[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1825 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 1825

To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide sufficient funding to 
 assure a minimum size for honor guard details at funerals of veterans 
of the Armed Forces, to establish the minimum size of such details, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 24, 1998

 Mrs. Murray (for herself, Mr. Murkowski, and Mr. Sarbanes) introduced 
the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee 
                           on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide sufficient funding to 
 assure a minimum size for honor guard details at funerals of veterans 
of the Armed Forces, to establish the minimum size of such details, 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. 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:
``Sec. 1491. Honor guard details
    ``(a) Availability Upon Request.--The Secretaries of the military 
departments shall provide honor guard details at funerals of veterans 
of the armed forces only upon request.
    ``(b) Minimum Size of Details.--The Secretaries of the military 
departments shall ensure that honor guard details at funerals of 
veterans of the armed forces consist of not less than five members of 
the armed forces (of whom one shall be a bugler for the playing of 
`Taps').
    ``(c) Availability of Appropriations.--Any amounts appropriated to 
the Department of Defense may be used in order to meet the requirement 
set forth in subsection (b).''.
    (2) The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is 
amended by adding at the end the following:

``1491. Honor guard details.''.
    (b) Treatment of Performance of Honor Guard Functions by 
Reserves.--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. Honor guard functions: prohibition on treatment as drill or 
                            training.
``Sec. 12551. Honor guard functions: prohibition on treatment as drill 
              or training
    ``Any performance by a Reserve of honor guard functions at the 
funeral of a veteran of the armed forces may not be considered to be a 
period of drill or training otherwise required.''.
    (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 enactment of this Act.
    (e) Report on Implementation.--Not later than 180 days after the 
date of 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 in order to 
carry out the requirements under the amendments made by this section.
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