U.S. Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA) has introduced a bill called the Military Equipment Quality and Safety Reform (MEZr) Act, which aims to enhance the safety of U.S. service members by establishing a new system to reduce military accidents and mishaps.
According to a release by Calvert's office, the bill is inspired by the death of First Lt. David Schmitz, an F-16 pilot and constituent of Calvert, whose call sign was "MEZr." Schmitz experienced a malfunction in his ejection seat during a nighttime landing, resulting in a fatal crash. The MEZr Act, the release said, seeks to prevent similar incidents in the future.
“The MEZr Act will better protect the lives of our most precious national security resource – the men and women who serve in our military,” Calvert wrote in the release. “One avoidable death in our military should be one too many. The tragic loss of Lt. Schmitz is a call for action. Our service members deserve a complete and thorough analysis after every serious accident to see what we could have done differently and how we avoid the same fate again in the future.”
Under the MEZr Act, the Secretary of Defense would "establish and implement a comprehensive system for analyzing and addressing nonconformities in the aftermath of all Class A Mishaps. The legislation also ensures accountability and transparency by requiring public disclosure of all information related to these accidents," the bill's text raid. Finally, the bill would authorize the Secretary to establish penalties, which might include fines, suspension, or revocation of contracts, for noncompliance with the requirements of the system, the release said.
According to his biography, Calvert is a lifelong resident of Riverside County. He worked as a restaurant and real-estate entrepreneur, and is known to give back to the community beyond his role in Congress by serving a number of community volunteer groups such as the Corona Chamber of Commerce, the Corona Rotary and the Corona-Norco Family YMCA.