[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1516 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]
H.R.1516
One Hundred Eighth Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE FIRST SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,
the seventh day of January, two thousand and three
An Act
To provide for the establishment by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs of
additional cemeteries in the National Cemetery Administration.
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 ``National Cemetery Expansion Act of
2003''.
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF NEW NATIONAL CEMETERIES.
(a) Establishment.--Not later than 4 years after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in accordance
with chapter 24 of title 38, United States Code, shall establish six
new national cemeteries. The new cemeteries shall be located in the
following locations (those locations having been determined by the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs to be the most appropriate locations for
new national cemeteries):
(1) Southeastern Pennsylvania.
(2) The Birmingham, Alabama, area.
(3) The Jacksonville, Florida, area.
(4) The Bakersfield, California, area.
(5) The Greenville/Columbia, South Carolina, area.
(6) The Sarasota County, Florida, area.
(b) Funds.--Amounts appropriated for the Department of Veterans
Affairs for any fiscal year after fiscal year 2003 for Advance Planning
shall be available for the purposes of subsection (a).
(c) Site Selection Process.--In determining the specific sites for
the new cemeteries required by subsection (a) within the locations
specified in that subsection, the Secretary shall solicit the advice
and views of representatives of State and local veterans organizations
and other individuals as the Secretary considers appropriate.
(d) Initial Report.--Not later than 120 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report
on the establishment of the national cemeteries required by subsection
(a). The report shall--
(1) set forth a schedule for the establishment of each such
cemetery and an estimate of the costs associated with the
establishment of each such cemetery; and
(2) identify the amount of Advance Planning Funds obligated for
purposes of this section as of the submission of the report.
(e) Annual Reports.--The Secretary shall submit to Congress an
annual report on the implementation of this section until the
establishment of all six cemeteries is completed and each such cemetery
has opened. The Secretary shall include in each such annual report an
update of the information provided under paragraphs (1) and (2) of
subsection (d).
(f) Definition of Southeastern Pennsylvania.--In this section, the
term ``southeastern Pennsylvania'' means the city of Philadelphia and
Berks County, Bucks County, Chester County, Delaware County,
Philadelphia County, and Montgomery County in the State of
Pennsylvania.
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.