I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2490 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure that the prohibition against 

interment or memorialization in the National Cemetery Administration 

or Arlington National Cemetery of persons committing Federal or State 

capital crimes is consistently carried out, to direct the Secretary of 

Veterans Affairs to disinter the remains of George E. Siple from 

Indiantown Gap National Cemetery, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 21, 2015 

Mr. BARLETTA (for himself, Mr. MARINO, Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania, Mr. 

PERRY, Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania, and Mr. SHUSTER) introduced 

the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, 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 amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure that the 

prohibition against interment or memorialization in the 

National Cemetery Administration or Arlington National 

Cemetery of persons committing Federal or State capital 

crimes is consistently carried out, to direct the Secretary 

of Veterans Affairs to disinter the remains of George 

E. Siple from Indiantown Gap National Cemetery, and 

for other purposes. 


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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 ‘‘Bertie’s Respect for 

5 National Cemeteries Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. PROHIBITION AGAINST INTERMENT OR MEMORI7 ALIZATION IN THE NATIONAL CEMETERY AD8 MINISTRATION OR ARLINGTON NATIONAL 

9 CEMETERY OF PERSONS COMMITTING FED10 ERAL OR STATE CAPITAL CRIMES. 

11 (a) RESPONSIBILITY OF APPROPRIATE FEDERAL OF12 FICIAL.—Section 2411(a)(2) of title 38, United States 

13 Code, is amended— 

14 (1) by striking ‘‘In the case’’ and inserting ‘‘(A) 

15 Except as provided by subparagraph (B), in the 

16 case’’; and 

17 (2) by adding at the end the following new sub18 paragraph: 

19 ‘‘(B) The appropriate Federal official shall take every 

20 reasonable action, including by searching public records, 

21 to ensure that a person who will be interred in a cemetery 

22 in the National Cemetery Administration or in Arlington 

23 National Cemetery is not ineligible for such interment by 

24 reason of this section.’’. 


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1 (b) AUTHORITY TO DISINTER.—Section 2(c) of the 

2 Alicia Dawn Koehl Respect for National Cemeteries Act 

3 (38 U.S.C. 2411 note) is amended— 

4 (1) by striking ‘‘this section’’ and inserting 

5 ‘‘subsection (a)’’; and 

6 (2) by inserting after ‘‘Arlington National Cem7 etery’’ the following: ‘‘on or after the date of the en8 actment of such section 2411 and the amendment 

9 made by subsection (b) shall apply with respect to 

10 any such interment or memorialization conducted’’. 

11 SEC. 3. DISINTERMENT OF REMAINS OF GEORGE E. SIPLE 

12 FROM INDIANTOWN GAP NATIONAL CEME13 TERY. 

14 (a) DISINTERMENT OF REMAINS.—The Secretary of 

15 Veterans Affairs shall disinter the remains of George E. 

16 Siple from Indiantown Gap National Cemetery. 

17 (b) NOTIFICATION OF NEXT-OF-KIN.—The Secretary 

18 of Veterans Affairs shall— 

19 (1) notify the next-of-kin of record for George 

20 E. Siple of the impending disinterment of his re21 mains; and 

22 (2) upon disinterment, relinquish the remains 

23 to the next-of-kin of record for George E. Siple or, 

24 if the next-of-kin of record for George E. Siple is 


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1 unavailable, arrange for an appropriate disposition 

2 of the remains. 

Æ 


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