[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3715 Introduced in House (IH)]

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114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3715

   To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs to permit interments, funerals, memorial services, and 
   ceremonies of deceased veterans at national cemeteries and State 
  cemeteries receiving grants from the Department of Veterans Affairs 
      during certain weekends if requested for religious reasons.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 8, 2015

Ms. Brown of Florida introduced the following bill; which was referred 
                 to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs to permit interments, funerals, memorial services, and 
   ceremonies of deceased veterans at national cemeteries and State 
  cemeteries receiving grants from the Department of Veterans Affairs 
      during certain weekends if requested for religious reasons.

    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 ``Final Farewell Act of 2015''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF INTERMENTS, FUNERALS, MEMORIAL SERVICES, AND 
              CEREMONIES AT NATIONAL CEMETERIES AND STATE CEMETERIES 
              RECEIVING GRANTS DURING WEEKENDS WHEN REQUESTED FOR 
              RELIGIOUS OR CULTURAL REASONS.

    (a) National Cemeteries.--Section 2404 of title 38, United States 
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(i) The Secretary shall permit the interment or funeral, memorial 
service, or ceremony of a deceased veteran at a national cemetery 
during weekends, other than Federal holiday weekends, upon a request of 
the next-of-kin of the veteran made for religious or cultural reasons, 
as determined by the Secretary.''.
    (b) State Cemeteries.--Section 2408(c) of such title is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3); and
            (2) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following new 
        paragraph (2):
    ``(2) In addition to the conditions specified in subsection (b) and 
paragraph (1), any grant to a State under this section to assist such 
State in establishing a veterans' cemetery shall be made on the 
condition that such cemetery shall permit the interment or funeral, 
memorial service, or ceremony of a deceased veteran at the cemetery 
during weekends, other than Federal holiday weekends, upon a request of 
the next-of-kin of the veteran made for religious or cultural reasons, 
as determined by the Secretary.''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply with respect to deaths occurring on or after the date of the 
enactment of this Act.
    (d) Notice Requirement.--Upon receipt of a request for an 
application for burial or interment in a national cemetery, the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall provide notice to the individual 
submitting the request of the opportunity to request the interment or 
funeral, memorial service, or ceremony of a deceased veteran at a 
national cemetery during weekends, other than Federal holiday weekends, 
for religious or cultural reasons, as authorized by subsection (i) of 
section 2404 of title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection 
(a).
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