[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 50 (Tuesday, April 13, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3638-S3639]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. ROBB:
  S. 771. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize 
the memorialization at the columbarium at Arlington National Cemetery 
of veterans who have donated their remains to science, and for other 
purposes; to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.


                          VETERANS LEGISLATION

  Mr. ROBB. Mr. President, late last summer, a Virginian contacted my 
office to request my intervention in a matter which had brought 
considerable anguish and frustration to her family.

  She informed me that her father, a decorated veteran of World War II 
and a career civil servant, had recently passed away. Before his death, 
however, he made two simple requests: one, that his body be donated to 
science, and two, that his ashes be placed in the Arlington National 
Cemetery. His widow, now 72, honored the first of those wishes. But in 
honoring the first request, she found out that the second was 
precluded.
  The family learned that, due to various legal concerns, ashes of 
organ donors who donate their bodies to science are not returned to the 
families of the donors. Unfortunately, due to the regulations governing 
Arlington National Cemetery, veterans cannot be memorialized in the 
Columbarium unless their remains are actually inurned there. Oddly, it 
so happens that if his spouse had predeceased him, her remains would 
already have been inurned in a niche at Arlington, awaiting his 
remains.
  While I can appreciate that limited space at Arlington has 
necessitated adherence to strict guidelines for burial and 
memorialization, I cannot see the virtue in denying appropriate 
recognition for an entitled veteran simply because he has donated his 
remains to science. In fact, I would like to encourage more veterans to 
do just that.
  All of us recognize the great need for viable remains for both 
transplantation and for medical study. Veterans who make this 
courageous commitment should be suitably recognized and their loved 
ones should know that a grateful nation has made a place for them at 
one of our country's most sacred memorials.
  With that said, I submit this bill which seeks to modify current 
regulations to allow otherwise qualified veterans, who have donated 
their remains to science, to be memorialized at the Columbarium in 
Arlington National Cemetery, notwithstanding the absence of their 
cremated remains.
  Mr. President, I salute these veterans and their devoted families, 
and ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                 S. 771

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

[[Page S3639]]

     SECTION 1. MEMORIALIZATION AT COLUMBARIUM AT ARLINGTON 
                   NATIONAL CEMETERY OF VETERANS WHO HAVE DONATED 
                   THEIR REMAINS TO SCIENCE.

       (a) Authority To Memorialize.--(1) Chapter 24 of title 38, 
     United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
     following:

     ``Sec. 2412. Arlington National Cemetery: memorialization at 
       columbarium of veterans who have donated their remains to 
       science

       ``The Secretary of the Army may honor, by marker or other 
     appropriate means at the columbarium at Arlington National 
     Cemetery, the memory of any veteran eligible for inurnment in 
     the columbarium whose cremated remains cannot be inurned in 
     the columbarium as a result of the donation of the veteran's 
     organs or remains for medical or scientific purposes.''.
       (2) The table of sections at the beginning of that chapter 
     is amended by adding at the end the following:

``2412. Arlington National Cemetery: memorialization at columbarium of 
              veterans who have donated their remains to science.''.

       (b) Applicability.--Section 2412 of title 38, United States 
     Code, as added by subsection (a), shall apply to veterans who 
     die on or after January 1, 1996.
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