Should Veterans Buried in National Park Service Cemeteries Get the Same Benefits They Would at VA Cemeteries? (H.R. 4910)
Do you support or oppose this bill?
What is H.R. 4910?
(Updated March 21, 2019)
This bill was enacted on June 15, 2018
This bill would require the Secretary of the Interior to provide an outer burial receptacle (such as a standard grave liner) for any new grave in an open cemetery administered by the National Park Service (NPS). The bill would also reimburse a veteran’s survivors if they privately purchased an outer burial receptacle for use in a National Park Service cemetery. This would bring NPS into line with practices at Dept. of Veterans Affairs (VA) cemeteries. Outer burial receptacles provide meaningful protection against the elements, protecting the casket against the impacts of soil backfill and the regular wear of cemetery maintenance, and currently are provided at the survivors’ expense.
In addition to the standard grave liner, the bill would also allow the Secretary of the Interior to provide an outer burial receptacle other than a grave liner to eligible veterans at the time of their interment in a National Park. In such cases the survivors would pay the difference in cost between the grave liner and the alternative burial receptacle, plus the amount of administrative costs incurred by the Secretary.
Argument in favor
Passing this bill would ensure veterans buried at national cemeteries under the National Park Service’s control are buried with the same grave liners they’d receive at Veterans Affairs cemeteries at no expense to the survivors. It’s a simple but meaningful gesture to show the nation’s respect for their service.
Argument opposed
Currently, there is nothing to prevent families from paying for outer burial receptacles on their own. Additionally, there are no real externalities to the current lack of requirement that veterans interred at national cemeteries receive outer burial receptacles for their caskets.
Impact
Veterans; military families; the National Park Service; and national cemeteries.
Cost of H.R. 4910
A CBO estimate for this bill is unavailable. However, the CBO did estimated a similar bill at $315 (per the VA’s 2017 cost) per outer burial receptacle and 200 interments per year, making the bill cost about $630,000 over the 10-year budget window.
Additional Info
In-Depth: Sponsoring Rep. Austin Scott (R-GA) introduced this bill to ensure that veterans buried at National Park Service cemeteries and their survivors receive the same benefits as if they were buried at VA cemeteries:
“To honor the sacrifices and commitment of our veterans to our country, it is our duty as members of Congress to take care of our warfighters and their families… it is now more important than ever to close the gap in benefits for veterans who are buried in cemeteries managed by the National Park Service, and this bipartisan piece of legislation will ensure that all veterans and their families are receiving the benefits and respect they have rightly earned.”
This legislation has the support of 11 cosponsors, including 10 Republicans and one Democrat. The bill is also supported by the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Vietnam Veterans of America. Similar legislation sponsored by U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs, passed the Senate on March 1, 2018.
Of Note: While there are 14 national cemeteries under the National Park Service, it is worth noting that only two, Andersonville National Cemetery in Georgia and Andrew Johnson National Cemetery in Tennessee, are still active.
Media:
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Sponsoring Rep. Austin Scott (R-GA) Press Release
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Senate Veterans Affairs Committee (Companion Bill)
Summary by Lorelei Yang
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