[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3653 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 3653

To amend title 10, United States Code, to require that the Secretaries 
    of the military departments provide honor guard details for the 
             funerals of veterans, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 1, 1998

 Mr. Evans (for himself and Mrs. Kelly) introduced the following bill; 
        which was referred to the Committee on National Security

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 10, United States Code, to require that the Secretaries 
    of the military departments provide honor guard details for the 
             funerals of veterans, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Veterans Burial Rights Act of 
1998''.

SEC. 2. MILITARY HONOR GUARD DETAILS AT FUNERALS OF VETERANS.

    (a) In General.--(1) Chapter 75 of title 10, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 1491. Funeral honor guard details
    ``(a) Availability.--The Secretary of a military department shall, 
upon request, provide an honor guard detail for the funeral of any 
veteran.
    ``(b) Minimum Size of Honor Guard Details.--The Secretary of each 
military department shall ensure that an honor guard detail for the 
funeral of a veteran consists of not less than five members of the 
armed forces (one of whom shall be a bugler).
    ``(c) Veteran Defined.--In this section, the term `veteran' has the 
meaning given that term in section 101(2) of title 38.''.
    (2) The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is 
amended by adding at the end the following new item:

``1491. Funeral honor guard details.''.
    (b) Treatment of Performance of Honor Guard Functions by 
Reserves.--(1) Chapter 1215 of title 10, United States Code, is 
amended--
            (1) by striking out the following:

                     ``[No present sections]''; and

            (2) inserting in lieu thereof the following:

``Sec.
``12551. Funeral honor guard functions: prohibition of treatment as 
                            drill or training.
``Sec. 12551. Funeral honor guard functions: prohibition of treatment 
              as drill or training
    ``Performance by a Reserve of honor guard functions at the funeral 
of a veteran may not be considered to be a period of drill or training 
otherwise required.''.
    (2) The items relating to chapter 1215 in the tables of chapters at 
the beginning of subtitle E, and at the beginning of part II of such 
subtitle, are amended to read as follows:
``1215. Miscellaneous Prohibitions and Penalties............   12551''.
    (c) Repeal of Limitation on Availability of Funds for Honor Guard 
Functions by National Guard.--Section 114 of title 32, United States 
Code, is amended--
            (1) by striking out ``(a)''; and
            (2) by striking out subsection (b).
    (d) Applicability.--The amendments made by this section shall apply 
to burials of veterans that occur on or after the date that is 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act.
    (e) Report on Implementation.--Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall 
submit to Congress the directives prescribed by the Secretary of the 
Army, the Secretary of the Navy, and the Secretary of the Air Force to 
carry out the requirements under the amendments made by this section.
                                 <all>