Limits the role of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in interments or funerals, memorial services, or ceremonies of deceased veterans to providing: (1) such veterans with benefits earned by serving the United States, (2) any necessary maintenance of national cemeteries and other facilities under control of the National Cemetery Administration, and (3) any necessary security or traffic control with respect to such services at national cemeteries and facilities under such Administration's control.
Directs the Secretary to ensure that: (1) a suitable chapel is provided to the deceased's family, and (2) any requested honor guard or other nongovernmental group is provided access to such services and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care facilities.
Requires each VA cemetery director to be a veteran.
Prohibits federal government officials, including the Secretary, from interfering with the content and creed of such services, as expressed by the last will and testament of the individual or as determined by the family or agent of the individual, as provided under state law.
[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2720 Introduced in House (IH)]
112th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2720
To clarify the role of the Department of Veterans Affairs in providing
a benefit or service related to the interment or funeral of a veteran,
and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
August 1, 2011
Mr. Culberson introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To clarify the role of the Department of Veterans Affairs in providing
a benefit or service related to the interment or funeral of a veteran,
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. PROVISION OF FUNERAL SERVICES BY DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS
AFFAIRS.
(a) Role of VA in Veterans Funerals.--In providing a deceased
veteran with any benefit or service related to the interment or
funeral, memorial service, or ceremony of the deceased veteran, the
authority and responsibility of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs is
limited to providing--
(1) the deceased veteran with the benefits that the veteran
earned by serving the United States, including the provision of
funeral expenses, headstones, markers, burial receptacles, plot
allowances, and interment in national cemeteries, as provided
by law, including chapters 23 and 24 of title 38, United States
Code;
(2) any necessary maintenance of national cemeteries and
other facilities under the control of the National Cemetery
Administration; and
(3) any necessary security or traffic control with respect
to the funeral, memorial service, or ceremony of the veteran at
a national cemetery under the control of the National Cemetery
Administration.
(b) Access to Suitable Chapel.--In carrying out chapters 23 and 24
of title 38, United States Code, or in otherwise providing any benefit
or service related to the interment or funeral, memorial service, or
ceremony of a deceased veteran at a national cemetery under the control
of the National Cemetery Administration, the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs shall ensure that--
(1) a chapel is provided to the family of the deceased at
such national cemetery; and
(2) such chapel--
(A) is suitable for the use of the family and
visitors as a place for recollection and mourning; and
(B) displays the appropriate religious symbols
chosen by the family for the purpose of such funeral,
memorial service, or ceremony.
(c) Access to VA Facilities.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs
shall provide to any honor guard or other non-governmental group that
provides services to veterans access to--
(1) national cemeteries and other facilities under the
control of the National Cemetery Administration if such access
is requested by the family or agent of a deceased veteran whose
funeral, memorial service, or ceremony is being held in such
cemetery or facility; and
(2) health care facilities of the Department of Veterans
Affairs if such access is requested by a veteran receiving care
in such facility or the family or agent of such veteran.
(d) Required Qualification of VA Cemetery Director.--
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, each cemetery director of
the Department of Veterans Affairs shall be an individual who is a
veteran.
SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON INTERFERENCE OF FUNERALS BY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
The Congress reaffirms the inviolable individual zone of privacy
that each American possesses, including the deeply private act of
choosing the content and creed of an individual's funeral, memorial
service, or ceremony, as protected by the Constitution. In light of
such inviolable individual zone of privacy, no official of the Federal
Government, including the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, may interfere
with the content and creed of the funeral, memorial service, or
ceremony of a deceased individual, as expressed by the last will and
testament of the individual or as determined by the family or agent of
the individual, as provided under State law.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.
Subcommittee Hearings Held.
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