Honor Guardsmen and Reservists Act

Honor Guardsmen and Reservists Act

This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to make available for purchase a memorial headstone or marker for the marked or unmarked grave of: (1) an individual who performed inactive duty training or active duty for training for at least six years as a member of a National Guard or reserve component, but did not serve on active duty and is not otherwise ineligible for a memorial headstone or marker on account of the nature of the individual's separation from the Armed Forces or other cause; or (2) such an individual whose remains are unavailable.

Such a headstone or marker may be purchased under this subsection by: (1) the individual; (2) the surviving spouse, child, sibling, or parent of the individual; or (3) an individual other than the next of kin, as determined by the VA.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3195 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3195

   To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs to make available for purchase memorial headstones and 
    markers for certain deceased members of the reserve components.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 12, 2017

  Mr. Sean Patrick Maloney of New York (for himself and Ms. Stefanik) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                           Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs to make available for purchase memorial headstones and 
    markers for certain deceased members of the reserve components.

    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 Guardsmen and Reservists 
Act''.

SEC. 2. AVAILABILITY FOR PURCHASE OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 
              MEMORIAL HEADSTONES AND MARKERS FOR MEMBERS OF RESERVE 
              COMPONENTS WHO PERFORMED CERTAIN TRAINING.

    Section 2306 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding 
at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(i)(1) The Secretary shall make available for purchase a memorial 
headstone or marker for the marked or unmarked grave of an individual 
described in paragraph (2) or for the purpose of commemorating such an 
individual whose remains are unavailable.
    ``(2) An individual described in this paragraph is an individual 
who--
            ``(A) as a member of a National Guard or Reserve component 
        performed inactive duty training or active duty for training 
        for at least six years but did not serve on active duty; and
            ``(B) is not otherwise ineligible for a memorial headstone 
        or marker on account of the nature of the individual's 
        separation from the Armed Forces or other cause.
    ``(3) A headstone or marker for the grave of an individual may be 
purchased under this subsection by--
            ``(A) the individual;
            ``(B) the surviving spouse, child, sibling, or parent of 
        the individual; or
            ``(C) an individual other than the next of kin, as 
        determined by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
    ``(4) In establishing the prices of the headstones and markers made 
available for purchase under this section, the Secretary shall ensure 
the prices are sufficient to cover the costs associated with the 
production and delivery of such headstones and markers.
    ``(5) No person may receive any benefit under the laws administered 
by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs solely by reason of this 
subsection.
    ``(6) This subsection does not authorize any new burial benefit for 
any person or create any new authority for any individual to be buried 
in a national cemetery.
    ``(7) The Secretary shall coordinate with the Secretary of Defense 
in establishing procedures to determine whether an individual is an 
individual described in paragraph (2).''.
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