[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5038 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5038

    To amend title 38, United States Code, to extend and expand the 
     application of the Department of Veterans Affairs benefit for 
  Government markers for marked graves of veterans buried in private 
cemeteries and to provide Government markers or memorial headstones for 
 deceased dependent children of veterans whose remains are unavailable 
                              for burial.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 29, 2006

  Mr. Miller of Florida (for himself and Ms. Berkley) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To amend title 38, United States Code, to extend and expand the 
     application of the Department of Veterans Affairs benefit for 
  Government markers for marked graves of veterans buried in private 
cemeteries and to provide Government markers or memorial headstones for 
 deceased dependent children of veterans whose remains are unavailable 
                              for burial.

    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' Memorial Marker Act of 
2006''.

SEC. 2. EXTENSION AND EXPANDED APPLICATION OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
              AFFAIRS BENEFIT FOR GOVERNMENT MARKERS FOR MARKED GRAVES 
              OF VETERANS BURIED IN PRIVATE CEMETERIES.

    (a) One-Year Extension of Government Marker Benefit.--Section 
2306(d)(3) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by striking 
``December 31, 2006'' and inserting ``December 31, 2007''.
    (b) Application of Government Marker Benefit to Veterans Dying on 
or After November 1, 1990.--Subsection (d) of section 502 of the 
Veterans Education and Benefits Expansion Act of 2001 (Public Law 107-
103; 38 U.S.C. 2306 note) is amended by striking ``September 11, 2001'' 
and inserting ``November 1, 1990''.

SEC. 3. PROVISION OF GOVERNMENT MARKERS OR MEMORIAL HEADSTONES FOR 
              DECEASED DEPENDENT CHILDREN OF VETERANS WHOSE REMAINS ARE 
              UNAVAILABLE FOR BURIAL.

    (a) Provision of Markers.--Subsection (b) of section 2306 of title 
38, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by adding at the end of paragraph (2) the following new 
        subparagraph:
            ``(C) An eligible dependent child of a veteran.''; and
            (2) by adding at the end of paragraph (4) the following new 
        subparagraph:
            ``(C) For purposes of this section, the term `eligible 
        dependent child' means a child--
                    ``(i) who is under 21 years of age, or under 23 
                years of age if pursuing a course of instruction at an 
                approved educational institution; or
                    ``(ii) who became permanently physically or 
                mentally disabled and incapable of self-support before 
                reaching 21 years of age, or before reaching 23 years 
                of age if pursuing a full-time course of instruction at 
                an approved educational institution.''.
    (b) Addition of Memorial Inscription to Headstone of Veteran.--
Subsection (f) of such section is amended by inserting ``or eligible 
dependent child'' after ``surviving spouse'' both places it appears.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsections (a) and (b) 
shall apply with respect to individuals dying after the date of the 
enactment of this Act.
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