[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4198 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4198

  To amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure direct access for 
        families to national cemeteries, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 19, 2024

 Mr. Sullivan 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 ensure direct access for 
        families to 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 Cemetery Access Act''.

SEC. 2. FAMILY ACCESS TO NATIONAL CEMETERIES.

    Section 2404 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding 
at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(j)(1) The Secretary shall ensure that the family of a person 
buried in a national cemetery has direct access to that cemetery.
    ``(2) In this subsection, the term `direct access' means access 
that--
            ``(A) is provided to the family on the same day the access 
        is requested by the family; and
            ``(B) does not require the family to travel through an area 
        under the control of the Department of Defense.''.

SEC. 3. PRIORITIZATION OF GRANTS FOR STATES WITHOUT VETERANS' 
              CEMETERIES.

    Section 2408(a) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by 
adding at the end the following new paragraph:
    ``(3) In making grants under this section, the Secretary shall 
prioritize grants for establishing veterans' cemeteries in States that 
do not have such a cemetery.''.
                                 <all>