To amend title 38, United States Code, to expand and make permanent the Department of Veterans Affairs benefit for Government markers for marked graves of veterans buried in private cemeteries, and for other purposes.

Amends federal veterans' benefits provisions to: (1) make permanent (currently, terminates on December 31, 2006) the authority for the provision by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs of government markers or memorial headstones for the marked graves of veterans buried in private cemeteries; and (2) terminate a reporting requirement on the use of such authority.

Amends the Veterans Education and Benefits Expansion Act of 2001 to make eligible for such markers or headstones certain veterans dying on or after November 1, 1990 (currently, September 11, 2001).

[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5499 Introduced in House (IH)]








109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5499

To amend title 38, United States Code, to expand and make permanent the 
   Department of Veterans Affairs benefit for Government markers for 
 marked graves of veterans buried in private cemeteries, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 25, 2006

 Mrs. Johnson of Connecticut introduced the following bill; which was 
             referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to expand and make permanent the 
   Department of Veterans Affairs benefit for Government markers for 
 marked graves of veterans buried in private cemeteries, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. PERMANENCE AND EXPANSION OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 
              BENEFIT FOR GOVERNMENT MARKERS FOR MARKED GRAVES OF 
              VETERANS BURIED IN PRIVATE CEMETERIES.

    (a) Permanency of Program.--Subsection (d) of section 2306 of title 
38, United States Code is amended by striking paragraphs (3) and (4).
    (b) Expansion of Benefit.--Such subsection, as amended by 
subsection (a), is further amended--
            (1) by striking ``marker'' each place it appears and 
        inserting ``headstone or marker'';
            (2) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``or to a representative 
        of such cemetery'' after ``located''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph (3):
    ``(3) In the case of a grave for which a headstone or marker is 
requested that is marked by a headstone or marker furnished at private 
expense, the Government headstone or marker may be furnished if the 
individual making the request for the Government headstone or marker 
certifies to the Secretary that the headstone or marker will be placed 
as close as practicable to that grave.''.
    (c) Application of Government Marker Benefit to Veterans Dying on 
or After November 1, 1990.--Subsection (d) of section 502 of the 
Veterans Education and Benefits Expansion Act of 2001 (Public Law 107-
103; 38 U.S.C. 2306 note) is amended by striking ``September 11, 2001'' 
and inserting ``November 1, 1990''.
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