[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 23 (Monday, February 2, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H1927-H1929]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
MOVING NATIONAL WOMAN'S RELIEF CORPS INCORPORATION AND DOMICILE TO
ILLINOIS; PRINCIPAL OFFICE TO MURPHYSBORO, ILLINOIS
Mr. JORDAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 988) to amend title 36, United States Code, to move the
place of incorporation and domicile of the National Woman's Relief
Corps to Illinois, to move the principal office of such Corps to
Murphysboro, Illinois, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 988
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. MOVING NATIONAL WOMAN'S RELIEF CORPS INCORPORATION
AND DOMICILE TO ILLINOIS; PRINCIPAL OFFICE TO
MURPHYSBORO, ILLINOIS.
(a) Place of Incorporation and Domicile.--Section 153701(b)
of title 36, United States Code, is amended by striking ``the
District of Columbia'' and inserting ``Illinois''.
(b) Principal Office.--Section 153708 of title 36, United
States Code, is amended by striking ``Springfield'' each
place it appears and inserting ``Murphysboro''.
(c) Service of Process.--Section 153710 of title 36, United
States Code, is amended--
(1) by striking ``designated agent in the District of
Columbia'' and inserting ``designated agent in Illinois'';
and
(2) by striking ``Mayor of the District of Columbia or
another office designated by the Mayor'' and inserting
``Secretary of State of Illinois or another office as
designated by Illinois law''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Ohio (Mr. Jordan) and the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Scanlon)
each will control 20 minutes.
[[Page H1928]]
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio.
General Leave
Mr. JORDAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on H.R. 988.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Ohio?
There was no objection.
Mr. JORDAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 988 amends the congressional charter for the
National Woman's Relief Corps.
In 1883, the National Woman's Relief Corps was founded as an
auxiliary to the Grand Army of the Republic. This nonprofit
organization was founded to perpetuate the memory of those who
sacrificed much, and sometimes all, in the American Civil War. Today,
the National Woman's Relief Corps provides assistance to veterans of
all wars and their families.
In 1962, Congress granted the corps a congressional charter under
title 36 of the U.S. Code. Congressional charters often stipulate an
organization's place of incorporation and corporate domicile.
In the case of the National Woman's Relief Corps, their charter
requires that the organization be incorporated and domiciled in
Washington, D.C. Due to changes in the organization over the years, the
corps would like to move its domicile to Illinois, and this bill does
just that.
H.R. 988 amends the corps' congressional charter to formally change
the organization's place of incorporation and domicile from Washington,
D.C., to Illinois. The bill further amends the charter by moving the
location of the organization's headquarters to Murphysboro, Illinois.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 988, a bill to amend the
charter of the National Woman's Relief Corps to formally change its
principal office from Springfield, Illinois, to Murphysboro, Illinois,
where I understand it is already located. It also moves its place of
incorporation from Washington, D.C., to Illinois.
The Woman's Relief Corps was formally organized in 1883 to preserve
the memory of those who served in the Civil War and provide assistance
to veterans, widows, and orphans. The National Woman's Relief Corps, as
it is now known, was congressionally chartered on September 7, 1962,
and continues to serve all of our veterans and their families.
Congress has incorporated both public and private organizations since
1791. While organizations are free to incorporate under D.C. laws or
the laws of any other State, many continue to seek charters from
Congress for the related prestige, which can help expand membership and
increase funding. More than 90 organizations hold congressional
charters, and many of them have principal offices and places of
incorporation outside D.C.
Particularly as this administration has slashed programs that serve
our veterans, gutted staff at the Veterans Crisis Line and Veterans
Health Administration, and made drastic cuts to programs that veterans
and their families rely upon, like SNAP and Medicaid, organizations
that work to support our veterans, like the National Woman's Relief
Corps, are more important than ever.
Ultimately, this bill is a straightforward administrative fix, and I
support it.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. JORDAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost), who has served our country, not in
the Civil War but in a number of capacities, and is currently the great
chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee.
Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Jordan for allowing me this time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Woman's Relief Corps, the
oldest national women's patriotic organization and the auxiliary to the
Grand Army of the Republic, which was our first VSO in the United
States.
This organization has a long history of service and patriotism, with
strong ties to Illinois and to my hometown, Murphysboro, not
Murfreesboro. That is in Tennessee. I am speaking of Murphysboro, M-u-
r-p-h-y-s-b-o-r-o. There is only one in this world, and it is
Murphysboro.
Murphysboro is also the hometown of former Member of Congress, former
U.S. Senator, and Civil War General John A. Logan, who was a strong
advocate for our Nation's veterans. He played a key role in
establishing Memorial Day as a national holiday in his 11th general
order when he was commandant of the Grand Army of the Republic. His
legacy of service continues to inspire Americans today.
It is fitting that the Woman's Relief Corps has made its home at the
General John A. Logan Museum in Murphysboro, Illinois.
Although the Woman's Relief Corps received its congressional charter
many years ago, the charter still lists Washington, D.C., and
Springfield as its official location. That is why I introduced
legislation to update the charter to recognize Murphysboro, my
hometown, as the Woman's Relief Corps' home.
This change reflects where the organization is actually based and
honors its close connection to John A. Logan and the southern Illinois
communities that support its work. I am proud to support this measure
and am grateful for the opportunity to assist an organization that has
done so much for veterans and our communities.
The Woman's Relief Corps stands for patriotism, service, and
community. By recognizing Murphysboro as its home, we honor its history
and support its continued work.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting
this legislation and in recognizing Murphysboro, Illinois, as the home
of the Woman's Relief Corps.
Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. JORDAN. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record an estimate from the
Congressional Budget Office for this bill.
H.R. 988, A BILL TO AMEND TITLE 36, UNITED STATES CODE, TO MOVE THE
PLACE OF INCORPORATION AND DOMICILE OF THE NATIONAL WOMAN'S RELIEF CORPS
TO ILLINOIS, TO MOVE THE PRINCIPAL OFFICE OF SUCH CORPS TO MURPHYSBORO,
ILLINOIS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES, AS ORDERED REPORTED BY THE HOUSE
COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY ON NOVEMBER 20, 2025
------------------------------------------------------------------------
By fiscal year, millions of
dollars--
-----------------------------------
2026 2026-2030 2026-2035
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Direct Spending (Outlays)........... 0 0 0
Revenues............................ 0 0 0
Increase or Decrease (-) in the 0 0 0
Deficit............................
Spending Subject to Appropriation 0 0 0
(Outlays)..........................
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Increases net direct spending in any of the four
consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2036? No.
Increases on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive
10-year periods beginning in 2036? No.
Statutory pay-as-you-go procedures apply? No.
Mandate Effects:
Contains intergovernmental mandate? No.
Contains private-sector mandate? No.
H.R. 988 would change the location of the congressionally
chartered National Woman's Relief Corps, Auxiliary to the
Grand Army of the Republic. Because organizations chartered
under title 36 of the U.S. Code are not federal agencies, CBO
estimates that enacting this bill would have no effect on the
federal budget.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Matthew
Pickford. The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss,
Deputy Director of Budget Analysis.
Phillip L. Swagel,
Director, Congressional Budget Office
Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, the Woman's Relief Corps began as a way for patriotic
women to show their continued loyalty to the Union and support Civil
War veterans.
More than 140 years later, the organization continues to serve
veterans of all wars and endeavors to ``encourage the spread of
universal liberty and equal rights of everyone.''
I support the National Woman's Relief Corps' work, and I urge my
colleagues to support this legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. JORDAN. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 988 is a great bill. I appreciate the
sponsor
[[Page H1929]]
and his great work. He told me that I did pronounce ``Murphysboro''
right, so we are off to a good start. I hope everyone votes for it.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Jordan) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, H.R. 988.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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