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S 1282 IS

To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish national cemeteries for geographically underserved populations of veterans, and for other purposes.

June 18, 2003

Mr. GRAHAM of Florida (for himself, Mr. NELSON of Florida, and Mr. SESSIONS) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish national cemeteries for geographically underserved populations of veterans, 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. ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL CEMETERIES FOR GEOGRAPHICALLY UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS OF VETERANS.

(a) IDENTIFICATION OF UNDERSERVED BURIAL SERVICE AREAS- The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall identify the 10 burial service areas in the United States that, as determined by the Secretary, are most in need of a new national cemetery in order to ensure that 90 percent of the veterans who reside in each such service area live within 75 miles of a national cemetery.

(b) BURIAL SERVICE AREA- For purposes of this section, the term `burial service area' means a service area for burial in national cemeteries that is established by the Secretary utilizing the most current population data available to the Secretary as of the date of the enactment of this Act, which service area--

(1) has a radius of approximately 75 miles;

(2) contains a minimum population of veterans of approximately 170,000 veterans; and

(3) is not served as of the date of the enactment of this Act by a national cemetery or State cemetery for veterans.

(c) ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL CEMETERIES- The Secretary shall establish, in accordance with chapter 24 of title 38, United States Code, a national cemetery in each burial service area identified under subsection (a) in order to serve the burial needs of veterans and their families.

(d) ADVANCE PLANNING- (1) The Secretary shall carry out in fiscal year 2004 such activities as the Secretary considers appropriate for advance planning for the establishment of national cemeteries under subsection (c).

(2) Amounts appropriated for fiscal year 2004 for the advance planning fund in the Construction, Major Projects account shall be available for activities under paragraph (1).

(e) REPORTS- (1) 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 national cemeteries under subsection (c). The report shall set forth the following:

(A) Each burial service area identified by the Secretary under subsection (a) to require the establishment of a national cemetery under subsection (c).

(B) A schedule for the establishment of each such national cemetery.

(C) An estimate of the costs of the establishment of each such national cemetery.

(D) The amount to be obligated under subsection (d) during fiscal year 2004 for advance planning required under that subsection.

(2) Not later than one year after the date of the report under paragraph (1), and annually thereafter until the completion of each national cemetery required by subsection (c), the Secretary shall submit to Congress an update of the report under that paragraph (as previously updated, if at all, under this paragraph).

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