,i  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #fjcb  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,november #ab1       
#bjbe,mr4 ,horsford 7for himself and    
,mr4 ,bacon7 introduced the following   
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs  ,a   
,,bill  ,to amend title #ch1 ,united    
,states ,code1 to direct the ,secretary 
of ,veterans ,affairs to furnish        
headstones1 markers1 and medallions for 
graves of certain enslaved individuals  
and individuals who performed military  
functions despite ineligibility to serve
 in the ,armed ,forces4  #a4 ,short     
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,headstones for ,honor ,act4  #b4       
,eligibility for headstones1 markers1   
and medallions1 furnished by the        
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs1 for   
graves of certain enslaved individuals  
and individuals who performed military  
functions despite ineligibility to serve
 in the ,armed ,forces  7a7             
,establishment ,section #bcjf of title  

#ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended--
  7#a7 in subsection 7a7-- 7,a7 in      
paragraph 7#c71 by inserting and ,navies
 after ,armies2 and  7,b7 by inserting1 
after paragraph 7#e71 the following new 
paragraphs3  7#f7 ,any enslaved         
individual1 determined by the ,secretary
 to have--  7,a7 accompanied a member of
 the ,armed ,forces or a ,civil ,war    
veteran 7as that term is defined in     
section #aeja of this title7 during     
active military or naval service of such
 member or ,civil ,war veteran2 or  7,b7
 served in the ,armed ,forces 7or       
,confederate ,army or ,navy7 in lieu of 
another individual4  7#g7 ,any          
individual determined by the ,secretary 
to have performed a military function   
while prohibited from serving as a      
member of the ,armed ,forces-- 7,a7 by  
,federal1 ,state1 or ,tribal law2 and   
7,b7 on the basis of race1 gender1 sex1 
or ethnicity4  2  7#b7 in subsection    
7d77#a71 by striking or 7#e7 and        
inserting 1 7#e71 7#f71 or 7#g72  7#c7  

by redesignating subsections 7j7 and 7k7
 as subsections 7l7 and 7m71            
respectively2 and  7#d7 by inserting    
after subsection 7i7 the following new  
subsections3  7j7 ,with respect to an   
individual described in paragraph 7#f7  
of subsection 7a71 who served in the    
military or naval forces of the         
,confederate ,states of ,america during 
the ,civil ,war1 a headstone1 marker1 or
 medallion1 furnished by the ,secretary1
 shall include language that denotes    
such individual was forced to support   
their own enslavement4  7k7 ,with       
respect to an individual described in   
paragraph 7#f7 or 7#g7 of subsection    
7a71 a request to the ,secretary for a  
headstone1 marker1 or medallion may be  
made only by--  7#a7 a direct descendant
 of the individual described in such    
paragraph2 or  7#b7 an individual whom  
the ,secretary determines has made a    
sufficiently reasonable attempt to      
solicit1 from such a known direct       
descendant1 consent to make such request

 on behalf of such direct descendant4  4
  7b7 ,regulations ,not later than one  
year after the date of the enactment of 
this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,veterans  
,affairs shall prescribe regulations to 
implement the amendments made by        
subsection 7a74 ,such regulations       
shall-- 7#a7 be informed by comment1    
solicited by the ,secretary1 from--     
7,a7 ,civil ,war historians2  7,b7 civil
 rights organizations2 and  7,c7 direct 
descendants of individuals described in 
under paragraphs 7#f7 and 7#g7 of       
section #bcjf7;a7 of title #ch1 ,united 
,states ,code 7as added by such         
subsection72  7#b7 define the term      
military function for purposes of such  
section2 and  7#c7 establish what       
evidence the ,secretary may consider    
when determining the performance of     
military functions of such individuals  
or family relationships to such         
individuals1 which shall include-- 7,a7 
,federal or ,state pay records2  7,b7   
,federal or ,state pension records2     

7,c7 ,confederate pay records2  7,d7    
regimental histories2  7,e7 newspapers2 
7,f7 photographs2  7,g7 ship logs2  7,h7
 diaries2  7,i7 family records1         
including bibles2 and  7,j7 church      
records4  7c7 ,effective date ,the      
amendments made by subsection 7a7 shall 
take effect on the earlier of--  7#a7   
the date on which the ,secretary        
prescribes regulations under subsection 
7b72 and  7#b7 the date that is one year
 after the date of the enactment of this
 ,act4  7d7 ,report ,not later than #ae 
months after the date of the enactment  
of this ,act1 the ,secretary shall      
submit to the ,committees on ,veterans' 
,affairs of the ,senate and the ,house  
of ,representatives a report on the     
implementation of the amendments made by
 subsection 7a7 and the regulations     
prescribed under subsection 7b74