IB 

Union Calendar No. 636 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4757 

[Report No. 114–812] 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to expand the eligibility for 

headstones, markers, and medallions furnished by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for deceased individuals who were awarded the Medal 

of Honor and are buried in private cemeteries. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 16, 2016 

Mr. MILLER of Florida introduced the following bill; which was referred to 

the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

NOVEMBER 14, 2016 

Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee of the Whole House 

on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on March 16, 2016] 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 4757 RH

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to expand the eligibility for headstones, markers, and medallions furnished 

by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for deceased individuals who were awarded the Medal of Honor and are 

buried in private cemeteries. 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 4757 RH

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

3 SECTION 1. EXPANSION OF ELIGIBILITY FOR HEADSTONES, 

4 MARKERS, AND MEDALLIONS FOR MEDAL OF 

5 HONOR RECIPIENTS. 

6 Section 2306(d) of title 38, United States Code, is 

7 amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph: 

8 ‘‘(5)(A) In carrying out this subsection with respect 

9 to a deceased individual described in subparagraph (C), the 

10 Secretary shall furnish, upon request, a headstone or mark11 er under paragraph (1) or a medallion under paragraph 

12 (4) that signifies the deceased’s status as a Medal of Honor 

13 recipient. 

14 ‘‘(B) If the Secretary furnished a headstone, marker, 

15 or medallion under paragraph (1) or (4) for a deceased in16 dividual described in subparagraph (C) that does not sig17 nify the deceased’s status as a Medal of Honor recipient, 

18 the Secretary shall, upon request, replace such headstone, 

19 marker, or medallion with a headstone, marker, or medal20 lion, as the case may be, that so signifies the deceased’s sta21 tus as a Medal of Honor recipient. 

22 ‘‘(C) A deceased individual described in this subpara23 graph is a deceased individual who— 

24 ‘‘(i) served in the Armed Forces on or after April 

25 6, 1917; 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 4757 RH

1 ‘‘(ii) is eligible for a headstone or marker fur2 nished under paragraph (1) or a medallion furnished 

3 under paragraph (4) (or would be so eligible for such 

4 headstone, marker, or medallion but for the date of 

5 the death of the individual); and 

6 ‘‘(iii) was awarded the Medal of Honor (includ7 ing posthumously).’’. 

8 SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF PRESIDENTIAL MEMORIAL CERTIFI9 CATE PROGRAM. 

10 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 112(a) of title 38, United 

11 States Code, is amended by inserting after ‘‘conditions,’’ the 

12 following: ‘‘persons eligible for burial in a national ceme13 tery by reason of paragraph (2), (3), or (7) of section 

14 2402(a) of this title,’’. 

15 (b) APPLICATION.—The amendment made by sub16 section (a) shall apply with respect to the death of a person 

17 eligible for burial in a national cemetery by reason of para18 graph (2), (3), or (7) of section 2402(a) of title 38, United 

19 States Code, occurring before, on, or after the date of the 

20 enactment of this Act. 

21 SEC. 3. TRANSPORTATION OF DECEASED VETERANS TO 

22 VETERANS’ CEMETERIES. 

23 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subsection (a) of section 2308 of 

24 title 38, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 4757 RH

1 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—(1) The Secretary may pay, in 

2 addition to any amount paid pursuant to section 2302 or 

3 2307 of this title, the cost of transportation of the deceased 

4 veteran described in paragraph (1) or (2) of subsection (b) 

5 for burial in a national cemetery or a covered veterans’ 

6 cemetery. Such payment shall not exceed the cost of trans7 portation to the national cemetery nearest the veteran’s last 

8 place of residence in which burial space is available. 

9 ‘‘(2) The Secretary may pay, in addition to any 

10 amount paid pursuant to section 2302 or 2307 of this title, 

11 the cost of transportation of the deceased veteran described 

12 in subsection (b)(3) for burial in a national cemetery. Such 

13 payment shall not exceed the cost of transportation to the 

14 national cemetery nearest the veteran’s last place of resi15 dence in which burial space is available.’’. 

16 (b) COVERED VETERANS’ CEMETERY DEFINED.—Sec17 tion 2308 of such title is amended by adding at the end 

18 the following new subsection: 

19 ‘‘(c) COVERED VETERANS’ CEMETERY DEFINED.—In 

20 this section, the term ‘covered veterans’ cemetery’ means, 

21 with respect to a deceased veteran described in subsection 

22 (b), a veterans’ cemetery owned by a State or a tribal orga23 nization (as defined in section 3765(4) of this title) in 

24 which the deceased veteran is eligible to be buried.’’. 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
6 

•HR 4757 RH

1 (c) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 2308 of such 

2 title is amended in the section heading by adding at the 

3 end the following: ‘‘or a veterans’ cemetery’’. 

4 (d) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections at 

5 the beginning of chapter 23 of such title is amended by 

6 striking the item relating to section 2308 and inserting the 

7 following new item: 

‘‘2308. Transportation of deceased veteran to a national cemetery or a veterans’ 

cemetery.’’. 

Amend the title so as to read: ‘‘A bill to amend title 

38, United States Code, to expand certain benefits related to the burial of deceased veterans, and for other 

purposes.’’. 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS

SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
Union Calendar No. 636 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4757 

[Report No. 114–812] 

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to expand 

cemeteries. ed the Medal of Honor and are buried in private Affairs for deceased individuals who were awarddallions furnished by the Secretary of Veterans the eligibility for headstones, markers, and meNOVEMBER 14, 2016 

Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee 

dered to be printed of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and orVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:55 Nov 14, 2016 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6651 Sfmt 6651 E:\BILLS\H4757.RH H4757

SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS