The ARCH Act establishes a Department of Defense records preservation program for Afghan allies who helped the United States during its military presence in Afghanistan. Eligible individuals include members of Afghan military and security forces, intelligence personnel, judges and prosecutors involved in rule of law activities, and other government officials who served for at least one year between December 2001 and September 2021. The Secretary of Defense must create a secure online application system within 180 days of the bill's enactment that allows applicants or their designees to submit documentation from anywhere outside the United States. The Department will review applications against its records and biometric data, and if approved without significant derogatory information, will preserve the complete application file for potential future use by the applicant. Applicants denied classification receive written explanations and can appeal once within 120 days, with the option to request reconsideration with additional information. The application process will run for at least 10 years or until the Secretary determines termination is in the national interest.
Take Action
Your position
Add a comment
to comment on this bill.
Annotate the text
Highlight any passage on the Summary or Full Text tab to attach a note. Annotations appear on the Annotations tab.