[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 174 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 174

  To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a national 
         cemetery for veterans in the southern Colorado region.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 6, 2009

  Mr. Salazar (for himself and Mr. Lamborn) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in 
    addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
  of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
                               concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a national 
         cemetery for veterans in the southern Colorado region.

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

SECTION 1. ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL CEMETERY IN SOUTHERN COLORADO 
              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 El Paso County, Colorado, to serve the needs of 
veterans and their families in the southern Colorado region.
    (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 Colorado and 
        local officials in the southern Colorado 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 El Paso County, Colorado, 
        that would be suitable to establish the national cemetery under 
        subsection (a).
    (c) Authority To Accept Donation of Parcel of Land.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may 
        accept on behalf of the United States the gift of an 
        appropriate parcel of real property. The Secretary shall have 
        administrative jurisdiction over such parcel of real property, 
        and shall use such parcel to establish the national cemetery 
        under subsection (a).
            (2) Income tax treatment of gift.--For purposes of Federal 
        income, estate, and gift taxes, the real property accepted 
        under paragraph (1) shall be considered as a gift to the United 
        States.
    (d) 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.
    (e) Relationship to Construction and Five Year Capital Plan.--The 
requirement to establish a national cemetery under subsection (a) shall 
be added to the current list of priority projects, but should not take 
priority over existing projects listed on the National Cemetery 
Administration's construction and five-year capital plan for fiscal 
year 2008.
    (f) Southern Colorado Region Defined.--In this Act, the term 
``southern Colorado region'' means the geographic region consisting of 
the following Colorado counties:
            (1) El Paso.
            (2) Pueblo.
            (3) Teller.
            (4) Fremont.
            (5) Las Animas.
            (6) Huerfano.
            (7) Custer.
            (8) Costilla.
            (9) Alamosa.
            (10) Saguache.
            (11) Conejos.
            (12) Mineral.
            (13) Archuleta.
            (14) Hinsdale.
            (15) Gunnison.
            (16) Pitkin.
            (17) La Plata.
            (18) Montezuma.
            (19) San Juan.
            (20) Ouray.
            (21) San Miguel.
            (22) Dolores.
            (23) Montrose.
            (24) Delta.
            (25) Mesa.
            (26) Crowley.
            (27) Kiowa.
            (28) Bent.
            (29) Baca.
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