[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2696 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2696

   To amend title 38, United States Code, to increase assistance for 
veterans interred in cemeteries other than national cemeteries, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 13, 2007

 Mr. Lamborn introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend title 38, United States Code, to increase assistance for 
veterans interred in cemeteries other than national 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. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans' Dignified Burial 
Assistance Act of 2007''.

SEC. 2. INCREASE IN ASSISTANCE FOR VETERANS INTERRED IN CEMETERIES 
              OTHER THAN NATIONAL CEMETERIES.

    (a) Increase in Plot or Interment Allowance.--Section 2303(b) of 
title 38, United States Code, is amended by striking ``$300'' each 
place it appears and inserting ``$400''.
    (b) Repeal of Time Limitation for State Filing for Reimbursement 
for Interment Costs.--
            (1) In general.--The second sentence of section 
        3.1604(d)(2) of title 38, Code of Federal Regulations, shall 
        have no further force or effect as it pertains to unclaimed 
        remains of a deceased veteran.
            (2) Retroactive application.--Paragraph (1) shall apply 
        with respect to a claim for reimbursement filed on or after 
        October 1, 2006.
    (c) Grants for Operation and Maintenance of State Veterans' 
Cemeteries.--
            (1) In general.--Subsection (a) of section 2408 of such 
        title is amended to read as follows:
    ``(a)(1) Subject to subsection (b), the Secretary may make grants 
to any State to assist the State in any of the following:
            ``(A) Establishing, expanding, or improving a veterans' 
        cemetery owned by the State.
            ``(B) Operating and maintaining such a cemetery.
    ``(2) Any such grant may be made only upon submission of an 
application to the Secretary in such form and manner, and containing 
such information, as the Secretary may require.''.
            (2) Limitation on amount awarded.--Subsection (e) of such 
        section is amended--
                    (A) by inserting ``(1)'' before ``Amounts''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following new 
                paragraph:
    ``(2) In any fiscal year, the aggregate amount of grants awarded 
under this section for the purposes specified in subsection (a)(1)(B) 
may not exceed $5,000,000.''.
            (3) Conforming amendments.--Such section is further 
        amended--
                    (A) in subsection (b)--
                            (i) by striking ``Grants under this 
                        section'' and inserting ``A grant under this 
                        section for the purposes described in 
                        subsection (a)(1)(A)''; and
                            (ii) by striking ``a grant under this 
                        section'' each place it appears and inserting 
                        ``such a grant''; and
                    (B) in each of subsections (d)(1) and (f)(1), by 
                inserting ``, or in operating and maintaining a 
                veterans' cemetery,'' after ``veterans' cemetery''.
            (4) Regulations.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
        shall prescribe regulations to carry out the amendments made by 
        this subsection.
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