I
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2040
To provide for a comprehensive assessment of veterans’ cemeteries.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JUNE 8, 1999
Mr. STUMP (for himself, Mr. EVANS, Mr. QUINN, Mr. FILNER, Mr. EVERETT,
Ms. BROWN of Florida, and Mr. MCKEON) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
A BILL
To provide for a comprehensive assessment of veterans’
cemeteries.
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 ‘‘Veterans’ Cemeteries
Assessment Act of 1999’’.
SEC. 2. INDEPENDENT STUDY ON IMPROVEMENTS TO VET-
ERANS’ CEMETERIES.
(a) STUDY.—By not later than 180 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Vet-
erans Affairs shall enter into a contract with one or more
qualified organizations to conduct a study of national
cemeteries described in subsection (b). For purposes of
this section, an entity of Federal, State, or local govern-
ment is not a qualified organization.
(b) MATTERS STUDIED.—(1) The study conducted
pursuant to the contract entered into under subsection (a)
shall include an assessment of each of the following:
(A) The one-time repairs required at each na-
tional cemetery under the jurisdiction of the Na-
tional Cemetery Administration of the Department
of Veterans Affairs, to ensure a dignified and re-
spectful setting appropriate to such cemetery, taking
into account the diversity of age, climate, and burial
options at individual national cemeteries.
(B) The feasibility of making standards of ap-
pearance of such national cemeteries commensurate
with standards of appearance of the finest ceme-
teries in the world.
(C) The number of additional national ceme-
teries that will be required for the interment and
memorialization in such cemeteries of individuals
qualified under chapter 24 of title 38, United States
Code, who die after 2010.
(D) Improvements to burial benefits under
chapter 23 of title 38, United States Code, including
a proposal to increase the amount of the benefit for
plot allowances under section 2303(b) of such title,
to better serve veterans and their families.
(2) In presenting the assessment of additional na-
tional cemeteries required under paragraph (1)(C), the re-
port shall identify by five-year period, beginning with 2010
and ending with 2030, the following:
(A) The number of additional national ceme-
teries required during each five-year period.
(B) With respect to each five-year period, the
areas in the United States with the greatest con-
centration of veterans whose needs are not served by
national cemeteries or State veterans’ cemeteries.
(c) REPORT.—(1) By not later than one year after
the date that a qualified organization enters into a con-
tract under subsection (a), the organization shall submit
to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs a report detailing the
results of the study conducted and conclusions of the orga-
nization with respect to such results.
(2) By not later than 120 days after the date a report
is submitted under paragraph (1), the Secretary of Vet-
erans Affairs shall transmit to the Committees on Vet-
erans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives and the
Senate a copy of such report, together with any comments
on the report that the Secretary determines appropriate.
Æ