[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3252 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 3252

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish an advisory board 
 to review requests for waivers of eligibility requirements for burial 
 in Arlington National Cemetery submitted to the Secretary of the Army.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 24, 1998

 Mrs. Johnson of Connecticut introduced the following bill; which was 
             referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish an advisory board 
 to review requests for waivers of eligibility requirements for burial 
 in Arlington National Cemetery submitted to the Secretary of the Army.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. ESTABLISHMENT OF ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY ADVISORY BOARD.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 24 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 2412. Arlington National Cemetery Burial Advisory Board
    ``(a) Establishment.--There is established the Arlington National 
Cemetery Burial Advisory Board (hereinafter in this section referred to 
as the `Advisory Board').
    ``(b) Duties.--The Advisory Board shall--
            ``(1) review and evaluate an application for burial in 
        Arlington National Cemetery of an individual who, in the 
        opinion of the Superintendent of Arlington National Cemetery, 
        does not meet eligibility requirements for such burial; and
            ``(2) recommend to the Secretary of the Army that such 
        application be granted or denied.
    ``(c) Membership.--The Advisory Board shall be composed of seven 
members appointed by the Secretary of the Army, in consultation with 
veterans service organizations, as follows:
            ``(1) Four members shall be appointed from among 
        individuals--
                    ``(A) who are veterans, and
                    ``(B) who are members of a veterans service 
                organization the entire membership of which is eligible 
                for burial in Arlington National Cemetery by reason of 
                the requirements for membership in the organization.
            ``(2) Three members shall be appointed from among 
        individuals--
                    ``(A) who are veterans, and
                    ``(B) who are members of a veterans service 
                organization a significant portion of the membership of 
                which is eligible for burial in Arlington National 
                Cemetery.
            ``(3) Not more than four members of the Advisory Board may 
        be members of the same political party.
    ``(d) Compensation.--Members shall serve without pay, but may 
receive travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in 
accordance with sections 5702 and 5703 of title 5.
    ``(e) Term; Vacancy.--(1) The term of a member of the Advisory 
Board is three years.
    ``(2) Any member appointed to fill a vacancy for an unexpired term 
shall be appointed for the remainder of such term. A member may serve 
after the expiration of that member's term until a successor has been 
appointed. A vacancy in the Advisory Board shall be filled not later 
than 90 days after the date the vacancy occurred.
    ``(f) Chairperson.--The members of the Advisory Board shall select 
a chairperson from among their members.
    ``(g) Director and Staff.--The Secretary of the Army, after 
consultation with the Advisory Board, shall provide the Advisory Board 
with an executive director and such additional personnel as the 
Secretary determines necessary for the Advisory Board to carry out its 
functions. The Secretary of the Army, after consultation with the 
National Purple Heart Museum, shall provide for a professional staff 
member to coordinate research for the Advisory Board.
    ``(h) Meetings.--The Advisory Board shall meet at the call of the 
chairperson or a majority of its members.
    ``(i) Publication of Recommendation.--(1) Whenever the Advisory 
Board submits a recommendation to the Secretary of the Army with 
respect to an application for interment of remains of an individual in 
Arlington National Cemetery under subsection (b)(2), the Advisory Board 
shall make public its recommendation to grant or deny such application 
on the first day that follows the day on which the Advisory Board 
submitted such recommendation.
    ``(2) Not later than 30 days after submitting the recommendation to 
the Secretary of the Army under paragraph (1), the Advisory Board shall 
submit to Congress a report that explains the reasons for the 
recommendation.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning 
of chapter 24 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at 
the end the following new item:

``2412. Arlington National Cemetery Burial Advisory Board.''.
    (c) Effective Date.--Section 2412 of title 38, United States Code, 
as added by subsection (a), shall apply with respect to applications 
for interment in Arlington National Cemetery submitted on or after the 
date that is 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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