I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2701 
To direct the American Battle Monuments Commission to establish a program 
to identify American-Jewish servicemembers buried in United States mili-
tary cemeteries overseas under markers that incorrectly represent their 
religion and heritage, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 7, 2025 
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (for herself, Mr. MILLER of Ohio, Mr. GOLDMAN 
of New York, Ms. LOIS FRANKEL of Florida, Mr. SCHNEIDER, Ms. 
FRIEDMAN, and Mr. GOTTHEIMER) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To direct the American Battle Monuments Commission to 
establish 
a 
program 
to 
identify 
American-Jewish 
servicemembers buried in United States military ceme-
teries overseas under markers that incorrectly represent 
their religion and heritage, 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 ‘‘Fallen Servicemembers 
Religious Heritage Restoration Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) 
An 
estimated 
900 
American-Jewish 
servicemembers of the Armed Forces, killed in World 
War I and World War II and buried overseas in 
United States military cemeteries were, for various 
reasons, mistakenly buried under Latin Crosses. In 
most instances, those mistakes were made inadvert-
ently. 
(2) In 2022, more than 2,000,000 people vis-
ited the United States World War I and World War 
II cemeteries in foreign countries. 
(3) American-Jewish servicemembers played a 
vital role in the Allied victories in World War I and 
World War II. 
(4) 
American-Jewish 
servicemembers 
who 
fought and died for the United States must have 
their heritage properly recognized and honored. 
(5) The United States Government has a sol-
emn responsibility to ensure that every American 
servicemember killed in action and buried overseas is 
properly honored. 
(6) The work of properly identifying American- 
Jewish servicemembers buried overseas is vital and 
integral to the responsibility of the American Battle 
Monuments Commission to ensure that past mis-
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takes in honoring those servicemembers who died in 
the line of duty are corrected. 
SEC. 3. FALLEN SERVICEMEMBERS RELIGIOUS HERITAGE 
RESTORATION PROGRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The American Battle Monu-
ments Commission shall establish a program to identify 
covered members and to contact survivors and descend-
ants of such covered members. Such program shall be 
known as the ‘‘Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage 
Restoration Program’’. 
(b) DURATION.—The Commission shall carry out the 
Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration 
Program during the first 10 fiscal years that begin after 
the date of the enactment of this Act. 
(c) CONTRACTS.— 
(1) AUTHORITY.—During each fiscal year de-
scribed in subsection (b), the Commission shall seek 
to enter into a contract with a nonprofit organiza-
tion under which such nonprofit organization shall 
carry out the purpose described in subsection (a). 
(2) TERM; AMOUNT.—Each contract under this 
subsection shall be for one year and in the amount 
of $500,000 to the nonprofit organization. 
(3) PRIORITY.—In awarding a contract under 
this subsection, the Commission shall give priority to 
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a nonprofit organization that has demonstrated ca-
pability and expertise in carrying out the purpose 
described in subsection (a). 
(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To carry 
out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated to 
the Commission $500,000 for each fiscal year described 
in subsection (b). 
(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘covered member’’ means a de-
ceased member of the Armed Forces who was Jew-
ish and buried— 
(A) in a United States military cemetery 
located outside the United States; and 
(B) under a marker that indicates such 
member was not Jewish. 
(2) The term ‘‘nonprofit organization’’ means 
an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the 
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from 
taxation under section 501(a) of such Code. 
Æ 
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