Honor Those Who Served Act of 2013 - Revises veterans' burial benefits provisions to allow a person to request a headstone or marker from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to commemorate an eligible individual if such person is: (1) the decedent's next of kin; (2) a person authorized by the next of kin to make such request; (3) a personal representative authorized by the decedent to make such request; (4) in the case of a decedent for whom there is no person under (1) through (3) identified, a state veterans agency, a military researcher, a local historian, a genealogist, or other person familiar with methods necessary to prove the identity of the decedent; or (5) in the case of a veteran who served on active duty at least 62 years before the date on which the headstone or marker is requested, any person.
Allows for the request of a headstone or marker without an emblem of religious belief.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2018 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2018
To amend title 38, United States Code, to identify the persons who are
eligible to request headstones or markers furnished by the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs, and or other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 16, 2013
Mr. Stivers (for himself, Mr. Tiberi, and Mrs. Beatty) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans'
Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to identify the persons who are
eligible to request headstones or markers furnished by the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs, and or 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 ``Honor Those Who Served Act of
2013''.
SEC. 2. PERSONS ELIGIBLE TO REQUEST HEADSTONES OR MARKERS FURNISHED BY
THE SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
(a) In General.--Section 2306 of title 38, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following new subsections:
``(h) A person may request a headstone or marker to commemorate a
decedent under this section if the person is--
``(1) the decedent's next of kin;
``(2) a person authorized in writing by the decedent's next
of kin to make such request;
``(3) a personal representative authorized in writing by
the decedent to make such request;
``(4) in the case of a decedent for whom no person
described in paragraphs (1), (2), or (3) may be identified, a
State veterans service agency, a military researcher, a local
historian, or a genealogist or other person familiar with the
research sources and methods necessary to prove the identity of
the decedent; or
``(5) in the case of a decedent who is a veteran who served
on active duty in the Armed Forces at least 62 years before the
date on which the headstone or marker is requested, any person.
``(i) In the case of a request for a headstone or marker under this
section for a decedent for whom insufficient information exists
regarding the religious beliefs of the individual to select an
appropriate emblem of belief for the headstone or marker of the
decedent, the person requesting the headstone or marker may request a
headstone or marker without an emblem of belief.''.
(b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall
apply with respect to a request for a headstone or marker submitted
after the date of the enactment of this Act.
<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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