Sponsors (4)
Official title: Provide for records preservation processes for certain at-risk Afghan allies.
Introduced August 7, 2026 by Marion Michael Rounds · Last progress August 7, 2026
The bill provides free, accessible DoD recognition and preserved records for Afghan allies with some procedural transparency, at the cost of significant privacy risks, limited appeal and legal help for applicants, and increased DoD administrative burden.
Afghan nationals who served U.S.-aligned Afghan forces can obtain an official DoD classification and have their service and biometric records preserved for future immigration, benefits, or verification uses.
Displaced Afghan applicants can apply from abroad via a secure online portal, improving accessibility for allies outside the United States.
No fees will be charged for classification or records preservation, lowering financial barriers for low-income applicants.
Applicants' biometric and other sensitive personal data will be stored and reviewed by DoD and contractors, creating significant privacy and security risks (including risk of misuse or breach).
Denials can be based on broad 'derogatory information' and applicants receive only one appeal, risking wrongful denials with limited remedies for those wrongly excluded.
The government will not pay for applicants' legal representation, which could disadvantage low-income applicants who cannot afford counsel in a complex verification process.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires the Defense Department to create a records preservation program and application process to identify defined "Afghan allies" who served Afghan security or justice institutions between 2001 and 2021.
Creates a Department of Defense program to identify and preserve records about defined "Afghan allies" who served or worked with Afghan defense, security, or justice institutions supporting the U.S. mission in Afghanistan between Dec 22, 2001 and Sept 1, 2021. It defines eligible categories of people, requires an application process, and sets a 180-day deadline for the Secretary of Defense to establish the program. Defines who counts as an "Afghan ally" for the purposes of DoD records preservation (including specific military, security, justice, and civilian roles) and clarifies the scope of Afghanistan’s defense and security forces covered by the program.