I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 10301 

To require the Secretary of the Army to accelerate actions necessary to 

carry out caisson services at Arlington National Cemetery. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 5, 2024 

Mr. BUCHANAN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans’ 

Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 

each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of the Army to accelerate actions 

necessary to carry out caisson services at Arlington National Cemetery. 

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 ‘‘The Honoring Our 

5 Heroes with Dignity Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. PLAN FOR PROCUREMENT OF MILITARY WORKING 

2 EQUIDS FOR THE CAISSON PLATOON OF THE 

3 3RD INFANTRY REGIMENT OF THE ARMY. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 30 days after the 

5 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the 

6 Army shall submit to Congress a detailed plan for the pro7 curement of military working equids for the Caisson Pla8 toon of the 3rd Infantry Regiment of the Army. 

9 (b) CONSULTATION.—In developing the plan required 

10 by subsection (a), the Secretary of the Army shall consult 

11 with— 

12 (1) the Mounted Color Guard of the Marine 

13 Corps; 

14 (2) the Navy, the Air Force, the Space Force, 

15 and the Coast Guard; and 

16 (3) at least two nationally recognized equid or17 ganizations, foundations, or councils. 

18 SEC. 3. REQUIREMENT TO BEGIN CONDUCTING FUNERALS 

19 WITH CAISSON SERVICES AT ARLINGTON NA20 TIONAL CEMETERY. 

21 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 30 days after the 

22 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the 

23 Army shall— 

24 (1) begin conducting at least two funerals with 

25 caisson services each week, or a total of four services 


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1 in a two week period, at Arlington National Ceme2 tery, Virginia; or 

3 (2) enter into a contract with a nongovern4 mental entity described in subsection (b). 

5 (b) CONTRACT DESCRIBED.—The contract described 

6 in this subsection shall— 

7 (1) require that the nongovernmental entity— 

8 (A) begin providing services under the con9 tract not later than 60 days after the date of 

10 the enactment of this Act; 

11 (B) provide the military working equids 

12 necessary to conduct caisson services for at 

13 least one funeral each business day, other than 

14 Federal holidays, at Arlington National Ceme15 tery, until the funerals backlogged at such cem16 etery as of the date of the enactment of this 

17 Act are conducted; and 

18 (C) after the backlogged funerals described 

19 in subparagraph (B) are conducted, to continue 

20 to provide services to meet the requirement of 

21 caisson services for funerals until the Army is 

22 capable of conducting at least one funeral with 

23 caisson services each business day; 

24 (2) specify that Army uniformed soldiers and 

25 not contract personnel will participate by riding the 


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1 military working equids in the funeral ceremonies; 

2 and 

3 (3) terminate when the Caisson Platoon of the 

4 3rd Infantry Regiment of the Army begins con5 ducting at least one funeral with caisson services 

6 each business day. 

7 SEC. 4. MONTHLY REPORT ON FUNERALS AT ARLINGTON 

8 NATIONAL CEMETERY ON HOLD UNTIL CAIS9 SON SERVICES RESUME. 

10 Section 7721 of title 10, United States Code, is 

11 amended by adding at the end the following new sub12 section: 

13 ‘‘(f) MONTHLY REPORT ON CAISSON SERVICES.— 

14 Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment 

15 of this subsection, and not less frequently than once every 

16 30 days thereafter, the Secretary of the Army shall submit 

17 to the congressional defense committees a report on the 

18 number of families that have requested caisson services 

19 at Arlington National Cemetery and are waiting to hold 

20 funerals until caisson services resume.’’. 

21 SEC. 5. LAND FOR OPERATIONS AND TRAINING OF CAISSON 

22 PLATOON OF THE 3RD INFANTRY REGIMENT 

23 OF THE ARMY. 

24 Section 366 of the National Defense Authorization 

25 Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (Public Law 118–31; 137 Stat. 


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1 234; 10 U.S.C. 7721 note) is amended by adding at the 

2 end the following new subsection: 

3 ‘‘(d) LAND FOR OPERATIONS AND TRAINING.—In ac4 quiring the land necessary for the operations and training 

5 of the Caisson Platoon of the 3rd Infantry Regiment of 

6 the Army, the Secretary of the Army shall consider land 

7 in West Virginia and Virginia.’’. 

Æ 


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