,,ii  #aadth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #ccdj  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,september #ae1
 #bjaf ,mr4 ,kirk 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 require the ,secretary of ,veterans  
,affairs to enter into contracts with   
funeral homes to ensure the expeditious 
and respectful provision of burial and  
funeral services for indigent1 deceased 
veterans and remains of deceased        
veterans that are unclaimed1 and for    
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,respectful    
,interment for ,passing ,veterans ,act  
of #bjaf4  #b4 ,ensuring expeditious and
 respectful provision of burial and     
funeral services for indigent1 deceased 
veterans and remains of deceased        
veterans that are unclaimed  7a7        
,contracts for burial and funeral       
services ,section #bcjb of title #ch1   

,united ,states ,code1 is amended by    
adding at the end the following new     
subsection3  7c7 ,the ,secretary shall  
enter into a contract under paragraph   
7#a77;,a7 with at least one funeral home
 near each medical center of the        
,department for the expeditious         
provision of burial and funeral services
 for deceased veterans described in     
subsection 7a74  4  7b7 ,establishment  
of policy  7#a7 ,policy required ,not   
later than #ahj days after the date of  
the enactment of this ,act1 the         
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  
establish a policy on the provision of  
respectful and timely burial of veterans
 described in section #bcjb7;a7 of title
 #ch1 ,united ,states ,code4  7#b7 ,best
 practices ,the ,secretary shall ensure 
that the policy established under       
paragraph 7#a7 is based on best         
practices used in the private sector4   
7#c7 ,balance of interests ,in          
establishing the policy required by     
paragraph 7#a71 the ,secretary shall    

balance the interests of the deceased in
 identifying the deceased's next of kin 
and the interests of the deceased in    
having a timely burial4  7#d7           
,consultation required ,in establishing 
the policy required by paragraph 7#a71  
the ,secretary shall consult with the   
following3  7,a7 ,one or more funeral   
directors4  7,b7 ,one or more county    
coroners or one or more medical         
examiners4  7,c7 ,one or more           
representatives of a non-,department of 
,veterans ,affairs hospital4  7,d7 ,one 
or more representatives of a ,department
 of ,veterans ,affairs medical center4  
7,e7 ,one or more veterans service      
organizations4  7#e7 ,temporary adoption
 of local practices ,until the          
,secretary establishes the policy       
required by paragraph 7#a71 the         
,secretary shall follow ,state and local
 government practices with respect to   
the treatment of unclaimed remains of   
deceased veterans4  7c7 ,annual report  
7#a7 ,in general ,not less frequently   

than once each year1 the ,secretary     
shall submit to the appropriate         
committees of ,congress a report on the 
remains of covered veterans who died in 
the most recently completed calendar    
year4  7#b7 ,contents ,the report       
required by paragraph 7#a7 shall        
include1 for the period covered by the  
report1 the following3  7,a7 ,the number
 of covered veterans whose remains were 
in morgues of the ,department of        
,veterans ,affairs4  7,b7 ,for each such
 veteran1 the following3 7i7 ,the date  
of the death of the veteran4  7ii7 ,the 
date on which the remains were          
transferred to a funeral home4  7iii7   
,the date of the burial of the veteran4 
7iv7 ,the sex of the veteran4  7v7 ,the 
date of the birth of the veteran4  7d7  
,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7     
,appropriate committees of ,congress    
,the term appropriate committees of     
,congress means--  7,a7 the ,committee  
on ,veterans' ,affairs and the          
,subcommittee on ,military              

,construction1 ,veterans ,affairs1 and  
,related ,agencies of the ,committee on 
,appropriations of the ,senate2 and     
7,b7 the ,committee on ,veterans'       
,affairs and the ,subcommittee on       
,military ,construction1 ,veterans      
,affairs and ,related ,agencies of the  
,committee on ,appropriations of the    
,house of ,representatives4  7#b7       
,covered veteran ,the term covered      
veteran means a veteran described in    
section #bcjb7;a7 of title #ch1 ,united 
,states ,code4  7#c7 ,veterans service  
organization ,the term veterans service 
organization means any organization     
recognized by the ,secretary for the    
representation of veterans under section
 #eijb of title #ch1 ,united ,states    
,code4