peter King of New York.
Some members of Texas' delegation already proposed allowing Fort Hood victims to receive the same benefits as those killed or wounded in combat.
Thirteen people were killed and more than two dozen wounded in the rampage. Army psychiatrist Maj. Nidal Hasan faces the death penalty if convicted at his August trial.
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