105th CONGRESS
2nd Session
S. 1825
To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide sufficient funding to assure a minimum size for honor guard details at funerals of veterans of the Armed Forces, to establish the minimum size of such details, and for other purposes.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 24, 1998
Mrs. MURRAY (for herself, Mr. MURKOWSKI, and Mr. SARBANES) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services
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A BILL
To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide sufficient funding to assure a minimum size for honor guard details at funerals of veterans of the Armed Forces, to establish the minimum size of such details, 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 `Veterans Burial Rights Act of 1998'.
SEC. 2. HONOR GUARD DETAILS AT FUNERALS OF VETERANS.
(a) IN GENERAL- (1) Chapter 75 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
`Sec. 1491. Honor guard details
`(a) AVAILABILITY UPON REQUEST- The Secretaries of the military departments shall provide honor guard details at funerals of veterans of the armed forces only upon request.
`(b) MINIMUM SIZE OF DETAILS- The Secretaries of the military departments shall ensure that honor guard details at funerals of veterans of the armed forces consist of not less than five members of the armed forces (of whom one shall be a bugler for the playing of `Taps').
`(c) AVAILABILITY OF APPROPRIATIONS- Any amounts appropriated to the Department of Defense may be used in order to meet the requirement set forth in subsection (b).'.
(2) The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding at the end the following:
`1491. Honor guard details.'.
(b) TREATMENT OF PERFORMANCE OF HONOR GUARD FUNCTIONS BY RESERVES- Chapter 1215 of title 10, United States Code, is amended--
(1) by striking out the following:
`[No present sections]'; and
(2) inserting in lieu thereof the following: `Sec.
`12551. Honor guard functions: prohibition on treatment as drill or training.
`Sec. 12551. Honor guard functions: prohibition on treatment as drill or training
`Any performance by a Reserve of honor guard functions at the funeral of a veteran of the armed forces may not be considered to be a period of drill or training otherwise required.'.
(c) REPEAL OF LIMITATION ON AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS FOR HONOR GUARD FUNCTIONS BY NATIONAL GUARD- Section 114 of title 32, United States Code, is amended--
(1) by striking out `(a)'; and
(2) by striking out subsection (b).
(d) APPLICABILITY- The amendments made by this section shall apply to burials of veterans that occur on or after the date that is 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act.
(e) REPORT ON IMPLEMENTATION- Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to Congress the directives prescribed by the Secretary of the Army, the Secretary of the Navy, and the Secretary of the Air Force in order to carry out the requirements under the amendments made by this section.