Us Congress 2025-2026 Regular Session

Us Congress Senate Bill SB1318 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	II
2	2	119THCONGRESS
3	3	1
4	4	STSESSION S. 1318
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 SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
10	10	APRIL7, 2025
11	11	Mr. M
12	12	ORAN(for himself, Ms. ROSEN, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, and Mr. CORNYN)
13	13	introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
14	14	Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
15	15	A BILL
16	16	To direct the American Battle Monuments Commission to
17	17	establish a program to identify American-Jewish
18	18	servicemembers buried in United States military ceme-
19	19	teries overseas under markers that incorrectly represent
20	20	their religion and heritage, and for other purposes.
21	21	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1
22	22	tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2
23	23	SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3
24	24	This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Fallen Servicemembers 4
25	25	Religious Heritage Restoration Act’’. 5
26	26	SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 6
27	27	Congress finds the following: 7
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30	30	•S 1318 IS
31	31	(1) An estimated 900 American-Jewish 1
32	32	servicemembers of the Armed Forces killed in World 2
33	33	War I and World War II and buried overseas in 3
34	34	United States military cemeteries were, for various 4
35	35	reasons, mistakenly buried under Latin Crosses. In 5
36	36	most instances, those mistakes were made inadvert-6
37	37	ently. 7
38	38	(2) In 2022, more than 2,000,000 people vis-8
39	39	ited the United States World War I and World War 9
40	40	II cemeteries in foreign countries. 10
41	41	(3) American-Jewish servicemembers played a 11
42	42	vital role in the Allied victories in World War I and 12
43	43	World War II. 13
44	44	(4) American-Jewish servicemembers who 14
45	45	fought and died for the United States must have 15
46	46	their heritage properly recognized and honored. 16
47	47	(5) The United States Government has a sol-17
48	48	emn responsibility to ensure that every American 18
49	49	servicemember killed in action and buried overseas is 19
50	50	properly honored. 20
51	51	(6) The work of properly identifying American- 21
52	52	Jewish servicemembers buried overseas is vital and 22
53	53	integral to the responsibility of the American Battle 23
54	54	Monuments Commission to ensure that past mis-24
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57	57	•S 1318 IS
58	58	takes in honoring those servicemembers who died in 1
59	59	the line of duty are corrected. 2
60	60	SEC. 3. FALLEN SERVICEMEMBERS RELIGIOUS HERITAGE 3
61	61	RESTORATION PROGRAM. 4
62	62	(a) E
63	63	STABLISHMENT.—The American Battle Monu-5
64	64	ments Commission shall establish a program to identify 6
65	65	covered members and to contact survivors and descend-7
66	66	ants of such covered members. Such program shall be 8
67	67	known as the ‘‘Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage 9
68	68	Restoration Program’’. 10
69	69	(b) D
70	70	URATION.—The Commission shall carry out the 11
71	71	Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration 12
72	72	Program during the first 10 fiscal years that begin after 13
73	73	the date of the enactment of this Act. 14
74	74	(c) C
75	75	ONTRACTS.— 15
76	76	(1) A
77	77	UTHORITY.—During each fiscal year de-16
78	78	scribed in subsection (b), the Commission shall seek 17
79	79	to enter into a contract with a nonprofit organiza-18
80	80	tion under which such nonprofit organization shall 19
81	81	carry out the purpose described in subsection (a). 20
82	82	(2) T
83	83	ERM; AMOUNT.—Each contract under this 21
84	84	subsection shall be for one year and in the amount 22
85	85	of $500,000 to the nonprofit organization. 23
86	86	(3) P
87	87	RIORITY.—In awarding a contract under 24
88	88	this subsection, the Commission shall give priority to 25
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91	91	•S 1318 IS
92	92	a nonprofit organization that has demonstrated ca-1
93	93	pability and expertise in carrying out the purpose 2
94	94	described in subsection (a). 3
95	95	(d) A
96	96	UTHORIZATION OFAPPROPRIATIONS.—To carry 4
97	97	out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated to 5
98	98	the Commission $500,000 for each fiscal year described 6
99	99	in subsection (b). 7
100	100	(e) D
101	101	EFINITIONS.—In this section: 8
102	102	(1) The term ‘‘covered member’’ means a de-9
103	103	ceased member of the Armed Forces who was Jew-10
104	104	ish and buried— 11
105	105	(A) in a United States military cemetery 12
106	106	located outside the United States; and 13
107	107	(B) under a marker that indicates such 14
108	108	member was not Jewish. 15
109	109	(2) The term ‘‘nonprofit organization’’ means 16
110	110	an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the 17
111	111	Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from 18
112	112	taxation under section 501(a) of such Code. 19
113	113	Æ
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