I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 358
To amend title 38, United States Code, to enact into law eligibility require-
ments for burial in Arlington National Cemetery, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 27, 2003
Mr. EVERETT introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to enact into law 
eligibility requirements for burial in Arlington National 
Cemetery, and for other purposes.
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 ‘‘Arlington National 
Cemetery Burial Eligibility Act’’. 
SEC. 2. PERSONS ELIGIBLE FOR BURIAL IN ARLINGTON NA-
TIONAL CEMETERY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 24 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new section:
‘‘§ 2412. Arlington National Cemetery: persons eligi-
ble for burial 
‘‘(a) PRIMARY ELIGIBILITY.—The remains of the fol-
lowing individuals may be buried in Arlington National 
Cemetery: 
‘‘(1) Any member of the Armed Forces who 
dies while on active duty. 
‘‘(2)(A) Any retired member of the Armed 
Forces. 
‘‘(B) Any member or former member of a re-
serve component of the Armed Forces—
‘‘(i) who served on active duty; 
‘‘(ii) who was honorably discharged from 
such active duty service; 
‘‘(iii) who, at the time of death, was under 
60 years of age; and 
‘‘(iv) who, but for age, would have been eli-
gible at the time of death for retired pay under 
chapter 1223 of title 10. 
‘‘(3) Any former member of the Armed Forces 
separated for physical disability before October 1, 
1949, who—
‘‘(A) served on active duty; and 
‘‘(B) would have been eligible for retire-
ment under the provisions of section 1201 of 
title 10 (relating to retirement for disability)
had that section been in effect on the date of 
separation of the member. 
‘‘(4) Any former member of the Armed Forces 
whose last active duty military service terminated 
honorably and who has been awarded one of the fol-
lowing decorations: 
‘‘(A) Medal of Honor. 
‘‘(B) Distinguished Service Cross, Air 
Force Cross, or Navy Cross. 
‘‘(C) Distinguished Service Medal. 
‘‘(D) Silver Star. 
‘‘(E) Purple Heart. 
‘‘(5) Any former prisoner of war who dies on or 
after November 30, 1993. 
‘‘(6) Any member of a reserve component of the 
Armed Forces who dies in the performance of duty 
while on active duty for training or inactive duty 
training. 
‘‘(7) The President or any former President. 
‘‘(b) ELIGIBILITY OF FAMILY MEMBERS.—The re-
mains of the following individuals may be buried in Arling-
ton National Cemetery: 
‘‘(1) The spouse, surviving spouse (which for 
purposes of this paragraph includes any remarried 
surviving spouse, section 2402(5) of this title not-
withstanding), minor child, and, at the discretion of 
the Superintendent, unmarried adult child of a per-
son listed in subsection (a), but only if buried in the 
same gravesite as that person. 
‘‘(2)(A) The spouse, minor child, and, at the 
discretion of the Superintendent, unmarried adult 
child of a member of the Armed Forces on active 
duty if such spouse, minor child, or unmarried adult 
child dies while such member is on active duty. 
‘‘(B) The individual whose spouse, minor child, 
and unmarried adult child is eligible under subpara-
graph (A), but only if buried in the same gravesite 
as the spouse, minor child, or unmarried adult child. 
‘‘(3) The parents of a minor child or unmarried 
adult child whose remains, based on the eligibility of 
a parent, are already buried in Arlington National 
Cemetery, but only if buried in the same gravesite 
as that minor child or unmarried adult child.
‘‘(4)(A) Subject to subparagraph (B), the sur-
viving spouse, minor child, and, at the discretion of 
the Superintendent, unmarried adult child of a 
member of the Armed Forces who was lost, buried 
at sea, or officially determined to be permanently ab-
sent in a status of missing or missing in action.
‘‘(B) A person is not eligible under subpara-
graph (A) if a memorial to honor the memory of the 
member is placed in a cemetery in the national cem-
etery system, unless the memorial is removed. A me-
morial removed under this subparagraph may be 
placed, at the discretion of the Superintendent, in 
Arlington National Cemetery.
‘‘(5) The surviving spouse, minor child, and, at 
the discretion of the Superintendent, unmarried 
adult child of a member of the Armed Forces buried 
in a cemetery under the jurisdiction of the American 
Battle Monuments Commission. 
‘‘(c) DISABLED ADULT UNMARRIED CHILDREN.—In 
the case of an unmarried adult child who is incapable of 
self-support up to the time of death because of a physical 
or mental condition, the child may be buried under sub-
section (b) without requirement for approval by the Super-
intendent under that subsection if the burial is in the same 
gravesite as the gravesite in which the parent, who is eligi-
ble for burial under subsection (a), has been or will be 
buried. 
‘‘(d) FAMILY MEMBERS OF PERSONS BURIED IN A 
GROUP GRAVESITE.—In the case of a person eligible for 
burial under subsection (a) who is buried in Arlington Na-
tional Cemetery as part of a group burial, the surviving
spouse, minor child, or unmarried adult child of the mem-
ber may not be buried in the group gravesite. 
‘‘(e) EXCLUSIVE AUTHORITY FOR BURIAL IN AR-
LINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY.—(1) Eligibility for bur-
ial of remains in Arlington National Cemetery prescribed 
under this section is the exclusive eligibility for such bur-
ial. 
‘‘(2)(A) In the case of an individual not otherwise eli-
gible for burial under subsection (a) whose acts, service, 
or contributions to the Armed Forces are so extraordinary 
as to justify burial in Arlington National Cemetery, the 
President may deem such individual eligible for burial 
under subsection (a). 
‘‘(B) If the President deems an individual eligible for 
burial in Arlington National Cemetery under subpara-
graph (A), the Secretary of the Army shall immediately 
notify the chairmen and the ranking members of the Com-
mittee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and House of 
Representatives. 
