United States HR 10301: The Honoring Our Heroes with Dignity Act

Bill Text

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118TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION H. R. 10301
To require the Secretary of the Army to accelerate actions necessary to
carry out caisson services at Arlington National Cemetery.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
DECEMBER 5, 2024
Mr. BUCHANAN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans’
Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned
A BILL
To require the Secretary of the Army to accelerate actions
necessary to carry out caisson services at Arlington Na-
tional Cemetery.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘The Honoring Our 4
Heroes with Dignity Act’’. 5
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SEC. 2. PLAN FOR PROCUREMENT OF MILITARY WORKING 1
EQUIDS FOR THE CAISSON PLATOON OF THE 2
3RD INFANTRY REGIMENT OF THE ARMY. 3
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 30 days after the 4
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the 5
Army shall submit to Congress a detailed plan for the pro-6
curement of military working equids for the Caisson Pla-7
toon of the 3rd Infantry Regiment of the Army. 8
(b) CONSULTATION.—In developing the plan required 9
by subsection (a), the Secretary of the Army shall consult 10
with— 11
(1) the Mounted Color Guard of the Marine 12
Corps; 13
(2) the Navy, the Air Force, the Space Force, 14
and the Coast Guard; and 15
(3) at least two nationally recognized equid or-16
ganizations, foundations, or councils. 17
SEC. 3. REQUIREMENT TO BEGIN CONDUCTING FUNERALS 18
WITH CAISSON SERVICES AT ARLINGTON NA-19
TIONAL CEMETERY. 20
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 30 days after the 21
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the 22
Army shall— 23
(1) begin conducting at least two funerals with 24
caisson services each week, or a total of four services 25
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in a two week period, at Arlington National Ceme-1
tery, Virginia; or 2
(2) enter into a contract with a nongovern-3
mental entity described in subsection (b). 4
(b) CONTRACT DESCRIBED.—The contract described 5
in this subsection shall— 6
(1) require that the nongovernmental entity— 7
(A) begin providing services under the con-8
tract not later than 60 days after the date of 9
the enactment of this Act; 10
(B) provide the military working equids 11
necessary to conduct caisson services for at 12
least one funeral each business day, other than 13
Federal holidays, at Arlington National Ceme-14
tery, until the funerals backlogged at such cem-15
etery as of the date of the enactment of this 16
Act are conducted; and 17
(C) after the backlogged funerals described 18
in subparagraph (B) are conducted, to continue 19
to provide services to meet the requirement of 20
caisson services for funerals until the Army is 21
capable of conducting at least one funeral with 22
caisson services each business day; 23
(2) specify that Army uniformed soldiers and 24
not contract personnel will participate by riding the 25
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military working equids in the funeral ceremonies; 1
and 2
(3) terminate when the Caisson Platoon of the 3
3rd Infantry Regiment of the Army begins con-4
ducting at least one funeral with caisson services 5
each business day. 6
SEC. 4. MONTHLY REPORT ON FUNERALS AT ARLINGTON 7
NATIONAL CEMETERY ON HOLD UNTIL CAIS-8
SON SERVICES RESUME. 9
Section 7721 of title 10, United States Code, is 10
amended by adding at the end the following new sub-11
section: 12
‘‘(f) MONTHLY REPORT ON CAISSON SERVICES.— 13
Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment 14
of this subsection, and not less frequently than once every 15
30 days thereafter, the Secretary of the Army shall submit 16
to the congressional defense committees a report on the 17
number of families that have requested caisson services 18
at Arlington National Cemetery and are waiting to hold 19
funerals until caisson services resume.’’. 20
SEC. 5. LAND FOR OPERATIONS AND TRAINING OF CAISSON 21
PLATOON OF THE 3RD INFANTRY REGIMENT 22
OF THE ARMY. 23
Section 366 of the National Defense Authorization 24
Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (Public Law 118–31; 137 Stat. 25
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234; 10 U.S.C. 7721 note) is amended by adding at the 1
end the following