Keeping Military Families Together Act of 2024
Floor Speech
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Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 2181) to amend title 38, United States Code, to repeal the sunset on entitlement to memorial headstones and markers for commemoration of veterans and certain individuals and to repeal the sunset on authority to bury remains of certain spouses and children in national cemeteries, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows: S. 2181
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 ``Keeping Military Families Together Act of 2024''. SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF ENTITLEMENT TO MEMORIAL HEADSTONES AND MARKERS FOR COMMEMORATION OF VETERANS AND CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS.
Section 2306(b)(2) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by striking ``September 30, 2025'' both places it appears and inserting ``September 30, 2032''. SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY TO BURY REMAINS OF CERTAIN SPOUSES AND CHILDREN IN NATIONAL CEMETERIES.
Section 2402(a)(5) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by striking ``September 30, 2025'' and inserting ``September 30, 2032''.
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Mr. BOST. 2181, as amended.
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Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 2181, as amended. This bill was introduced by Senator Peters. My colleagues, Representative James and Representative Reschenthaler, introduced companion bills.
This bill would ensure that veterans can be laid to rest and mourned together with their spouses and children.
Under current law, VA can inter certain family members together with their veteran loved one in a VA national cemetery only if those family members passed away before September 30, 2025.
VA can provide headstones or markers for certain family members whose remains are unavailable for burial only if they passed away before September 30, 2025. S. 2181, as amended, would extend those date limitations.
As a veteran myself, this is a deeply personal issue to me. We must ensure that veterans and their families have the option of being laid to rest together. Therefore, Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support S.
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Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I am ready to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.
Madam Speaker, once again, I encourage all Members to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
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