I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1413 
To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to expand or otherwise modify 
an existing national cemetery to ensure that full military honors are 
provided at such cemetery, to require the Secretary of Defense and 
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to jointly submit to Congress a report 
containing a proposal to increase national cemetery capacity and an 
assessment of the criteria for interment at Arlington National Cemetery, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 7, 2023 
Mrs. MCCLAIN (for herself, Ms. HOULAHAN, Mr. JACKSON of North Carolina, 
Ms. ROSS, and Mr. WITTMAN) introduced the following bill; which was 
referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and in addition to the 
Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently deter-
mined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to expand or 
otherwise modify an existing national cemetery to ensure 
that full military honors are provided at such cemetery, 
to require the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary 
of Veterans Affairs to jointly submit to Congress a report 
containing a proposal to increase national cemetery ca-
pacity and an assessment of the criteria for interment 
at Arlington National Cemetery, 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 ‘‘Expanding America’s 
National Cemetery Act of 2023’’. 
SEC. 2. MODIFICATION OF EXISTING NATIONAL CEMETERY 
TO CONTINUE PROVISION OF FULL MILITARY 
HONORS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Before Arlington National Ceme-
tery reaches capacity, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
shall expand or otherwise modify a national cemetery de-
scribed in subsection (b) to ensure that full military hon-
ors are provided at such cemetery— 
(1) in a manner that is consistent with the full 
military honors provided for interment in Arlington 
National Cemetery as of March 31, 2023; and 
(2) using the eligibility criteria in effect as of 
March 31, 2023, for providing full military honors 
for interment in Arlington National Cemetery. 
(b) NATIONAL CEMETERY DESCRIBED.—A national 
cemetery described in this subsection is a national ceme-
tery that is— 
(1) in use as of the date of the enactment of 
this Act; and 
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(2) under the control of the National Cemetery 
Administration. 
SEC. 3. REPORT ON CRITERIA FOR INTERMENT IN ARLING-
TON NATIONAL CEMETERY AND PROPOSAL 
TO INCREASE NATIONAL CEMETERY CAPAC-
ITY. 
Not later than one year after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense and the Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly submit to Congress 
a report that contains each of the following: 
(1) A proposal to increase national cemetery ca-
pacity through the expansion or modification of a 
national cemetery described in section 2(b) that has, 
or will have, the capacity to provide full military 
honors. 
(2) The assessment of the Secretary of Defense, 
in consultation with the Secretary of the Army, with 
respect to any revisions that should be made to the 
revised criteria for interment in Arlington National 
Cemetery prescribed pursuant to section 598 of the 
John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act 
for Fiscal Year 2019 (Public Law 115–232; 38 
U.S.C. 2402 note) in order to ensure that such cri-
teria recognize exceptional service and honors. 
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(3) An assessment of how the revised criteria 
described in paragraph (2) will affect— 
(A) women; 
(B) veterans who served in non-combat oc-
cupations as members of the Armed Forces; 
(C) veterans who did not serve in combat 
as members of the Armed Forces; and 
(D) such other groups as the Secretaries 
consider relevant. 
Æ 
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