[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 208 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 208

 Calling on the National Cemetery Administration of the Department of 
  Veterans Affairs to provide veterans reasonable access to burial in 
                          national cemeteries.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 15, 1999

    Ms. Brown of Florida (for herself and Mr. Evans) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Calling on the National Cemetery Administration of the Department of 
  Veterans Affairs to provide veterans reasonable access to burial in 
                          national cemeteries.

Whereas in 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed legislation authorizing the 
        purchase of ``cemetery grounds'' to be used as national cemeteries ``for 
        soldiers who shall have died in the service of the country'';
Whereas the United States has made a solemn commitment to provide an appropriate 
        final resting place for those who have honorably served this Nation in 
        the Armed Forces;
Whereas the stated goal of the National Cemetery Administration of the 
        Department of Veterans Affairs is to assure that the burial needs of 
        veterans are met in a manner that commemorates their service to our 
        Nation;
Whereas nearly one third of United States veterans currently do not have the 
        option of being buried in a national cemetery or State veterans cemetery 
        located within a reasonable distance of their residence--such distance 
        being 75 miles, as determined by the National Cemetery Administration;
Whereas the National Cemetery Administration, in its fiscal year 2000 
        performance plan, established a program objective that provides only 80 
        percent of United States veterans with a burial option within a 
        reasonable distance of their residence;
Whereas a National Cemetery Administration goal which does not provide 20 
        percent of United States veterans with a burial option within a 
        reasonable distance of their residence is not acceptable;
Whereas the National Cemetery Administration expects the demand for cemetery 
        space for veterans in national cemeteries will increase sharply in the 
        near future, with burials increasing 42 percent from 1995 to 2010, and 
        annual veteran deaths reaching the amount of 620,000 in 2008; and
Whereas the proposed fiscal year 2000 budget for the Department of Veterans 
        Affairs failed to include a request for any funding for the planning of 
        any new national cemeteries: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) reaffirms the commitment of the United States to the 
        men and women who have honorably served this Nation in the 
        Armed Forces to provide reasonable access to burial in a 
        national cemetery or State veterans cemetery; and
            (2) calls on the National Cemetery Administration of the 
        Department of Veterans Affairs, vested with the responsibility 
        of providing a final resting place for America's heroes, to 
        commence without delay the planning for the construction of new 
        national cemeteries and other activities to provide America's 
        veterans reasonable access to burial in a national cemetery or 
        State veterans cemetery.
                                 <all>