IB 
Union Calendar No. 237 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1338 
[Report No. 114–312] 
To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a study on matters 
relating to the burial of unclaimed remains of veterans in national ceme-
teries, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 6, 2015 
Mr. SHUSTER (for himself, Mr. FARENTHOLD, Ms. HAHN, Mr. NADLER, Ms. 
ESTY, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania, Mr. 
COOK, Mr. MARINO, Ms. BORDALLO, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. RIGELL, Mr. 
RANGEL, Mr. CRENSHAW, Mr. NEAL, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. YOHO, Mr. 
BRADY of Pennsylvania, Mr. JONES, Mr. KING of New York, Mr. 
THOMPSON of California, and Mr. NUGENT) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
OCTOBER 26, 2015 
Additional sponsors: Mr. ASHFORD, Mr. CARTWRIGHT, Mr. COSTELLO of 
Pennsylvania, Mr. FORTENBERRY, Mr. KLINE, Mr. ROTHFUS, Mr. RICE 
of South Carolina, Mr. CLEAVER, Mr. MEEHAN, Mr. STEWART, Mr. 
HUNTER, Mr. STIVERS, Mr. OLSON, Mrs. MILLER of Michigan, Mrs. 
COMSTOCK, Mr. MURPHY of Pennsylvania, Mr. BABIN, Mr. JOHNSON of 
Ohio, Mr. PERRY, Mr. BARLETTA, Mr. MICHAEL F. DOYLE of Pennsyl-
vania, Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee, Mrs. MIMI WALTERS of California, Mr. 
CURBELO of Florida, Ms. MCSALLY, Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, 
Mrs. BUSTOS, Mr. LAMALFA, Mr. KELLY
of Pennsylvania, Mr. 
FITZPATRICK, Mr. DENT, Mr. YOUNG of Alaska, Mr. ROUZER, Mr. 
PITTS, Mr. LOBIONDO, Mr. LAMBORN, Mr. FATTAH, Mr. BRENDAN F. 
BOYLE of Pennsylvania, Mr. HANNA, Ms. NORTON, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, 
Mr. NOLAN, Ms. FRANKEL of Florida, Mr. MEEKS, Mr. GARAMENDI, Mr. 
ROSS, Mr. GRAVES of Missouri, Mr. GIBBS, Mr. SIRES, Mr. FRANKS of 
Arizona, Ms. SINEMA, Mr. WALZ, Mr. LATTA, Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illi-
nois, Mr. CAPUANO, Mr. SEAN PATRICK MALONEY of New York, Mr. 
SCHWEIKERT, Mr. BISHOP of Utah, Mrs. KIRKPATRICK, Mr. ISSA, Mr. 
GRAVES of Louisiana, Mr. CARSON of Indiana, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. 
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CRAWFORD, Mr. PALAZZO, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. COHEN, Mr. GOSAR, Mrs. 
DINGELL, Mr. ZELDIN, Mr. LANGEVIN, Mr. VEASEY, Mr. THORNBERRY, 
Mr. LIPINSKI, Mrs. WALORSKI, Mrs. ROBY, and Mr. LARSEN of Wash-
ington 
OCTOBER 26, 2015 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on March 6, 2015] 
A BILL 
To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct 
a study on matters relating to the burial of unclaimed 
remains of veterans in national cemeteries, and for other 
purposes. 
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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 ‘‘Dignified Interment of 
Our Veterans Act of 2015’’. 
SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS STUDY ON 
MATTERS 
RELATING 
TO 
BURIAL 
OF 
UN-
CLAIMED REMAINS OF VETERANS IN NA-
TIONAL CEMETERIES. 
(a) STUDY AND REPORT REQUIRED.—Not later than 
one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall— 
(1) complete a study on matters relating to the 
interring of unclaimed remains of veterans in na-
tional cemeteries under the control of the National 
Cemetery Administration; and 
(2) submit to Congress a report on the findings 
of the Secretary with respect to the study required 
under paragraph (1). 
(b) MATTERS STUDIED.—The matters studied under 
subsection (a)(1) shall include the following: 
(1) Determining the scope of issues relating to 
unclaimed remains of veterans, including an estimate 
of the number of unclaimed remains of veterans. 
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(2) Assessing the effectiveness of the procedures of 
the Department of Veterans Affairs for working with 
persons or entities having custody of unclaimed re-
mains to facilitate interment of unclaimed remains of 
veterans in national cemeteries under the control of 
the National Cemetery Administration. 
(3) Assessing State and local laws that affect the 
ability of the Secretary to inter unclaimed remains of 
veterans in national cemeteries under the control of 
the National Cemetery Administration. 
(4) Developing recommendations for such legisla-
tive or administrative action as the Secretary con-
siders appropriate. 
(c) METHODOLOGY.— 
(1) NUMBER OF UNCLAIMED REMAINS.—In esti-
mating the number of unclaimed remains of veterans 
under subsection (b)(1), the Secretary may review 
such subset of applicable entities as the Secretary con-
siders appropriate, including a subset of funeral 
homes and coroner offices that possess unclaimed vet-
erans remains. 
(2) ASSESSMENT OF STATE AND LOCAL LAWS.— 
In assessing State and local laws under subsection 
(b)(3), the Secretary may assess such sample of appli-
cable State and local laws as the Secretary considers 
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appropriate in lieu of reviewing all applicable State 
and local laws. 
SEC. 3. LIMITATION ON AWARDS AND BONUSES PAID TO 
SENIOR EXECUTIVE EMPLOYEES OF DEPART-
MENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 
Section 705 of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Ac-
countability Act of 2014 (Public Law 113–146; 38 U.S.C. 
703 note) is amended by striking the period at the end and 
inserting the following: ‘‘, of which, during fiscal year 2016, 
not more than an aggregate amount of $2,000,000 may be 
paid to employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs 
who are members of the Senior Executive Service.’’. 
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Union Calendar No. 237 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 1338 
[Report No. 114–312] 
A BILL 
To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to con-
duct a study on matters relating to the burial of 
unclaimed remains of veterans in national ceme-
teries, and for other purposes. 
OCTOBER 26, 2015 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Com-
mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 
and ordered to be printed 
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01:46 Oct 27, 2015
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