[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2701 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2701

  To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a national 
   cemetery in the eastern Nebraska region to serve veterans in the 
               eastern Nebraska and western Iowa regions.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 4, 2008

 Mr. Nelson of Nebraska introduced the following bill; which was read 
        twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a national 
   cemetery in the eastern Nebraska region to serve veterans in the 
               eastern Nebraska and western Iowa regions.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Congress strongly supports providing every honorably 
        discharged veteran the opportunity to be buried in a national 
        veterans cemetery in recognition of their sacrifices for the 
        freedoms enjoyed by every citizen of the United States.
            (2) The Department of Veterans Affairs has determined that 
        a population threshold of 170,000 eligible people living within 
        a 75-mile service radius is appropriate to merit the 
        establishment of a new national cemetery in areas of greatest 
        need nationwide.
            (3) Although the Department of Veterans Affairs estimates a 
        projected veterans population of 133,000 within a 75-mile 
        radius of the city of Bellevue, Nebraska, an independent 
        analysis conducted by the Metropolitan Area Planning Agency 
        located in Omaha, Nebraska, concluded that 172,500 people who 
        reside within a 75-mile radius of Bellevue would be eligible to 
        be buried in a national cemetery.
            (4) Congress has consistently authorized the construction 
        of six new national cemeteries every four years since 1999, 
        with the first six established by section 611 of the Veterans 
        Millennium Health Care and Benefits Act (Public Law 106-117; 38 
        U.S.C. 2400 note) and the next six established by the National 
        Cemetery Expansion Act of 2003 (Public Law 108-109; 38 U.S.C. 
        2400 note).
            (5) The independent report titled ``Future Burial Needs'' 
        and completed for the Department of Veterans Affairs in 2002 
        pursuant to section 613 of the Veterans Millennium Health Care 
        and Benefits Act (Public Law 106-117; 38 U.S.C. 2404 note) 
        recommended Omaha, Nebraska, as a location for a new national 
        cemetery to be built in 2005.
            (6) The Midwest Health Care Network of the Department of 
        Veterans Affairs, which is responsible for the provision of 
        health care for veterans residing in Iowa and Nebraska, 
        currently serves a high population of aging veterans.
            (7) Major veterans and military advocacy organizations 
        endorse the establishment of a national cemetery to serve 
        veterans and their family members in the eastern Nebraska and 
        western Iowa regions, including the following:
                    (A) The Nebraska Department of Disabled American 
                Veterans.
                    (B) The Heartland of America Chapter of the 
                Military Officers Association of America.
                    (C) The Great Plains Chapter of Paralyzed Veterans 
                of America.
                    (D) The Nebraska Department of Veterans of Foreign 
                Wars.
                    (E) The Nebraska chapter of Vietnam Veterans of 
                America.
                    (F) The Nebraska Military Order of the Purple 
                Heart.
                    (G) The Nebraska State Air Force Association.
                    (H) The Air Force Sergeants Association, Chapter 
                984.
                    (I) The Nebraska Department of the American Legion.
                    (J) The Forty & Eight Charitable Veterans.
                    (K) The Nebraska chapter of the American Ex-
                Prisoners of War.
                    (L) The Nebraska chapter of Gold Star Wives.
                    (M) The Korean War Veterans Association, Nebraska 
                Chapter 1.
                    (N) The Marine Corps League in Nebraska.
                    (O) The Nebraska Department of American Veterans.
            (8) Such organizations represent a combined membership of 
        not less than 85,700 veterans and military advocates in the 
        State of Nebraska.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL CEMETERY IN EASTERN NEBRASKA REGION.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall establish, 
in accordance with chapter 24 of title 38, United States Code, a 
national cemetery in the eastern Nebraska region to serve the needs of 
veterans and their families in the eastern Nebraska and western Iowa 
regions.
    (b) Consultation in Selection of Site.--Before selecting the site 
for the national cemetery established under subsection (a), the 
Secretary shall consult with--
            (1) appropriate officials of the State of Nebraska and 
        local officials in the eastern Nebraska region; and
            (2) appropriate officials of the United States, including 
        the Administrator of General Services, with respect to land 
        belonging to the United States in that region that would be 
        suitable to establish the national cemetery under subsection 
        (a).
    (c) Report.--As soon as practicable after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the 
establishment of the national cemetery under subsection (a). The report 
shall set forth a schedule for such establishment and an estimate of 
the costs associated with such establishment.
                                 <all>