Headstones for Honor Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6032 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 6032

   To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of 
  Veterans Affairs to furnish headstones, markers, and medallions for 
 graves of certain enslaved individuals and individuals who performed 
 military functions despite ineligibility to serve in the Armed Forces.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 12, 2025

Mr. Horsford (for himself and Mr. Bacon) 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 furnish headstones, markers, and medallions for 
 graves of certain enslaved individuals and individuals who performed 
 military functions despite ineligibility to serve in the Armed Forces.

    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 ``Headstones for Honor Act''.

SEC. 2. ELIGIBILITY FOR HEADSTONES, MARKERS, AND MEDALLIONS, FURNISHED 
              BY THE SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS, FOR GRAVES OF 
              CERTAIN ENSLAVED INDIVIDUALS AND INDIVIDUALS WHO 
              PERFORMED MILITARY FUNCTIONS DESPITE INELIGIBILITY TO 
              SERVE IN THE ARMED FORCES.

    (a) Establishment.--Section 2306 of title 38, United States Code, 
is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in paragraph (3), by inserting ``and Navies'' 
                after ``Armies''; and
                    (B) by inserting, after paragraph (5), the 
                following new paragraphs:
    ``(6) Any enslaved individual, determined by the Secretary to 
have--
            ``(A) accompanied a member of the Armed Forces or a Civil 
        War veteran (as that term is defined in section 1501 of this 
        title) during active military or naval service of such member 
        or Civil War veteran; or
            ``(B) served in the Armed Forces (or Confederate Army or 
        Navy) in lieu of another individual.
    ``(7) Any individual determined by the Secretary to have performed 
a military function while prohibited from serving as a member of the 
Armed Forces--
            ``(A) by Federal, State, or Tribal law; and
            ``(B) on the basis of race, gender, sex, or ethnicity.'';
            (2) in subsection (d)(1), by striking ``or (5)'' and 
        inserting ``, (5), (6), or (7)'';
            (3) by redesignating subsections (j) and (k) as subsections 
        (l) and (m), respectively; and
            (4) by inserting after subsection (i) the following new 
        subsections:
    ``(j) With respect to an individual described in paragraph (6) of 
subsection (a), who served in the military or naval forces of the 
Confederate States of America during the Civil War, a headstone, 
marker, or medallion, furnished by the Secretary, shall include 
language that denotes such individual was forced to support their own 
enslavement.
    ``(k) With respect to an individual described in paragraph (6) or 
(7) of subsection (a), a request to the Secretary for a headstone, 
marker, or medallion may be made only by--
            ``(1) a direct descendant of the individual described in 
        such paragraph; or
            ``(2) an individual whom the Secretary determines has made 
        a sufficiently reasonable attempt to solicit, from such a known 
        direct descendant, consent to make such request on behalf of 
        such direct descendant.''.
    (b) Regulations.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
prescribe regulations to implement the amendments made by subsection 
(a). Such regulations shall--
            (1) be informed by comment, solicited by the Secretary, 
        from--
                    (A) Civil War historians;
                    (B) civil rights organizations; and
                    (C) direct descendants of individuals described in 
                under paragraphs (6) and (7) of section 2306(a) of 
                title 38, United States Code (as added by such 
                subsection);
            (2) define the term ``military function'' for purposes of 
        such section; and
            (3) establish what evidence the Secretary may consider when 
        determining the performance of military functions of such 
        individuals or family relationships to such individuals, which 
        shall include--
                    (A) Federal or State pay records;
                    (B) Federal or State pension records;
                    (C) Confederate pay records;
                    (D) regimental histories;
                    (E) newspapers;
                    (F) photographs;
                    (G) ship logs;
                    (H) diaries;
                    (I) family records, including bibles; and
                    (J) church records.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall 
take effect on the earlier of--
            (1) the date on which the Secretary prescribes regulations 
        under subsection (b); and
            (2) the date that is one year after the date of the 
        enactment of this Act.
    (d) Report.--Not later than 15 months after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on 
Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the House of Representatives a 
report on the implementation of the amendments made by subsection (a) 
and the regulations prescribed under subsection (b).
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