Title: Department of Veterans Affairs Committal Service Shelter Act of 2019
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Department of Veterans Affairs Committal Service Shelter Act of 2019
This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to make grants for the construction of fully enclosed committal service shelters in veterans' cemeteries owned by states that have (1) one or fewer veterans' cemeteries that are federally funded, and (2) one or fewer national cemeteries under the control of the VA with space available to accommodate remains.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2369 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2369

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the use of grant 
    amounts awarded under the Veterans Cemetery Grants Program for 
 construction of fully enclosed committal service shelters in certain 
          State veterans' cemeteries, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 31, 2019

Mr. Manchin (for himself and Mr. Romney) introduced the following bill; 
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the use of grant 
    amounts awarded under the Veterans Cemetery Grants Program for 
 construction of fully enclosed committal service shelters in certain 
          State veterans' cemeteries, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Department of Veterans Affairs 
Committal Service Shelter Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS; FINDINGS; PURPOSE.

    (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) a committal service shelter should be a quiet, 
        dignified shelter that provides protection from the wind, rain, 
        and sun for an internment service in a solemn manner; and
            (2) such shelters should provide comfort for grieving 
        families in all weather, especially during the heat of summer, 
        middle of winter, and all types of storms.
    (b) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) As of the day before the date of the enactment of this 
        Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs does not provide 
        funding for construction of enclosed committal service shelters 
        under the Veterans Cometary Grants Program.
            (2) As of the day before the date of the enactment of this 
        Act, highly rural communities have few options for protection 
        from inclement weather during funerals for veterans and open 
        shelters hardly shield family and loved ones from extreme 
        weather.
            (3) As of the day before the date of the enactment of this 
        Act, States with only one State veterans' cemetery funded by 
        the Veterans Cemetery Grants Program have few options with 
        respect to committal service shelters.
    (c) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to authorize the use of 
grant amounts awarded under the Veterans Cemetery Grants Program for 
construction of fully enclosed committal shelters in certain State 
veterans' cemeteries.

SEC. 3. CONSTRUCTION OF FULLY ENCLOSED COMMITTAL SERVICE SHELTERS IN 
              STATE VETERANS' CEMETERIES.

    Section 2408 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding 
at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(g) A grant awarded under subsection (a)(1)(A) may be used for 
construction of a fully enclosed committal service shelter in a 
veterans' cemetery owned by a State that--
            ``(1) has one or fewer veterans' cemeteries that are 
        federally funded; and
            ``(2) has one or fewer national cemeteries under the 
        control of the National Cemetery Administration with space 
        available to accommodate casketed or cremated remains.''.
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