Us Congress 2025-2026 Regular Session

Us Congress House Bill HB2701 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	I
2	2	119THCONGRESS
3	3	1
4	4	STSESSION H. R. 2701
5	5	To direct the American Battle Monuments Commission to establish a program
6	6	to identify American-Jewish servicemembers buried in United States mili-
7	7	tary cemeteries overseas under markers that incorrectly represent their
8	8	religion and heritage, and for other purposes.
9	9	IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
10	10	APRIL7, 2025
11	11	Ms. W
12	12	ASSERMANSCHULTZ(for herself, Mr. MILLERof Ohio, Mr. GOLDMAN
13	13	of New York, Ms. L
14	14	OISFRANKELof Florida, Mr. SCHNEIDER, Ms.
15	15	F
16	16	RIEDMAN, and Mr. GOTTHEIMER) introduced the following bill; which
17	17	was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
18	18	A BILL
19	19	To direct the American Battle Monuments Commission to
20	20	establish a program to identify American-Jewish
21	21	servicemembers buried in United States military ceme-
22	22	teries overseas under markers that incorrectly represent
23	23	their religion and heritage, and for other purposes.
24	24	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1
25	25	tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2
26	26	SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3
27	27	This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Fallen Servicemembers 4
28	28	Religious Heritage Restoration Act’’. 5
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31	31	•HR 2701 IH
32	32	SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 1
33	33	Congress finds the following: 2
34	34	(1) An estimated 900 American-Jewish 3
35	35	servicemembers of the Armed Forces, killed in World 4
36	36	War I and World War II and buried overseas in 5
37	37	United States military cemeteries were, for various 6
38	38	reasons, mistakenly buried under Latin Crosses. In 7
39	39	most instances, those mistakes were made inadvert-8
40	40	ently. 9
41	41	(2) In 2022, more than 2,000,000 people vis-10
42	42	ited the United States World War I and World War 11
43	43	II cemeteries in foreign countries. 12
44	44	(3) American-Jewish servicemembers played a 13
45	45	vital role in the Allied victories in World War I and 14
46	46	World War II. 15
47	47	(4) American-Jewish servicemembers who 16
48	48	fought and died for the United States must have 17
49	49	their heritage properly recognized and honored. 18
50	50	(5) The United States Government has a sol-19
51	51	emn responsibility to ensure that every American 20
52	52	servicemember killed in action and buried overseas is 21
53	53	properly honored. 22
54	54	(6) The work of properly identifying American- 23
55	55	Jewish servicemembers buried overseas is vital and 24
56	56	integral to the responsibility of the American Battle 25
57	57	Monuments Commission to ensure that past mis-26
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60	60	•HR 2701 IH
61	61	takes in honoring those servicemembers who died in 1
62	62	the line of duty are corrected. 2
63	63	SEC. 3. FALLEN SERVICEMEMBERS RELIGIOUS HERITAGE 3
64	64	RESTORATION PROGRAM. 4
65	65	(a) E
66	66	STABLISHMENT.—The American Battle Monu-5
67	67	ments Commission shall establish a program to identify 6
68	68	covered members and to contact survivors and descend-7
69	69	ants of such covered members. Such program shall be 8
70	70	known as the ‘‘Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage 9
71	71	Restoration Program’’. 10
72	72	(b) D
73	73	URATION.—The Commission shall carry out the 11
74	74	Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration 12
75	75	Program during the first 10 fiscal years that begin after 13
76	76	the date of the enactment of this Act. 14
77	77	(c) C
78	78	ONTRACTS.— 15
79	79	(1) A
80	80	UTHORITY.—During each fiscal year de-16
81	81	scribed in subsection (b), the Commission shall seek 17
82	82	to enter into a contract with a nonprofit organiza-18
83	83	tion under which such nonprofit organization shall 19
84	84	carry out the purpose described in subsection (a). 20
85	85	(2) T
86	86	ERM; AMOUNT.—Each contract under this 21
87	87	subsection shall be for one year and in the amount 22
88	88	of $500,000 to the nonprofit organization. 23
89	89	(3) P
90	90	RIORITY.—In awarding a contract under 24
91	91	this subsection, the Commission shall give priority to 25
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94	94	•HR 2701 IH
95	95	a nonprofit organization that has demonstrated ca-1
96	96	pability and expertise in carrying out the purpose 2
97	97	described in subsection (a). 3
98	98	(d) A
99	99	UTHORIZATION OFAPPROPRIATIONS.—To carry 4
100	100	out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated to 5
101	101	the Commission $500,000 for each fiscal year described 6
102	102	in subsection (b). 7
103	103	(e) D
104	104	EFINITIONS.—In this section: 8
105	105	(1) The term ‘‘covered member’’ means a de-9
106	106	ceased member of the Armed Forces who was Jew-10
107	107	ish and buried— 11
108	108	(A) in a United States military cemetery 12
109	109	located outside the United States; and 13
110	110	(B) under a marker that indicates such 14
111	111	member was not Jewish. 15
112	112	(2) The term ‘‘nonprofit organization’’ means 16
113	113	an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the 17
114	114	Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from 18
115	115	taxation under section 501(a) of such Code. 19
116	116	Æ
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