[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2040 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2040

   To provide for a comprehensive assessment of veterans' cemeteries.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 8, 1999

Mr. Stump (for himself, Mr. Evans, Mr. Quinn, Mr. Filner, Mr. Everett, 
 Ms. Brown of Florida, and Mr. McKeon) introduced the following bill; 
        which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To provide for a comprehensive assessment of veterans' cemeteries.

    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' Cemeteries Assessment Act 
of 1999''.

SEC. 2. INDEPENDENT STUDY ON IMPROVEMENTS TO VETERANS' CEMETERIES.

    (a) Study.--By not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall enter 
into a contract with one or more qualified organizations to conduct a 
study of national cemeteries described in subsection (b). For purposes 
of this section, an entity of Federal, State, or local government is 
not a qualified organization.
    (b) Matters Studied.--(1) The study conducted pursuant to the 
contract entered into under subsection (a) shall include an assessment 
of each of the following:
            (A) The one-time repairs required at each national cemetery 
        under the jurisdiction of the National Cemetery Administration 
        of the Department of Veterans Affairs, to ensure a dignified 
        and respectful setting appropriate to such cemetery, taking 
        into account the diversity of age, climate, and burial options 
        at individual national cemeteries.
            (B) The feasibility of making standards of appearance of 
        such national cemeteries commensurate with standards of 
        appearance of the finest cemeteries in the world.
            (C) The number of additional national cemeteries that will 
        be required for the interment and memorialization in such 
        cemeteries of individuals qualified under chapter 24 of title 
        38, United States Code, who die after 2010.
            (D) Improvements to burial benefits under chapter 23 of 
        title 38, United States Code, including a proposal to increase 
        the amount of the benefit for plot allowances under section 
        2303(b) of such title, to better serve veterans and their 
        families.
    (2) In presenting the assessment of additional national cemeteries 
required under paragraph (1)(C), the report shall identify by five-year 
period, beginning with 2010 and ending with 2030, the following:
            (A) The number of additional national cemeteries required 
        during each five-year period.
            (B) With respect to each five-year period, the areas in the 
        United States with the greatest concentration of veterans whose 
        needs are not served by national cemeteries or State veterans' 
        cemeteries.
    (c) Report.--(1) By not later than one year after the date that a 
qualified organization enters into a contract under subsection (a), the 
organization shall submit to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs a report 
detailing the results of the study conducted and conclusions of the 
organization with respect to such results.
    (2) By not later than 120 days after the date a report is submitted 
under paragraph (1), the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall transmit 
to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives 
and the Senate a copy of such report, together with any comments on the 
report that the Secretary determines appropriate.
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