Fairness for Local Veteran Cemeteries Act

Bill: 116-hr-5048
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Delgado, Antonio [D-NY-19]
Introduced: 2019-11-12
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Cemeteries and funerals

Veterans' organizations and recognition
Latest action: action_date: 2019-12-02
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

Summaries:
action_date: 2019-11-12
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Fairness for Local Veteran Cemeteries Act</b></p> <p>This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide a grant under the Veteran Cemetery Grants Program to a county to establish, expand, improve, operate, or maintain a county-owned veterans' cemetery. Under current law, such grants are only authorized to be issued to states, tribal organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions. </p> <p>The VA is only able to provide such grants under certain circumstances. Specifically, grants are only authorized if the state in which the county is located does not have a state-owned veterans' cemetery or the state did not apply for a grant in the previous year. Additionally, a county must demonstrate that it has the resources necessary to operate and maintain its cemetery.</p> <p>The VA must give priority to state-owned cemeteries in situations where both the county and the state apply for a grant in the same year.</p>

tv_txt: I 116th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 5048 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES November 12, 2019 Mr. Delgado (for himself, Ms. Stefanik , Mr. Young , and Mr. Mast ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs A BILL To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide aid to counties for establishment, expansion, and improvement of veterans’ cemeteries.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Fairness for Local Veteran Cemeteries Act . 2. Department of Veterans Affairs aid to counties for establishment, expansion, and improvement of veterans' cemeteries (a) In general Section 2408 of title 38, United States Code, is amended— (1) by inserting or county after State each place it appears; and (2) in subsection (a), by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (3) (A) The Secretary may make a grant to a county under this section only if— (i) (I) the State in which the county is located does not have a veterans’ cemetery owned by the State; or (II) the State in which the county is located did not apply for a grant during the previous year; and (ii) the county demonstrates in the application under paragraph (2), to the satisfaction of the Secretary, that the county has the resources necessary to operate and maintain the veterans’ cemetery owned by the county. (B) If a county and the State in which the county is located both apply for a grant under this section for the same year, the Secretary shall give priority to the State. (C) The Secretary shall prescribe regulations to carry out this paragraph. . (b) Clerical amendments (1) Section heading The heading of such section is amended by inserting and counties after States . (2) Table of sections The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 24 of such title is amended by striking the item relating to section 2408 and inserting the following new item: 2408. Aid to States and counties for establishment, expansion, and improvement of veterans' cemeteries. .