Federal

Expanding America’s National Cemetery Act of 2023

Source: Congress.gov · 794 words in original text

What This Bill Does

This bill requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to expand or modify a national cemetery so that full military honors can be provided there before Arlington National Cemetery reaches capacity. The bill also requires the Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs to submit a report to Congress within one year that includes a proposal to increase cemetery capacity and an assessment of who should be allowed to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Who It Affects

The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the Army, Congress, and veterans and their families who may be eligible for burial at national cemeteries.

Key Provisions

• The Secretary of Veterans Affairs must expand or modify an existing national cemetery that is currently in use and controlled by the National Cemetery Administration to ensure full military honors are provided there, using the same standards and eligibility rules that existed as of March 31, 2023 for Arlington National Cemetery. (Sec. 2) • The Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs must jointly submit a report to Congress no later than one year after the bill becomes law that includes a proposal to increase national cemetery capacity through expansion or modification of a cemetery. (Sec. 3) • The report must include an assessment of whether the rules for who can be buried at Arlington National Cemetery should be changed to better recognize exceptional service and honors. (Sec. 3) • The report must examine how any changes to Arlington National Cemetery burial rules would affect women, veterans who served in non-combat positions, and veterans who did not serve in combat. (Sec. 3)

What Changes

If this bill becomes law, the Veterans Affairs Secretary must modify or expand a national cemetery to provide full military honors before Arlington reaches capacity. Two government officials must also create and submit a detailed report to Congress about cemetery capacity and who should be allowed to be buried at Arlington.

Important Definitions

None defined in bill text.

I 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 1413 To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to expand or otherwise modify an existing national cemetery to ensure that full military honors are provided at such cemetery, to require the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to jointly submit to Congress a report containing a proposal to increase national cemetery capacity and an assessment of the criteria for interment at Arlington National Cemetery, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MARCH 7, 2023 Mrs. MCCLAIN (for herself, Ms. HOULAHAN, Mr. JACKSON of North Carolina, Ms. ROSS, and Mr. WITTMAN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently deter- mined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned A BILL To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to expand or otherwise modify an existing national cemetery to ensure that full military honors are provided at such cemetery, to require the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to jointly submit to Congress a report containing a proposal to increase national cemetery ca- pacity and an assessment of the criteria for interment at Arlington National Cemetery, and for other purposes. VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:15 Mar 21, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6652 E:\BILLS\H1413.IH H1413 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 1413 IH Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Expanding America’s 4 National Cemetery Act of 2023’’. 5 SEC. 2. MODIFICATION OF EXISTING NATIONAL CEMETERY 6 TO CONTINUE PROVISION OF FULL MILITARY 7 HONORS. 8 (a) IN GENERAL.—Before Arlington National Ceme- 9 tery reaches capacity, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 10 shall expand or otherwise modify a national cemetery de- 11 scribed in subsection (b) to ensure that full military hon- 12 ors are provided at such cemetery— 13 (1) in a manner that is consistent with the full 14 military honors provided for interment in Arlington 15 National Cemetery as of March 31, 2023; and 16 (2) using the eligibility criteria in effect as of 17 March 31, 2023, for providing full military honors 18 for interment in Arlington National Cemetery. 19 (b) NATIONAL CEMETERY DESCRIBED.—A national 20 cemetery described in this subsection is a national ceme- 21 tery that is— 22 (1) in use as of the date of the enactment of 23 this Act; and 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:15 Mar 21, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1413.IH H1413 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 1413 IH (2) under the control of the National Cemetery 1 Administration. 2 SEC. 3. REPORT ON CRITERIA FOR INTERMENT IN ARLING- 3 TON NATIONAL CEMETERY AND PROPOSAL 4 TO INCREASE NATIONAL CEMETERY CAPAC- 5 ITY. 6 Not later than one year after the date of the enact- 7 ment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense and the Sec- 8 retary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly submit to Congress 9 a report that contains each of the following: 10 (1) A proposal to increase national cemetery ca- 11 pacity through the expansion or modification of a 12 national cemetery described in section 2(b) that has, 13 or will have, the capacity to provide full military 14 honors. 15 (2) The assessment of the Secretary of Defense, 16 in consultation with the Secretary of the Army, with 17 respect to any revisions that should be made to the 18 revised criteria for interment in Arlington National 19 Cemetery prescribed pursuant to section 598 of the 20 John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act 21 for Fiscal Year 2019 (Public Law 115–232; 38 22 U.S.C. 2402 note) in order to ensure that such cri- 23 teria recognize exceptional service and honors. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:15 Mar 21, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1413.IH H1413 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 1413 IH (3) An assessment of how the revised criteria 1 described in paragraph (2) will affect— 2 (A) women; 3 (B) veterans who served in non-combat oc- 4 cupations as members of the Armed Forces; 5 (C) veterans who did not serve in combat 6 as members of the Armed Forces; and 7 (D) such other groups as the Secretaries 8 consider relevant. 9 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:15 Mar 21, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H1413.IH H1413 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS

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