Transportation of the remains of armed service members who die outside the U.S. would become the responsibility of those troops' military commands under legislation pending in Congress that seems almost certain to become law.

The initiative was proposed in reaction to the mishandling of remains by the military mortuary at Dover Air Force Base, Del., after the problem was exposed last year. It aims to have a uniformed service member be accountable from the initial death or recovery of the remains through burial or interment, unless a family requests otherwise. The designated member would be subject to disciplinary action if something goes wrong.

Under the proposal, already approved by the House as part of the 2013 defense authorization bill and introduced Monday as an amendment to the Senate version of the bill, the Defense Department would be responsible for ensuring someone is responsible for the care, handling and transportation of remains of any member of the Army, Navy, Air Force or Marine Corps who dies outside the U.S.

Regulations to ensure continuous responsibility would have to be issued within 60 days after the bill becomes law.

One person would not necessarily be responsible for the remains throughout the process. But if responsibility shifts, there would have to be a formal chain-of-custody handoff.

News reports last year uncovered a decade of problems with the handling of remains at the Port Mortuary that resulted in some unidentified remains being sent to landfills and mishandling by mortuary workers.

Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Colo., a chief sponsor of the bill, said he believes military members can be trusted to show more respect for remains than civilians at the mortuary, which falls under the Dover-based Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations.

Coffman, a Marine Corps and Army veteran, notes that service members can be prosecuted under the Uniform Code of Military Justice if they fail to carry out an assignment, while prosecuting civilians is much harder.

Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., takes issue with Coffman's perspective, said his press secretary, Katie Wilson.

"Senator Carper has met with the AFMAO leaders and is satisfied that corrective measures are in place for all members of that operation," Wilson said. "The problems at the AFMAO cannot be attributed to the fact that those involved were civilians or military, as the proposed legislation suggests. After all, it was civilian staff who stepped forward to point out the problems with AFMAO."

Rep. John Carney, D-Del., agreed, saying that the Port Mortuary has taken "strong corrective actions" in response to the issues "raised by civilian whistleblowers and the congressional delegation."

However, Carney doesn't appear opposed to additional scrutiny for the mortuary.

"I believe that providing even more care and attention will only enhance the quality with which we carry out this solemn responsibility," he said.

Carper is still reviewing the proposal, Wilson said.

Port Mortuary spokeswoman Capt. Henrietta Johnson declined to comment.

"It's pending legislation," she said.

Rick Maze, Military Times