A bipartisan bill co-authored by Idaho Sen. Mike Crapo cleared a key Senate hurdle Wednesday, with the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee unanimously advancing the measure aimed at cutting through government red tape that has long slowed efforts to account for missing American military personnel.

The legislation, formally designated S. 3226 and titled the Bring Our Heroes Home Act, was introduced by Crapo alongside Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire). The bill now awaits a vote by the full Senate.

What the Bill Would Do

The legislation targets a fragmented records system that advocates say hampers identification and recovery efforts. It would require all federal agencies to transmit records related to missing servicemembers and civilian personnel to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), creating a single centralized repository for investigators and families to access.

The bill would also establish an independent Missing Armed Forces and Civilian Personnel Records Review Board tasked with accelerating the declassification of government files relevant to unresolved cases — a process that has historically moved slowly across multiple agencies.

The Scale of the Problem

Roughly 80,751 Americans remain unaccounted for from conflicts spanning World War II through the Gulf Wars and beyond. Of that total, 358 are Idahoans whose fates have never been officially resolved.

“We have a duty to our missing servicemembers and their families to make every effort to bring them home,” Crapo told the Gem State Chronicle.

A Long-Running Effort

This is not the first time Crapo and Shaheen have pushed this legislation. The two senators introduced similar versions during both the 116th and 117th Congresses, making the committee’s unanimous vote Wednesday a significant step forward for a bill that has previously stalled before reaching the Senate floor.

Crapo, who has represented Idaho in the Senate since 1999 and currently serves as Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, has made accounting for missing personnel a recurring legislative priority.

The Idaho National Guard has also maintained a significant stateside commitment in recent months, with nearly 100 troops deployed to Washington, D.C. since February, underscoring the state’s ongoing connection to federal military operations.

With unanimous committee support and bipartisan sponsorship, the bill is positioned favorably for floor consideration, though the Senate’s broader legislative calendar will determine when it receives a vote.