S.Amdt. 2770

SA 2770. Mr. WHITEHOUSE (for himself, Mr. Reed, and Ms. Klobuchar)
submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S.
4638, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2025 for military
activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and
for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe
military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other
purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the end of subtitle H of title X, add the following:

SEC. 1095. GRANTS FOR STATE, COUNTY, AND TRIBAL VETERANS'
CEMETERIES THAT ALLOW INTERMENT OF CERTAIN
PERSONS ELIGIBLE FOR INTERMENT IN NATIONAL
CEMETERIES.

Section 2408 of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
(1) by redesignating subsection (k) as subsection (l); and
(2) by inserting after subsection (j) the following new
subsection (k):
``(k)(1) The Secretary may not establish a condition for a
grant under this section that restricts the ability of a
State, county, or tribal organization receiving such a grant
to allow the interment of any person described in paragraph
(8) or (10) of section 2402(a) of this title in a veterans'
cemetery owned by that State or county or on trust land owned
by, or held in trust for, that tribal organization.
``(2) The Secretary may not deny an application for a grant
under this section solely on the basis that the State,
county, or tribal organization receiving such grant may use
funds from such grant to expand, improve, operate, or
maintain a veterans' cemetery in which interment of persons
described in paragraph (8) or (10) of section 2402(a) of this
title is allowed.
``(3)(A) When requested by a State, county, or tribal
organization in receipt of a grant made under this section,
the Secretary shall--
``(i) determine whether a person is eligible for burial in
a national cemetery under paragraph (8) or (10) of section
2402(a) of this title; and
``(ii) advise the grant recipient of the determination.
``(B) A grant recipient described in subparagraph (A) may
use a determination of the Secretary under such subparagraph
as a determination of the eligibility of the person concerned
for burial in the cemetery for which the grant was made.''.
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