[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1516 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

  1st Session
                                H. R. 1516


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                July 22 (legislative day, July 21), 2003

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
 To provide for the establishment by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
     of five additional cemeteries in the National Cemetery System.

    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 ``National Cemetery Expansion Act of 
2003''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF NEW NATIONAL CEMETERIES.

    (a) Establishment.--Not later than four years after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in accordance 
with chapter 24 of title 38, United States Code, shall establish five 
new national cemeteries. The new cemeteries shall be located in the 
following locations (those locations having been determined by the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs to be the most appropriate locations for 
new national cemeteries):
            (1) Southeastern Pennsylvania.
            (2) The Birmingham, Alabama, area.
            (3) The Jacksonville, Florida, area.
            (4) The Bakersfield, California, area.
            (5) The Greenville/Columbia, South Carolina, area.
    (b) Funds.--Amounts appropriated for the Department of Veterans 
Affairs for any fiscal year after fiscal year 2003 for Advance Planning 
shall be available for the purposes of subsection (a).
    (c) Site Selection Process.--In determining the specific sites for 
the new cemeteries required by subsection (a) within the locations 
specified in that subsection, the Secretary shall solicit the advice 
and views of representatives of State and local veterans organizations 
and other individuals as the Secretary considers appropriate.
    (d) Initial Report.--Not later than 120 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report 
on the establishment of the national cemeteries required by subsection 
(a). The report shall--
            (1) set forth a schedule for the establishment of each such 
        cemetery and an estimate of the costs associated with the 
        establishment of each such cemetery; and
            (2) identify the amount of Advance Planning Funds obligated 
        for purposes of this section as of the submission of the 
        report.
    (e) Annual Reports.--The Secretary shall submit to Congress an 
annual report on the implementation of this section until the 
establishment of all five cemeteries is completed and each such 
cemetery has opened. The Secretary shall include in each such annual 
report an update of the information provided under paragraphs (1) and 
(2) of subsection (d).
    (f) Definition of Southeastern Pennsylvania.--In this section, the 
term ``southeastern Pennsylvania'' means the city of Philadelphia and 
Berks County, Bucks County, Chester County, Delaware County, 
Philadelphia County, and Montgomery County in the State of 
Pennsylvania.

            Passed the House of Representatives July 21, 2003.

            Attest:

                                                 JEFF TRANDAHL,

                                                                 Clerk.