[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 595 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 595

 To amend title 36, United States Code, to designate the musical piece 
commonly known as ``Taps'' as the National Song of Remembrance, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 9, 2011

  Mr. Reed (for himself, Ms. Hayworth, Mr. Owens, and Ms. Richardson) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
 the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, 
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 amend title 36, United States Code, to designate the musical piece 
commonly known as ``Taps'' as the National Song of Remembrance, 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. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) The bugle call commonly known as ``Taps'' is known 
        throughout the United States as part of the military honors 
        accorded at funerals, memorial services, and wreath ceremonies 
        held for members of the uniformed services and veterans.
            (2) In July 1862, following the Seven Days Battles, Union 
        General Daniel Butterfield and bugler Oliver Willcox Norton 
        created ``Taps'' at Berkley Plantation, Virginia, as a way to 
        signal the end of daily military activities.
            (3) ``Taps'' is now codified by the uniformed services as 
        the last call of the day and is sounded at the completion of a 
        military funeral.
            (4) ``Taps'' has become the signature, solemn musical 
        farewell for members of the uniformed services and veterans who 
        have faithfully served the United States during times of war 
        and peace.
            (5) Over its almost 150 years of use, ``Taps'' has been 
        woven into the historical fabric of the United States.
            (6) When sounded, ``Taps'' summons emotions of loss, pride, 
        honor, and respect and encourages Americans to remember 
        patriots who served the United States with honor and valor.
            (7) The 150th anniversary of the writing of ``Taps'' will 
        be observed with events culminating in June 2012 with a 
        rededication of the Taps Monument at Berkley Plantation, 
        Virginia.

SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that at a military funeral, memorial 
service, or wreath laying, ``Taps'' should be sounded by a live solo 
bugler or trumpeter when such arrangements are possible.

SEC. 3. DESIGNATION OF ``TAPS'' AS NATIONAL SONG OF REMEMBRANCE.

    (a) Designation.--Chapter 3 of title 36, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 306. National Song of Remembrance
    ``(a) Designation.--The bugle call commonly known as `Taps', 
consisting of 24 notes sounded on a bugle or trumpet performed by a 
solo bugler or trumpeter without accompaniment or embellishment, is the 
National Song of Remembrance.
    ``(b) Conduct During Sounding.--
            ``(1) In general.--During a performance of `Taps' at a 
        military funeral, memorial service, or wreath laying--
                    ``(A) all present, except persons in uniform, 
                should stand at attention with the right hand over the 
                heart;
                    ``(B) men not in uniform should remove their 
                headdress with their right hand and hold the headdress 
                at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart; 
                and
                    ``(C) persons in uniform should stand at attention 
                and give the military salute at the first note of 
                `Taps' and maintain that position until the last note.
            ``(2) Exception.--Paragraph (1) shall not apply when `Taps' 
        is sounded as the final bugle call of the day at a military 
        base.
    ``(c) Definition of Military Base.--In this section, the term 
`military base' means a base, camp, post, station, yard, center, 
homeport facility for any ship, or other activity under the 
jurisdiction of the Department of Defense, including any leased 
facility, which is located within any of the several States, the 
District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, 
the Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, 
or Guam.''.
    (b) Conforming and Clerical Amendments.--
            (1) Chapter heading.--The heading of chapter 3 of title 36, 
        United States Code, is amended to read as follows:

``CHAPTER 3--NATIONAL ANTHEM, MOTTO, AND OTHER NATIONAL DESIGNATIONS''.

            (2) Table of chapters.--The item relating to chapter 3 in 
        the table of chapters for such title is amended to read as 
        follows:

``3. National Anthem, Motto, and Other National Designations     301''.
            (3) Table of sections.--The table of sections at the 
        beginning of such chapter is amended by adding at the end the 
        following new item:

``306. National Song of Remembrance.''.
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