Honoring Veterans’ Families Act of 2019

II 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. 2651 To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide inscriptions for spouses and children on certain headstones and markers furnished by the Secretary, and for other pur- poses. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES OCTOBER 21, 2019 Ms. SINEMA (for herself and Mr. BOOZMAN) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs A BILL To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide inscriptions for spouses and children on certain headstones and markers furnished by the Secretary, and for other purposes. 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 ‘‘Honoring Veterans’ 4 Families Act of 2019’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:48 Oct 22, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2651.IS S2651 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 2 •S 2651 IS SEC. 2. PROVISION OF INSCRIPTIONS FOR SPOUSES AND 1 CHILDREN ON CERTAIN HEADSTONES AND 2 MARKERS FURNISHED BY THE SECRETARY 3 OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 2306 of title 38, United 5 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol- 6 lowing new subsection: 7 ‘‘(i)(1) In the case of an individual for whom the Sec- 8 retary has furnished a headstone or marker for the un- 9 marked grave of the individual in a non-Department ceme- 10 tery under subsection (a) or for whom the Secretary has 11 furnished a headstone or marker under subsection (d), the 12 Secretary may, if feasible and upon request, replace the 13 headstone or marker to add an inscription for the sur- 14 viving spouse or eligible dependent child of such individual 15 following the death of the surviving spouse or eligible de- 16 pendent child. 17 ‘‘(2) If the spouse or eligible dependent child of an 18 individual referred to in paragraph (1) predeceases the in- 19 dividual, the Secretary may, if feasible and upon request, 20 include an inscription for the spouse or dependent child 21 on the headstone or marker furnished for the individual 22 under subsection (a) or (d). 23 ‘‘(3) In this section, the term ‘non-Department ceme- 24 tery’ means— 25 ‘‘(A) a veterans’ cemetery owned by a State; or 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:48 Oct 22, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2651.IS S2651 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 3 •S 2651 IS ‘‘(B) a State, local, tribal, or private ceme- 1 tery.’’. 2 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Subsection (i) of section 3 2306 of title 38, United States Code, as added by sub- 4 section (a) shall apply with respect to an individual who 5 dies on or after October 1, 2018. 6 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:48 Oct 22, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\S2651.IS S2651 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS