Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Act

Bill: 119-hr-2701
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Wasserman Schultz, Debbie [D-FL-25]
Introduced: 2025-04-07
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: American Battle Monuments Commission

Military facilities and property

Military history

Public contracts and procurement

Religion

Veterans' organizations and recognition
Latest action: action_date: 2025-09-16
text: Received in the Senate.

Summaries:
action_date: 2025-04-07
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Act</strong></p><p>This bill requires the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) to establish the Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Program to identify deceased members of the Armed Forces who were Jewish and buried in a U.S. military cemetery located outside of the United States under a marker indicating the member was not Jewish. The program must&nbsp;contact survivors and descendants of such members.</p><p>The&nbsp;ABMC must seek to enter into a contract with a nonprofit organization to carry out the program during the first 10 fiscal years beginning after the date of enactment of the bill.</p>

tv_txt: I 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 2701 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AN ACT To direct the American Battle Monuments Commission to establish a program to identify American-Jewish servicemembers buried in United States military cemeteries overseas under markers that incorrectly represent their religion and heritage, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Act . 2. Findings Congress finds the following: (1) An estimated 900 American-Jewish servicemembers of the Armed Forces, killed in World War I and World War II and buried overseas in United States military cemeteries were, for various reasons, mistakenly buried under Latin Crosses. In most instances, those mistakes were made inadvertently. (2) In 2022, more than 2,000,000 people visited the United States World War I and World War II cemeteries in foreign countries. (3) American-Jewish servicemembers played a vital role in the Allied victories in World War I and World War II. (4) American-Jewish servicemembers who fought and died for the United States must have their heritage properly recognized and honored. (5) The United States Government has a solemn responsibility to ensure that every American servicemember killed in action and buried overseas is properly honored. (6) The work of properly identifying American-Jewish servicemembers buried overseas is vital and integral to the responsibility of the American Battle Monuments Commission to ensure that past mistakes in honoring those servicemembers who died in the line of duty are corrected. 3. Fallen servicemembers religious heritage restoration program (a) Establishment The American Battle Monuments Commission shall establish a program to identify covered members and to contact survivors and descendants of such covered members. Such program shall be known as the Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Program . (b) Duration The Commission shall carry out the Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Program during the first five fiscal years that begin after the date of the enactment of this Act. (c) Contracts (1) Authority During each fiscal year described in subsection (b), the Commission shall seek to enter into a contract with a nonprofit organization under which such nonprofit organization shall carry out the purpose described in subsection (a). (2) Term; amount Each contract under this subsection shall be for one year and in the amount of $500,000 to the nonprofit organization. (3) Priority In awarding a contract under this subsection, the Commission shall give priority to a nonprofit organization that has demonstrated capability and expertise in carrying out the purpose described in subsection (a). (d) Definitions In this section: (1) The term covered member means a deceased member of the Armed Forces who was Jewish and buried— (A) in a United States military cemetery located outside the United States; and (B) under a marker that indicates such member was not Jewish. (2) The term nonprofit organization means an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of such Code. 4. Extension of certain limits on payments of pension Section 5503(d)(7) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by striking November 30, 2031 and inserting January 31, 2032 .

Passed the House of Representatives September 15, 2025. Kevin F. McCumber, Clerk.

