PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Jul 21, 2020
Burial Equity for Guards and Reserves Act
This bill prohibits the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from establishing a condition for a cemetery grant that restricts the ability of a state to inter certain reservists (or spouses) at a state-owned veterans' cemetery solely because such individuals are ineligible for burial in an open national cemetery.
Specifically, as a condition for grants, the VA cannot restrict the ability of a state to inter a
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member of a reserve component whose service was terminated under honorable conditions;
member of the Army National Guard or Air National Guard whose service was terminated under honorable conditions;
member of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps of the Army, Navy, or Air Force who died under honorable conditions while a member; and
spouse of any member described above.
The VA is prohibited from (1) denying an application for a grant solely on the basis that the recipient state may use funds to expand, improve, operate, or maintain a veterans' cemetery to allow for the internment of the specified reservists; and (2) enforcing certain conditions on grants for state veterans' cemeteries that were established before the date of enactment of this bill.
People & committees
Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH] · D–NH
Legislative record
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Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
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Source last updated: Dec 5, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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