S. 4198 — Introduced in Senate

II 118th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 4198 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES April 19, 2024Mr. Sullivan introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs A BILL To amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure direct access for families to national cemeteries, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Veterans Cemetery Access Act. 2. Family access to national cemeteries Section 2404 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: (j) (1) The Secretary shall ensure that the family of a person buried in a national cemetery has direct access to that cemetery. (2) In this subsection, the term direct access means access that— (A) is provided to the family on the same day the access is requested by the family; and (B) does not require the family to travel through an area under the control of the Department of Defense. . 3. Prioritization of grants for States without veterans' cemeteries Section 2408(a) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (3) In making grants under this section, the Secretary shall prioritize grants for establishing veterans' cemeteries in States that do not have such a cemetery. .