119 HR 2701 RH: Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Act U.S. House of Representatives 2025-09-09 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

IBUnion Calendar No. 214119th CONGRESS1st SessionH. R. 2701[Report No. 119–258]IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESApril 7, 2025Ms. Wasserman Schultz (for herself, Mr. Miller of Ohio, Mr. Goldman of New York, Ms. Lois Frankel of Florida, Mr. Schneider, Ms. Friedman, and Mr. Gottheimer) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' AffairsSeptember 9, 2025Additional sponsors: Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Goldman of Texas, Mr. Suozzi, Mr. Carter of Georgia, Ms. Norton, Ms. McBride, Ms. Sherrill, Ms. Gillen, Mr. Case, Ms. Tenney, Mr. Lawler, Mr. Torres of New York, Mr. Bell, Mr. Hamadeh of Arizona, Ms. Salazar, Ms. Budzinski, Mr. Raskin, Mr. Bacon, Mr. Magaziner, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Ciscomani, Ms. Schrier, Ms. Mace, Mr. Van Orden, Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick, Mr. Meuser, Mr. Kean, Mr. McCormick, Mr. Calvert, Mr. Kustoff, Mr. Carson, Mr. Bresnahan, Mr. LaLota, Mrs. Cammack, and Mr. FleischmannSeptember 9, 2025Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printedStrike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italicFor text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on April 7, 2025A BILLTo direct the American Battle Monuments Commission to establish a program to identify American-Jewish servicemembers buried in United States military cemeteries overseas under markers that incorrectly represent their religion and heritage, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Act.

2.

Findings

Congress finds the following:(1)An estimated 900 American-Jewish servicemembers of the Armed Forces, killed in World War I and World War II and buried overseas in United States military cemeteries were, for various reasons, mistakenly buried under Latin Crosses. In most instances, those mistakes were made inadvertently.(2)In 2022, more than 2,000,000 people visited the United States World War I and World War II cemeteries in foreign countries.(3)American-Jewish servicemembers played a vital role in the Allied victories in World War I and World War II.(4)American-Jewish servicemembers who fought and died for the United States must have their heritage properly recognized and honored.(5)The United States Government has a solemn responsibility to ensure that every American servicemember killed in action and buried overseas is properly honored.(6)The work of properly identifying American-Jewish servicemembers buried overseas is vital and integral to the responsibility of the American Battle Monuments Commission to ensure that past mistakes in honoring those servicemembers who died in the line of duty are corrected.

3.

Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Program

(a)

Establishment

The American Battle Monuments Commission shall establish a program to identify covered members and to contact survivors and descendants of such covered members. Such program shall be known as the Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Program.(b)

Duration

The Commission shall carry out the Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Program during the first five fiscal years that begin after the date of the enactment of this Act.(c)

Contracts

(1)

Authority

During each fiscal year described in subsection (b), the Commission shall seek to enter into a contract with a nonprofit organization under which such nonprofit organization shall carry out the purpose described in subsection (a).(2)

Term; amount

Each contract under this subsection shall be for one year and in the amount of $500,000 to the nonprofit organization.(3)

Priority

In awarding a contract under this subsection, the Commission shall give priority to a nonprofit organization that has demonstrated capability and expertise in carrying out the purpose described in subsection (a).(d)

Authorization of appropriations

To carry out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated to the Commission $500,000 for each fiscal year described in subsection (b).(e)

Definitions

In this section:(1)The term covered member means a deceased member of the Armed Forces who was Jewish and buried—(A)in a United States military cemetery located outside the United States; and(B)under a marker that indicates such member was not Jewish.(2)The term nonprofit organization means an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of such Code.

4.

Extension of certain limits on payments of pension

Section 5503(d)(7) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by striking November 30, 2031 and inserting January 31, 2032.

September 9, 2025Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed