[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 8 (Tuesday, January 28, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S747]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. BIDEN:
  S. 217. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for 
the payment to States of plot allowances for certain veterans eligible 
for burial in a national cemetery who are buried in cemeteries of such 
States; to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.


                the veterans plot allowance act of 1997

 Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, for the third consecutive Congress, 
I am introducing legislation to expand the Federal Government's $150 
payment to States when they bury veterans in State-owned veterans 
cemeteries.
  For those who are not familiar with my proposal, it is quite simple. 
My bill says that if a State buries a veteran free of charge in a 
State-owned cemetery--and that veteran is eligible for burial in a 
national veterans cemetery--the Federal Government will pay the State 
$150 for the cost of the plot.
  In other words, Mr. President, rather than the multiple and 
restricted criteria of plot allowance payments to States under current 
law, there would instead be only one standard in judging whether a 
State receives assistance from the Federal Government. And, that 
standard is: Is the veteran eligible for burial in a national cemetery? 
Period.
  Not only is it simple, it is the only thing that makes sense and the 
only thing that is fair. When the plot allowance for States was first 
established a decade ago, Congress did it in part to relieve the 
pressure on the national cemetery system. Our national cemeteries were 
filling up rapidly. That trend continues today. More than half of all 
national cemeteries are closed to additional burials, and there is no 
where near enough space for all of America's World War II veterans, let 
alone the veterans from later conflicts. So, rather than undertake the 
expensive process of building more national cemeteries, we entered into 
a partnership with the States for the creation of State-owned veterans 
cemeteries.
  That partnership has worked well, especially in States like Delaware 
that do not have a national cemetery to begin with. But, after entering 
into this partnership, the Federal Government then limited for whom it 
would reimburse States for the cost of the plot. We said that States 
would receive the $150 payment only if the veteran was receiving 
disability compensation or a pension; died in a veterans hospital; was 
indigent and the body was unclaimed; or was discharged from the 
military due to a disability.
  In other words, we ask States to bury all veterans eligible for 
burial in a national cemetery--but then we do not financially help them 
when they do.
  And, States are not even being reimbursed for all wartime veterans 
that they bury. Let me repeat that. States are not being reimbursed for 
all wartime veterans that are buried in State-owned veterans 
cemeteries. I mention that, Mr. President, because some people have 
characterized this bill as an attempt to provide the plot allowance to 
States for the burial of nonwartime veterans, and an attempt to give a 
benefit intended for those who fought in wartime to those who did not. 
That is simply not the case.
  There are thousands of wartime veterans who do not meet the current 
law's criteria. In fact, each year, about 5,000 veterans--many of them 
wartime veterans--are eligible for burial in a national cemetery and 
are buried without charge in State-owned veterans cemeteries, but do 
not meet the criteria set forth in current law for the States to 
receive the plot allowance. That is not fair to the States, and it is 
not right for America's veterans.
  Mr. President, the Congressional Budget Office has estimated that 
this proposal would cost $1 million per year. While we all want to 
balance the budget--and this proposal will be paid for--$1 million per 
year is a relatively small sum in order to fulfill our commitment to 
America's veterans.
  In 1995, the Senate recognized this in unanimously approving this 
proposal as an amendment to the budget bill. Whether this bill is voted 
on separately or as part of another measure, it does not matter. What 
matters is that we work to ensure that America's veterans are 
guaranteed a decent and dignified burial.
  I encourage my colleagues to join me in this effort.
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