I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 6032 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs to furnish headstones, markers, and medallions for graves of 
certain enslaved individuals and individuals who performed military func-
tions despite ineligibility to serve in the Armed Forces. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 12, 2025 
Mr. HORSFORD (for himself and Mr. BACON) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs to furnish headstones, mark-
ers, and medallions for graves of certain enslaved individ-
uals and individuals who performed military functions 
despite ineligibility to serve in the Armed Forces. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Headstones for Honor 
Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. ELIGIBILITY FOR HEADSTONES, MARKERS, AND ME-
DALLIONS, FURNISHED BY THE SECRETARY 
OF VETERANS AFFAIRS, FOR GRAVES OF CER-
TAIN ENSLAVED INDIVIDUALS AND INDIVID-
UALS WHO PERFORMED MILITARY FUNC-
TIONS DESPITE INELIGIBILITY TO SERVE IN 
THE ARMED FORCES. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Section 2306 of title 38, 
United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) in paragraph (3), by inserting ‘‘and 
Navies’’ after ‘‘Armies’’; and 
(B) by inserting, after paragraph (5), the 
following new paragraphs: 
‘‘(6) Any enslaved individual, determined by the Sec-
retary to have— 
‘‘(A) accompanied a member of the Armed 
Forces or a Civil War veteran (as that term is de-
fined in section 1501 of this title) during active mili-
tary or naval service of such member or Civil War 
veteran; or 
‘‘(B) served in the Armed Forces (or Confed-
erate Army or Navy) in lieu of another individual. 
‘‘(7) Any individual determined by the Secretary to 
have performed a military function while prohibited from 
serving as a member of the Armed Forces— 
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‘‘(A) by Federal, State, or Tribal law; and 
‘‘(B) on the basis of race, gender, sex, or eth-
nicity.’’; 
(2) in subsection (d)(1), by striking ‘‘or (5)’’ 
and inserting ‘‘, (5), (6), or (7)’’; 
(3) by redesignating subsections (j) and (k) as 
subsections (l) and (m), respectively; and 
(4) by inserting after subsection (i) the fol-
lowing new subsections: 
‘‘(j) With respect to an individual described in para-
graph (6) of subsection (a), who served in the military or 
naval forces of the Confederate States of America during 
the Civil War, a headstone, marker, or medallion, fur-
nished by the Secretary, shall include language that de-
notes such individual was forced to support their own en-
slavement. 
‘‘(k) With respect to an individual described in para-
graph (6) or (7) of subsection (a), a request to the Sec-
retary for a headstone, marker, or medallion may be made 
only by— 
‘‘(1) a direct descendant of the individual de-
scribed in such paragraph; or 
‘‘(2) an individual whom the Secretary deter-
mines has made a sufficiently reasonable attempt to 
solicit, from such a known direct descendant, con-
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sent to make such request on behalf of such direct 
descendant.’’. 
(b) REGULATIONS.—Not later than one year after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Vet-
erans Affairs shall prescribe regulations to implement the 
amendments made by subsection (a). Such regulations 
shall— 
(1) be informed by comment, solicited by the 
Secretary, from— 
(A) Civil War historians; 
(B) civil rights organizations; and 
(C) direct descendants of individuals de-
scribed in under paragraphs (6) and (7) of sec-
tion 2306(a) of title 38, United States Code (as 
added by such subsection); 
(2) define the term ‘‘military function’’ for pur-
poses of such section; and 
(3) establish what evidence the Secretary may 
consider when determining the performance of mili-
tary functions of such individuals or family relation-
ships to such individuals, which shall include— 
(A) Federal or State pay records; 
(B) Federal or State pension records; 
(C) Confederate pay records; 
(D) regimental histories; 
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(E) newspapers; 
(F) photographs; 
(G) ship logs; 
(H) diaries; 
(I) family records, including bibles; and 
(J) church records. 
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
subsection (a) shall take effect on the earlier of— 
(1) the date on which the Secretary prescribes 
regulations under subsection (b); and 
(2) the date that is one year after the date of 
the enactment of this Act. 
(d) REPORT.—Not later than 15 months after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall sub-
mit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate 
and the House of Representatives a report on the imple-
mentation of the amendments made by subsection (a) and 
the regulations prescribed under subsection (b). 
Æ 
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