,,ii  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #bgjj  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,july #cj1     
#bjad ,mr4 ,portman 7for himself and    
,mr4 ,tester7 introduced the following  
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs
  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend title #ch1       
,united ,states ,code1 to identify the  
persons who are eligible to request     
headstones or markers furnished by the  
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs1 and   
for other purposes4  #a4 ,short title   
,this ,act may be cited as the ,honor   
,those ,who ,served ,act of #bjad4  #b4 
,persons eligible to request headstones 
or markers furnished by the ,secretary  
of ,veterans ,affairs  7a7 ,in general  
,section #bcjf of title #ch1 ,united    
,states ,code1 is amended by adding at  
the end the following new subsection3   
7h7 7#a7 ,a person may request a        
headstone or marker to commemorate a    
decedent under this section if the      
person is--  7,a7 the decedent's next of

 kin2  7,b7 a person authorized in      
writing by the decedent's next of kin to
 make such request2  7,c7 a personal    
representative authorized in writing by 
the decedent to make such request2  7,d7
 in the case of a decedent for which no 
person described in subparagraph 7,a71  
7,b71 or 7,c7 may be identified1 a      
,state veterans service agency1 a       
military researcher1 a local historian1 
or a genealogist or other person        
familiar with the research sources and  
methods necessary to prove the identity 
of the decedent2 or  7,e7 in the case of
 a decedent who is a veteran who served 
on active duty in the ,armed ,forces at 
least #ge years before the date on which
 the headstone or marker is requested1  
any person4  7#b7 ,in the case of a     
request for a headstone or marker under 
this section for a decedent described in
 subparagraph 7,e7 of paragraph 7#a7    
made by a person who is not the         
decedent's next of kin1 the ,secretary  
shall ensure that the decedent's next of

 kin has the opportunity to object to   
the placement of the headstone or marker
 or request the removal of the headstone
 or marker1 as appropriate4  7#c7 ,in   
the case of a request for a headstone or
 marker under this section for a        
decedent described in subparagraph 7,d7 
or 7,e7 of paragraph 7#a7 made by a     
person who is not described in          
subparagraph 7,a71 7,b71 or 7,c7 of such
 paragraph1 the person requesting the   
headstone or marker may only request an 
emblem of belief for the headstone or   
marker if the person can provide        
sufficient evidence regarding the       
religious beliefs of the decedent4  4   
7b7 ,effective date ,subsection 7h7 of  
section #bcjf of such title1 as added by
 subsection 7a71 shall apply with       
respect to a request for a headstone or 
marker submitted after the date of the  
enactment of this ,act4