tv_txt: IB Union Calendar No. 214 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 2701 [Report No. 119–258] IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES April 7, 2025 Ms. Wasserman Schultz (for herself, Mr. Miller of Ohio , Mr. Goldman of New York , Ms. Lois Frankel of Florida , Mr. Schneider , Ms. Friedman , and Mr. Gottheimer ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs September 9, 2025 Additional sponsors: Mr. Fitzpatrick , Mr. Goldman of Texas , Mr. Suozzi , Mr. Carter of Georgia , Ms. Norton , Ms. McBride , Ms. Sherrill , Ms. Gillen , Mr. Case , Ms. Tenney , Mr. Lawler , Mr. Torres of New York , Mr. Bell , Mr. Hamadeh of Arizona , Ms. Salazar , Ms. Budzinski , Mr. Raskin , Mr. Bacon , Mr. Magaziner , Mr. Cohen , Mr. Ciscomani , Ms. Schrier , Ms. Mace , Mr. Van Orden , Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick , Mr. Meuser , Mr. Kean , Mr. McCormick , Mr. Calvert , Mr. Kustoff , Mr. Carson , Mr. Bresnahan , Mr. LaLota , Mrs. Cammack , and Mr. Fleischmann September 9, 2025 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 April 7, 2025 A BILL To direct the American Battle Monuments Commission to establish a program to identify American-Jewish servicemembers buried in United States military cemeteries overseas under markers that incorrectly represent their religion and heritage, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Act . 2. Findings Congress finds the following: (1) An estimated 900 American-Jewish servicemembers of the Armed Forces, killed in World War I and World War II and buried overseas in United States military cemeteries were, for various reasons, mistakenly buried under Latin Crosses. In most instances, those mistakes were made inadvertently. (2) In 2022, more than 2,000,000 people visited the United States World War I and World War II cemeteries in foreign countries. (3) American-Jewish servicemembers played a vital role in the Allied victories in World War I and World War II. (4) American-Jewish servicemembers who fought and died for the United States must have their heritage properly recognized and honored. (5) The United States Government has a solemn responsibility to ensure that every American servicemember killed in action and buried overseas is properly honored. (6) The work of properly identifying American-Jewish servicemembers buried overseas is vital and integral to the responsibility of the American Battle Monuments Commission to ensure that past mistakes in honoring those servicemembers who died in the line of duty are corrected. 3. Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Program (a) Establishment The American Battle Monuments Commission shall establish a program to identify covered members and to contact survivors and descendants of such covered members. Such program shall be known as the Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Program . (b) Duration The Commission shall carry out the Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Program during the first five fiscal years that begin after the date of the enactment of this Act. (c) Contracts (1) Authority During each fiscal year described in subsection (b), the Commission shall seek to enter into a contract with a nonprofit organization under which such nonprofit organization shall carry out the purpose described in subsection (a). (2) Term; amount Each contract under this subsection shall be for one year and in the amount of $500,000 to the nonprofit organization. (3) Priority In awarding a contract under this subsection, the Commission shall give priority to a nonprofit organization that has demonstrated capability and expertise in carrying out the purpose described in subsection (a). (d) Authorization of appropriations To carry out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated to the Commission $500,000 for each fiscal year described in subsection (b). (e) Definitions In this section: (1) The term covered member means a deceased member of the Armed Forces who was Jewish and buried— (A) in a United States military cemetery located outside the United States; and (B) under a marker that indicates such member was not Jewish. (2) The term nonprofit organization means an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of such Code. 4. Extension of certain limits on payments of pension Section 5503(d)(7) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by striking November 30, 2031 and inserting January 31, 2032 .

September 9, 2025 Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed

tv_txt: I 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 2701 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES April 7, 2025 Ms. Wasserman Schultz (for herself, Mr. Miller of Ohio , Mr. Goldman of New York , Ms. Lois Frankel of Florida , Mr. Schneider , Ms. Friedman , and Mr. Gottheimer ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs A BILL To direct the American Battle Monuments Commission to establish a program to identify American-Jewish servicemembers buried in United States military cemeteries overseas under markers that incorrectly represent their religion and heritage, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Act . 2. Findings Congress finds the following: (1) An estimated 900 American-Jewish servicemembers of the Armed Forces, killed in World War I and World War II and buried overseas in United States military cemeteries were, for various reasons, mistakenly buried under Latin Crosses. In most instances, those mistakes were made inadvertently. (2) In 2022, more than 2,000,000 people visited the United States World War I and World War II cemeteries in foreign countries. (3) American-Jewish servicemembers played a vital role in the Allied victories in World War I and World War II. (4) American-Jewish servicemembers who fought and died for the United States must have their heritage properly recognized and honored. (5) The United States Government has a solemn responsibility to ensure that every American servicemember killed in action and buried overseas is properly honored. (6) The work of properly identifying American-Jewish servicemembers buried overseas is vital and integral to the responsibility of the American Battle Monuments Commission to ensure that past mistakes in honoring those servicemembers who died in the line of duty are corrected. 3. Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Program (a) Establishment The American Battle Monuments Commission shall establish a program to identify covered members and to contact survivors and descendants of such covered members. Such program shall be known as the Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Program . (b) Duration The Commission shall carry out the Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Program during the first 10 fiscal years that begin after the date of the enactment of this Act. (c) Contracts (1) Authority During each fiscal year described in subsection (b), the Commission shall seek to enter into a contract with a nonprofit organization under which such nonprofit organization shall carry out the purpose described in subsection (a). (2) Term; amount Each contract under this subsection shall be for one year and in the amount of $500,000 to the nonprofit organization. (3) Priority In awarding a contract under this subsection, the Commission shall give priority to a nonprofit organization that has demonstrated capability and expertise in carrying out the purpose described in subsection (a). (d) Authorization of appropriations To carry out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated to the Commission $500,000 for each fiscal year described in subsection (b). (e) Definitions In this section: (1) The term covered member means a deceased member of the Armed Forces who was Jewish and buried— (A) in a United States military cemetery located outside the United States; and (B) under a marker that indicates such member was not Jewish. (2) The term nonprofit organization means an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of such Code.