[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3069 Introduced in Senate (IS)]








109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3069

 To amend section 2306 of title 38, United States Code, to modify the 
  furnishing of government markers for graves of veterans at private 
                  cemeteries, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 25, 2006

 Mr. Dodd (for himself, Mr. Byrd, Mr. Conrad, Mr. DeWine, Mr. Dorgan, 
Mr. Johnson, Mr. Kennedy, and Mr. Leahy) introduced the following bill; 
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend section 2306 of title 38, United States Code, to modify the 
  furnishing of government markers for graves of veterans at private 
                  cemeteries, 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. MODIFICATION OF AUTHORITIES ON PROVISION OF GOVERNMENT 
              MARKERS FOR BURIALS OF VETERANS AT PRIVATE CEMETERIES.

    (a) Repeal of Expiration of Authority.--Subsection (d) of section 
2306 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by striking paragraph 
(3).
    (b) Provision of Headstone or Marker.--
            (1) In general.--Such subsection (d) is further amended--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)--
                            (i) in the first sentence, by striking 
                        ``Government marker'' and inserting 
                        ``Government headstone or marker''; and
                            (ii) in the second sentence, by inserting 
                        ``headstone or'' before ``marker'' each place 
                        it appears; and
                    (B) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``headstone or'' 
                before ``marker''.
            (2) Conforming amendment.--Subsection (g)(3) of such 
        section is amended by inserting ``headstone or'' before 
        ``marker''.
    (c) Placement of Headstone or Marker.--The second sentence of 
paragraph (1) of such subsection (d), as amended by subsection 
(b)(1)(A)(ii) of this section, is further amended by inserting before 
the period the following: ``, or, if placement on the grave is 
impossible or impracticable, as close as possible to the grave within 
the grounds of the cemetery in which the grave is located''.
    (d) Delivery of Headstone or Marker.--Paragraph (2) of such 
subsection (d), as amended by subsection (b)(1)(B) of this section, is 
further amended by inserting before the period the following: ``or to a 
receiving agent for delivery to the cemetery''.
    (e) Repeal of Obsolete Report Requirement.--Such subsection (d) is 
further amended by striking paragraph (4).
    (f) Scope of Headstones and Markers Furnished.--Such subsection (d) 
is further amended by inserting after paragraph (2) the following new 
paragraph (3):
    ``(3) In furnishing headstones and markers under this subsection, 
the Secretary shall permit the individual making the request for a 
headstone or marker to select among any headstone or marker in the 
complete product line of Government headstones and markers.''.
    (g) Retroactive Effective Date.--Notwithstanding subsection (d) of 
section 502 of the Veterans Education and Benefits Expansion Act of 
2001 (Public Law 107-103; 115 State 976), the amendments made to 
section 2306(d) of title 38, United States Code, by such section 502 
and subsections (a) through (e) of this section shall take effect as of 
November 1, 1990, and shall apply with respect to the graves of 
individuals dying on or after that date.
                                 <all>