[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 170 (Monday, November 18, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H6036-H6037]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
KEEPING MILITARY FAMILIES TOGETHER ACT OF 2024
Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (S. 2181) to amend title 38, United States Code, to repeal the
sunset on entitlement to memorial headstones and markers for
commemoration of veterans and certain individuals and to repeal the
sunset on authority to bury remains of certain spouses and children in
national cemeteries, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
S. 2181
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 ``Keeping Military Families
Together Act of 2024''.
SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF ENTITLEMENT TO MEMORIAL HEADSTONES AND
MARKERS FOR COMMEMORATION OF VETERANS AND
CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS.
Section 2306(b)(2) of title 38, United States Code, is
amended by striking ``September 30, 2025'' both places it
appears and inserting ``September 30, 2032''.
SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY TO BURY REMAINS OF CERTAIN
SPOUSES AND CHILDREN IN NATIONAL CEMETERIES.
Section 2402(a)(5) of title 38, United States Code, is
amended by striking ``September 30, 2025'' and inserting
``September 30, 2032''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Illinois (Mr. Bost) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois.
General Leave
Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on
S. 2181, as amended.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Illinois?
There was no objection.
Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 2181, as amended. This
bill was introduced by Senator Peters. My colleagues, Representative
James and Representative Reschenthaler, introduced companion bills.
This bill would ensure that veterans can be laid to rest and mourned
together with their spouses and children.
Under current law, VA can inter certain family members together with
their veteran loved one in a VA national cemetery only if those family
members passed away before September 30, 2025.
VA can provide headstones or markers for certain family members whose
[[Page H6037]]
remains are unavailable for burial only if they passed away before
September 30, 2025. S. 2181, as amended, would extend those date
limitations.
As a veteran myself, this is a deeply personal issue to me. We must
ensure that veterans and their families have the option of being laid
to rest together. Therefore, Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues
to support S. 2181, as amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 2181, as amended, the
Keeping Military Families Together Act. I thank Senator Gary Peters for
introducing this bill and Representative Chris Pappas, the ranking
member of the Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee,
for introducing similar legislation in the House.
This bill extends two Department of Veterans Affairs burial benefits
provided to spouses and dependent children of veterans or Active Duty
servicemembers. Specifically, the bill requires VA to provide memorial
headstones or markers for spouses or dependent children of veterans or
servicemembers who were serving on Active Duty at the time of the
spouse's or child's death.
{time} 1630
Additionally, the bill authorizes burial in any open national
cemetery under the control of the National Cemetery Administration for
a spouse or dependent child of veterans or servicemembers who were
serving on Active Duty at the time of the spouse's or child's death.
Madam Speaker, these burial authorities were set to expire at the end
of October, and many families would have been faced with extremely
difficult decisions about where to inter their loved ones. Thankfully,
we were able to extend these authorities for an additional year in the
most recent continuing resolution.
However, families of veterans need more certainty. While I am
disappointed that we couldn't extend these authorities permanently, as
Senator Peters and Ranking Member Pappas had originally intended, the
additional 7 years presented in this bill will still allow for some
time for some long-term end-of-life planning for many families.
Madam Speaker, I support this legislation, and I reserve the balance
of my time.
Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I am ready to close, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am
prepared to close. I yield myself the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, I support S. 2181, as amended, the Keeping Military
Families Together Act, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to
close.
Madam Speaker, once again, I encourage all Members to support this
legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, S. 2181, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
The title of the bill was amended so as to read: ``A bill to amend
title 38, United States Code, to extend the entitlement to memorial
headstones and markers for commemoration of veterans and certain
individuals and to extend authority to bury remains of certain spouses
and children in national cemeteries, and for other purposes.''.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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