‘‘(C)(i) Except as provided in clause (ii), the author-
ity under subparagraph (A) may not be delegated. 
‘‘(ii) The President may only delegate the authority 
under subparagraph (A) to the Secretary of the Army. 
‘‘(f) APPLICATION FOR BURIAL.—(1) A request for 
burial of remains of an individual in Arlington National
Cemetery shall be made to the Secretary of the Army or 
to any other Federal official that the Secretary of the 
Army may specify. 
‘‘(2) The Secretary, or other Federal official, may not 
consider a request referred to in paragraph (1) that is 
made before the death of the individual for whom burial 
in Arlington National Cemetery is requested. 
‘‘(3) The President, or the Secretary, as the case may 
be, may not consider a request to deem an individual eligi-
ble for burial in Arlington National Cemetery under sub-
section (e)(2) that is made before the death of the indi-
vidual for whom burial in Arlington National Cemetery is 
requested. 
‘‘(g) REGISTER OF BURIED INDIVIDUALS.—(1) The 
Secretary of the Army shall maintain a register of each 
individual buried in Arlington National Cemetery and 
shall make such register available to the public. 
‘‘(2) With respect to each such individual buried on 
or after January 1, 2003, the register shall include a brief 
description of the basis of eligibility of the individual for 
burial in Arlington National Cemetery. 
‘‘(h) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this section: 
‘‘(1) The term ‘retired member of the Armed 
Forces’ means—
‘‘(A) any member of the Armed Forces on 
a retired list who served on active duty and who 
is entitled to retired pay; 
‘‘(B) any member of the Fleet Reserve or 
Fleet Marine Corps Reserve who served on ac-
tive duty and who is entitled to retainer pay; 
and 
‘‘(C) any member of a reserve component 
of the Armed Forces who has served on active 
duty and who has received notice from the Sec-
retary concerned under section 12731(d) of title 
10, of eligibility for retired pay under chapter 
1223 of title 10, United States Code. 
‘‘(2) The term ‘former member of the Armed 
Forces’ includes a person whose service is considered 
active duty service pursuant to a determination of 
the Secretary of Defense under section 401 of Public 
Law 95–202 (38 U.S.C. 106 note). 
‘‘(3) The term ‘Superintendent’ means the Su-
perintendent of Arlington National Cemetery.’’. 
(b) PUBLICATION
OF UPDATED PAMPHLET.—Not 
later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of 
this Act, the Secretary of the Army shall publish an up-
dated pamphlet describing eligibility for burial in Arling-
ton National Cemetery. The pamphlet shall reflect the pro-
visions of section 2412 of title 38, United States Code, 
as added by subsection (a). 
(c) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of chapter 24 of title 38, United States 
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new 
item:
‘‘2412. Arlington National Cemetery: persons eligible for burial.’’.
(d) TECHNICAL AMENDMENT.—Section 2402(5) of 
title 38, United States Code, is amended by inserting ‘‘, 
except section 2412(b)(1) of this title,’’ after ‘‘which for 
purposes of this chapter’’. 
(e) CONFORMING REPEAL.—Section 1176 of the Na-
tional Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1994 
(Public Law 103–160; 38 U.S.C. 2402 note) is repealed. 
(f) EFFECTIVE DATE.—(1) Except as provided in 
paragraph (2), section 2412 of title 38, United States 
Code, as added by subsection (a), shall apply with respect 
to individuals dying on or after the date of the enactment 
of this Act. 
(2) In the case of an individual buried in Arlington 
National Cemetery before the date of the enactment of
this Act, the surviving spouse of such individual is deemed 
to be eligible for burial in Arlington National Cemetery 
under subsection (b) of such section, but only in the same 
gravesite as such individual.
SEC. 3. PERSONS ELIGIBLE FOR PLACEMENT IN THE COL-
UMBARIUM IN ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEME-
TERY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 24 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by adding after section 2412, as 
added by section 2(a) of this Act, the following new sec-
tion: 
‘‘§ 2413. Arlington National Cemetery: persons eligi-
ble for placement in columbarium 
‘‘The cremated remains of the following individuals 
may be placed in the columbarium in Arlington National 
Cemetery: 
‘‘(1) A person eligible for burial in Arlington 
National Cemetery under section 2412 of this title. 
‘‘(2)(A) A veteran whose last period of active 
duty service (other than active duty for training) 
ended honorably. 
‘‘(B) The spouse, surviving spouse, minor child, 
and, at the discretion of the Superintendent of Ar-
lington National Cemetery, unmarried adult child of 
such a veteran.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of chapter 24 of title 38, United States 
Code, is amended by adding after section 2412, as added 
by section 2(c) of this Act, the following new item:
‘‘2413. Arlington National Cemetery: persons eligible for placement in columba-
rium.’’.
(c) 
CONFORMING
AMENDMENT.—Section 
11201(a)(1) of title 46, United States Code, is amended 
by inserting after subparagraph (B), the following new 
subparagraph: 
‘‘(C) Section 2413 (relating to placement 
in the columbarium in Arlington National Cem-
etery).’’. 
(d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Section 2413 of title 38, 
United States Code, as added by subsection (a), and sec-
tion 11201(a)(1)(C), as added by subsection (c), shall 
apply with respect to individuals dying on or after the date 
of the enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 4. MONUMENTS IN ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 24 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by adding after section 2413, as 
added by section 3(a) of this Act, the following new sec-
tion: 
‘‘§ 2414. Arlington National Cemetery: authorized 
headstones, markers, and monuments 
‘‘(a) GRAVESITE MARKERS PROVIDED BY THE SEC-
RETARY.—A gravesite in Arlington National Cemetery 
shall be appropriately marked in accordance with section 
2404 of this title.