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[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3202 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3202

To amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure that deceased veterans 
with no known next of kin can receive a dignified burial, and for other 
                               purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 17, 2012

  Mrs. Murray (for herself, Mr. Burr, Mr. Nelson of Florida, and Mr. 
Rubio) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 
                 to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure that deceased veterans 
with no known next of kin can receive a dignified burial, and for other 
                               purposes.

    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 ``Dignified Burial of Veterans Act of 
2012''.

SEC. 2. FURNISHING CASKETS AND URNS FOR DECEASED VETERANS WITH NO KNOWN 
              NEXT OF KIN.

    (a) In General.--Section 2306 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsections (f) and (g) as subsections 
        (g) and (h), respectively;
            (2) by inserting after subsection (e) the following new 
        subsection (f):
    ``(f) The Secretary may furnish a casket or urn, of such quality as 
the Secretary considers appropriate for a dignified burial, for burial 
in a national cemetery of a deceased veteran in any case in which the 
Secretary--
            ``(1) is unable to identify the veteran's next of kin, if 
        any; and
            ``(2) determines that sufficient resources for the 
        furnishing of a casket or urn for the burial of the veteran in 
        a national cemetery are not otherwise available.''; and
            (3) in subsection (h), as redesignated by paragraph (1), by 
        adding at the end the following new paragraph:
    ``(4) A casket or urn may not be furnished under subsection (f) for 
burial of a person described in section 2411(b) of this title.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--Subsections (f) and (h)(4) of section 2306 of 
title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), shall take 
effect on the date of the enactment of this Act and shall apply with 
respect to deaths occurring on or after such date.

SEC. 3. REPORT ON COMPLIANCE OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS WITH 
              INDUSTRY STANDARDS FOR CASKETS AND URNS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit 
to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the Committee 
on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives a report on the 
compliance of the Department of Veterans Affairs with industry 
standards for caskets and urns.
    (b) Elements.--The report required by subsection (a) shall include 
the following:
            (1) A description of industry standards for caskets and 
        urns.
            (2) An assessment of compliance with such standards at 
        National Cemeteries administered by the Department with respect 
        to caskets and urns used for the interment of those eligible 
        for burial at such cemeteries.
                                 <all>
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