[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1266 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1266

   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 SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 2, 2007

   Mr. Craig introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
             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.--The provision of paragraph 
        (1) shall take effect as of 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--
                    (A) by inserting ``(1)'' before ``Subject to'';
                    (B) by designating the second sentence as paragraph 
                (2) and indenting the margin of such paragraph, as so 
                designated, two ems from the left margin; and
                    (C) in paragraph (1), as designated by subparagraph 
                (A) of this paragraph, by striking ``assist such State 
                in establishing, expanding, or improving veterans' 
                cemeteries owned by such State.'' and inserting 
                ``assist such State in the following:
            ``(A) Establishing, expanding, or improving veterans' 
        cemeteries owned by such State.
            ``(B) Operating and maintaining such cemeteries.''.
            (2) Limitation on amounts 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.--(A) Subsection (b) of such 
        section is amended--
                    (i) by striking ``Grants under this section'' and 
                inserting ``Grants 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''.
            (B) Subsection (d) of such section is amended by inserting 
        ``, or in operating and maintaining a veterans' cemetery,'' 
        after ``veterans' cemetery''.
            (C) Subsection (f)(1) of such section is amended by 
        inserting ``, or in operating and maintaining veterans' 
        cemeteries,'' after ``veterans' cemeteries''.
            (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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