II 

Calendar No. 307

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1516

[Report No. 108–164] 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 22 (legislative day, JULY 21), 2003

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

OCTOBER 14, 2003

Reported by Mr. SPECTER, with amendments and an amendment to the title 

[Omit the part struck through and insert the part printed in italic] 

AN ACT

To provide for the establishment by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs of five additional cemeteries in the National 

Cemetery System.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Cemetery Ex5 pansion Act of 2003’’. 
2

•HR 1516 RS 

1 SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF NEW NATIONAL CEMETERIES. 

2 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than four years 

3 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 

4 of Veterans Affairs, in accordance with chapter 24 of title 

5 38, United States Code, shall establish five six new na6 tional cemeteries. The new cemeteries shall be located in 

7 the following locations (those locations having been deter8 mined by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to be the most 

9 appropriate locations for new national cemeteries): 

10 (1) Southeastern Pennsylvania. 

11 (2) The Birmingham, Alabama, area. 

12 (3) The Jacksonville, Florida, area. 

13 (4) The Bakersfield, California, area. 

14 (5) The Greenville/Columbia, South Carolina, 

15 area.

16 (6) The Sarasota County, Florida, area.

17 (b) FUNDS.—Amounts appropriated for the Depart18 ment of Veterans Affairs for any fiscal year after fiscal 

19 year 2003 for Advance Planning shall be available for the 

20 purposes of subsection (a). 

21 (c) SITE SELECTION PROCESS.—In determining the 

22 specific sites for the new cemeteries required by subsection 

23 (a) within the locations specified in that subsection, the 

24 Secretary shall solicit the advice and views of representa25 tives of State and local veterans organizations and other 

26 individuals as the Secretary considers appropriate. 
3

•HR 1516 RS 

1 (d) INITIAL REPORT.—Not later than 120 days after 

2 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 

3 submit to Congress a report on the establishment of the 

4 national cemeteries required by subsection (a). The report 

5 shall—

6 (1) set forth a schedule for the establishment of 

7 each such cemetery and an estimate of the costs as8 sociated with the establishment of each such ceme9 tery; and 

10 (2) identify the amount of Advance Planning 

11 Funds obligated for purposes of this section as of 

12 the submission of the report. 

13 (e) ANNUAL REPORTS.—The Secretary shall submit 

14 to Congress an annual report on the implementation of 

15 this section until the establishment of all five six ceme16 teries is completed and each such cemetery has opened. 

17 The Secretary shall include in each such annual report an 

18 update of the information provided under paragraphs (1) 

19 and (2) of subsection (d). 

20 (f) DEFINITION OF SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYL21 VANIA.—In this section, the term ‘‘southeastern Pennsyl22 vania’’ means the city of Philadelphia and Berks County, 

23 Bucks County, Chester County, Delaware County, Phila24 delphia County, and Montgomery County in the State of 

25 Pennsylvania.
4

•HR 1516 RS 

Amend the title to read: ‘‘An Act to provide for the 

establishment by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs of additional cemeteries in the National Cemetery Administration.’’. 

Calendar No. 307

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1516

[Report No. 108–164] 

AN ACT

To provide for the establishment by the Secretary 

of Veterans Affairs of five additional cemeteries in the National Cemetery System. 

OCTOBER 14, 2003

Reported with amendments and an amendment to the 

title