<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><BillSummaries>
    <item congress="118" measure-type="s" measure-number="2181" measure-id="id118s2181" originChamber="SENATE" orig-publish-date="2023-06-22" update-date="2025-07-28">
        <title>Keeping Military Families Together Act of 2024</title>
        <summary summary-id="id118s2181v49" currentChamber="BOTH" update-date="2025-07-28">
            <action-date>2025-01-04</action-date>
            <action-desc>Public Law</action-desc>
            <summary-text><![CDATA[<p><strong>Keeping Military Families Together Act of 2024</strong></p><p>This act extends certain Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) burial benefits provided to spouses and dependent children of veterans or active duty servicemembers.</p><p>Specifically, the act extends through FY2032 the requirement for the VA to furnish, upon request, memorial headstones or markers for spouses or dependent children of veterans or servicemembers who were serving on active duty at the time of the spouse’s or child’s death.</p><p>Additionally, the act extends through FY2032 the authority for burial in any open national cemetery under the control of the National Cemetery Administration for a spouse or dependent child of veterans or servicemembers who were serving on active duty at the time of the spouse’s or child’s death.</p>]]></summary-text>
        </summary>
        <summary summary-id="id118s2181v55" currentChamber="SENATE" update-date="2024-11-14">
            <action-date>2024-05-01</action-date>
            <action-desc>Passed Senate</action-desc>
            <summary-text><![CDATA[<p><strong>Keeping Military Families Together Act of 2023</strong></p><p>This bill permanently extends&nbsp;certain Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)&nbsp;burial benefits provided&nbsp;to spouses and dependent children of veterans or active duty servicemembers. Specifically, the bill permanently requires&nbsp;the VA to furnish, upon request, memorial headstones or markers for spouses or dependent children of veterans or servicemembers who were serving on active duty at the time of the spouse’s or child’s death. Additionally, the bill permanently authorizes burial in any open national cemetery under the control of the National Cemetery Administration for a spouse or dependent child of veterans or servicemembers who were serving on active duty at the time of the spouse’s or child’s death.</p>]]></summary-text>
        </summary>
        <summary summary-id="id118s2181v00" currentChamber="SENATE" update-date="2024-11-13">
            <action-date>2023-06-22</action-date>
            <action-desc>Introduced in Senate</action-desc>
            <summary-text><![CDATA[<p><strong>Keeping Military Families Together Act of 2023</strong></p><p>This bill permanently extends certain Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) burial benefits provided&nbsp;to spouses and dependent children of veterans or active duty servicemembers. Specifically, the bill permanently requires the VA to furnish, upon request, memorial headstones or markers for spouses or dependent children of veterans or servicemembers who were serving on active duty at the time of the spouse’s or child’s death. Additionally, the bill permanently authorizes burial in any open national cemetery under the control of the National Cemetery Administration for a spouse or dependent child of veterans or servicemembers who were serving on active duty at the time of the spouse’s or child’s death.</p>]]></summary-text>
        </summary>
    </item>
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        <dc:language>EN</dc:language>
        <dc:rights>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.</dc:rights>
        <dc:contributor>Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress</dc:contributor>
        <dc:description>This file contains bill summaries for federal legislation. A bill summary describes the most significant provisions of a piece of legislation and details the effects the legislative text may have on current law and federal programs. Bill summaries are authored by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) of the Library of Congress. As stated in Public Law 91-510 (2 USC 166 (d)(6)), one of the duties of CRS is "to prepare summaries and digests of bills and resolutions of a public general nature introduced in the Senate or House of Representatives". For more information, refer to the User Guide that accompanies this file.</dc:description>
    </dublinCore>
</BillSummaries>
