Veterans' Religious Freedom Act - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to ensure that: (1) the family members of each veteran who is buried in a national cemetery or is eligible for certain veterans' burial benefits are informed of all options available for the funeral or memorial service for such veteran, and (2) the director of each national cemetery is a qualified veteran.
Prohibits the Secretary from: (1) prescribing regulations to censor or otherwise limit the type of religious speech that may be performed by a member of a veterans service organization at the funeral or memorial service of a veteran, or (2) censoring or otherwise limiting the type of religious speech of private speakers who have been invited to speak on property of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2848 Introduced in House (IH)]
112th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2848
To provide for certain requirements of the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs relating to funeral and memorial services for deceased
veterans, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 7, 2011
Mr. Poe of Texas introduced the following bill; which was referred to
the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide for certain requirements of the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs relating to funeral and memorial services for deceased
veterans, 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. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans' Religious Freedom Act''.
SEC. 2. REQUIREMENT OF SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS RELATING TO
FUNERAL AND MEMORIAL SERVICES FOR DECEASED VETERANS.
(a) Provision of Options to Family Members of Deceased.--The
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that the family members of
each veteran who is buried in a national cemetery or eligible for
burial benefits under chapter 23 of title 38, United States Code, are
informed of all options available for the funeral or memorial service
for the veteran.
(b) Cemetery Director Requirement.--
(1) In general.--Except as provided by paragraph (2), by
not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this
Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that the
director of each national cemetery is a qualified veteran.
(2) Exception.--If the Secretary determines that the
Secretary is unable to hire a qualified veteran to be the
director of a national cemetery, the Secretary shall--
(A) notify the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of
the Senate and House of Representatives of such
determination; and
(B) after making such notification, hire a
qualified non-veteran individual to act as interim
director of the national cemetery until the date on
which the Secretary is able to hire a qualified veteran
for such position.
(c) Religious Speech at Veteran Funerals.--The Secretary of
Veterans Affairs may not--
(1) prescribe regulations to censor or otherwise limit the
type of religious speech that may be performed by a member of a
veterans service organization at the funeral or memorial
service of a veteran; or
(2) censor or otherwise limit the type of religious speech
of private speakers who have been invited to speak on property
of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
<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.
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