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Bertie’s Respect for National Cemeteries Act
To amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure that the prohibition against interment or memorialization in the National Cemetery Administration or Arlington National Cemetery of persons committing Federal or State capital crimes is consistently carried out, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to disinter the remains of George E. Siple from Indiantown Gap National Cemetery, and for other purposes.
Summary
This bill strengthens the prohibition against burying or memorializing persons convicted of federal or state capital crimes in National Cemetery Administration cemeteries or Arlington National Cemetery. It requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct thorough background checks, including searching public records, before authorizing burials to ensure eligibility compliance. The bill also directs the Secretary to remove the remains of George E. Siple from Indiantown Gap National Cemetery and notify his next-of-kin, then release the remains to the family or arrange for appropriate disposition. The measure amends existing law to apply these requirements to burials conducted after the enactment date.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
- Rep. Perry, Scott [R-PA-10] (R-PA)
Money behind the sponsor
Top reported contributors to Scott Perry’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.
- BRODIE GENERATIONAL CAPITAL PARTNERS $13,200
- SAULSBURY INDUSTRIES $13,200
- COMMONWEALTH OF PA $8,350
- NULL $7,326
- FOUR SEASONS PRODUCE $7,300
Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for Scott Perry → · Outside spending →
Actions (3)
- Mar 31, 2025 Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs. · house
- Mar 11, 2025 Referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. · house
- Mar 11, 2025 Introduced in House
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Text versions (1)
Bills are re-published as they move (Introduced → Reported → Engrossed → Enrolled …). Each stage below is a separate text; pick two to see what changed. Data from Congress.gov.
Full text
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 11, 2025
Mr. Perry introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure that the prohibition against interment or memorialization in the National Cemetery Administration or Arlington National Cemetery of persons committing Federal or State capital crimes is consistently carried out, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to disinter the remains of George E. Siple from Indiantown Gap National Cemetery, 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 “Bertie’s Respect for National Cemeteries Act”.
SEC. 2. PROHIBITION AGAINST INTERMENT OR MEMORIALIZATION IN THE NATIONAL CEMETERY ADMINISTRATION OR ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY OF PERSONS COMMITTING FEDERAL OR STATE CAPITAL CRIMES.
(a) Responsibility of Appropriate Federal Official.—Section 2411(a)(2) of title 38, United States Code, is amended—
(1) by striking “In the case” and inserting “(A) Except as provided by subparagraph (B), in the case”; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
“(B) The appropriate Federal official shall take every reasonable action, including by searching public records, to ensure that a person who will be interred in a cemetery in the National Cemetery Administration or in Arlington National Cemetery is not ineligible for such interment by reason of this section.”.
(b) Authority To Disinter.—Section 2(c) of the Alicia Dawn Koehl Respect for National Cemeteries Act (38 U.S.C. 2411 note) is amended—
(1) by striking “this section” and inserting “subsection
(a)”; and
(2) by inserting after “Arlington National Cemetery” the following: “on or after the date of the enactment of such section 2411 and the amendment made by subsection (b) shall apply with respect to any such interment or memorialization conducted”.
SEC. 3. DISINTERMENT OF REMAINS OF GEORGE E. SIPLE FROM INDIANTOWN GAP NATIONAL CEMETERY.
(a) Disinterment of Remains.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall disinter the remains of George E. Siple from Indiantown Gap National Cemetery.
(b) Notification of Next-of-Kin.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall—
(1) notify the next-of-kin of record for George E. Siple of the impending disinterment of his remains; and
(2) upon disinterment, relinquish the remains to the next- of-kin of record for George E. Siple or, if the next-of-kin of record for George E. Siple is unavailable, arrange for an appropriate disposition of the remains. <all>
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