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HR 2701
Passed House Re-checks Congress.gov for new actions and updates the bill's status, and fills in any sponsors, committees, or related bills that are missing. It does not re-pull sponsors/cosponsors/committees/related — those rarely change — and it skips all work if nothing has changed upstream, so it's cheap to click.

Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Act

Introduced Apr 7, 2025

Latest action (Dec 9, 2025) Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 292.

Referred to
Veterans' Affairs Committee
Policy area
Armed Forces and National Security
Issues
Defense
Legislative subjects (6)
American Battle Monuments CommissionMilitary facilities and propertyMilitary historyPublic contracts and procurementReligionVeterans' organizations and recognition

Summary

This bill directs the American Battle Monuments Commission to establish a five-year program to identify Jewish servicemembers buried in overseas U.S. military cemeteries under religious markers that do not reflect their faith. An estimated 900 Jewish servicemembers from World War I and World War II were mistakenly buried under Latin Crosses rather than appropriate Jewish markers. The Commission will contract with nonprofit organizations at $500,000 per year to identify these individuals and contact their survivors and descendants. The bill also extends a deadline for certain pension payments under federal law from November 30, 2031 to January 31, 2032.

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)
41 cosponsors

Money behind the sponsor

Top reported contributors to Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.

  • LEON MEDICAL CENTERS $21,500
  • NULL $19,500
  • THE HAGGARD LAW FIRM $13,200
  • TREMONT PARTNERS $13,200
  • LIBRA GROUP $13,200

Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for Debbie Wasserman Schultz → · Outside spending →

Actions (17)
  1. Dec 9, 2025 Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 292. · senate
  2. Sep 16, 2025 Received in the Senate. · senate
  3. Sep 15, 2025 Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection. · house
  4. Sep 15, 2025 On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H4294) · house
  5. Sep 15, 2025 Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H4294: 1)
  6. Sep 15, 2025 DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 2701. · house
  7. Sep 15, 2025 Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H4294) · house
  8. Sep 15, 2025 Mr. Bost moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended. · house
  9. Sep 9, 2025 Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 214. · house
  10. Sep 9, 2025 Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. H. Rept. 119-258. · house
  11. Jul 23, 2025 Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote. · house
  12. Jul 23, 2025 Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held · house
  13. Jul 3, 2025 Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Discharged · house
  14. Jun 24, 2025 Subcommittee Hearings Held · house
  15. Apr 21, 2025 Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs. · house
  16. Apr 7, 2025 Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. · house
  17. Apr 7, 2025 Introduced in House

More bills on these subjects (8)

Other bills that carry the most legislative subjects in common with this one (topical discovery — distinct from the procedural related bills above).

  • HR 3838 — Streamlining Procurement for Effective Execution and Delivery and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 (shares 5 subjects)
  • S 2296 — National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 (shares 3 subjects)
  • HR 4275 — Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025 (shares 3 subjects)
  • S 524 — Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025 (shares 3 subjects)
  • S 4638 — National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025 (shares 3 subjects)
  • S 2943 — National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (shares 3 subjects)
  • S 1353 — A bill to extend the authority for modifications to the Second Division Memorial in the District of Columbia. (shares 2 subjects)
  • HR 8879 — Oversight and Transparency for Small Business Certifications Act of 2026 (shares 2 subjects)

Text versions (4)
  • Placed on Calendar Senate · Dec 9, 2025
  • Engrossed in House · Sep 15, 2025
  • Reported in House · Sep 9, 2025
  • Introduced in House · Apr 7, 2025

Full text

AN ACT

To direct the American Battle Monuments Commission to establish a program to identify American-Jewish servicemembers buried in United States military cemeteries overseas under markers that incorrectly represent their religion and heritage, 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 “Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Act”.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:

(1) An estimated 900 American-Jewish servicemembers of the Armed Forces, killed in World War I and World War II and buried overseas in United States military cemeteries were, for various reasons, mistakenly buried under Latin Crosses. In most instances, those mistakes were made inadvertently.

(2) In 2022, more than 2,000,000 people visited the United States World War I and World War II cemeteries in foreign countries.

(3) American-Jewish servicemembers played a vital role in the Allied victories in World War I and World War II.

(4) American-Jewish servicemembers who fought and died for the United States must have their heritage properly recognized and honored.

(5) The United States Government has a solemn responsibility to ensure that every American servicemember killed in action and buried overseas is properly honored.

(6) The work of properly identifying American-Jewish servicemembers buried overseas is vital and integral to the responsibility of the American Battle Monuments Commission to ensure that past mistakes in honoring those servicemembers who died in the line of duty are corrected.

SEC. 3. FALLEN SERVICEMEMBERS RELIGIOUS HERITAGE RESTORATION PROGRAM.

(a) Establishment.—The American Battle Monuments Commission shall establish a program to identify covered members and to contact survivors and descendants of such covered members. Such program shall be known as the “Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Program”.

(b) Duration.—The Commission shall carry out the Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Program during the first five fiscal years that begin after the date of the enactment of this Act.

(c) Contracts.—

(1) Authority.—During each fiscal year described in subsection (b), the Commission shall seek to enter into a contract with a nonprofit organization under which such nonprofit organization shall carry out the purpose described in subsection (a).

(2) Term; amount.—Each contract under this subsection shall be for one year and in the amount of $500,000 to the nonprofit organization.

(3) Priority.—In awarding a contract under this subsection, the Commission shall give priority to a nonprofit organization that has demonstrated capability and expertise in carrying out the purpose described in subsection (a).

(d) Definitions.—In this section:

(1) The term “covered member” means a deceased member of the Armed Forces who was Jewish and buried—

(A) in a United States military cemetery located outside the United States; and

(B) under a marker that indicates such member was not Jewish.

(2) The term “nonprofit organization” means an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of such Code.

SEC. 4. EXTENSION OF CERTAIN LIMITS ON PAYMENTS OF PENSION.

Section 5503(d)(7) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by striking “November 30, 2031” and inserting “January 31, 2032”.

Passed the House of Representatives September 15, 2025.

Attest:

Clerk. 119th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 2701

AN ACT

To direct the American Battle Monuments Commission to establish a program to identify American-Jewish servicemembers buried in United States military cemeteries overseas under markers that incorrectly represent their religion and heritage, and for other purposes.

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