Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Act
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Would direct the American Battle Monuments Commission to identify Jewish American servicemembers buried in overseas military cemeteries under markers that misidentify their religion, and to contract with a nonprofit to correct the record and notify families.
The measure responds to an estimated 900 Jewish servicemembers from World War I and World War II mistakenly buried under Latin Crosses, aiming to ensure their heritage is properly honored at cemeteries visited by millions each year.
What this bill would do
What it would do
The bill would require the American Battle Monuments Commission to establish the Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Program to identify deceased Jewish members of the Armed Forces buried in U.S. military cemeteries overseas under markers that do not indicate they were Jewish, and to contact their survivors and descendants. The Commission would run the program for the first five fiscal years after enactment and would seek each year to contract with a tax-exempt nonprofit organization, for one year and $500,000 per contract, to carry out the identification and outreach work, giving priority to organizations with demonstrated expertise in the field. The bill also separately amends a veterans' pension payment limit under title 38 by extending a date from November 30, 2031, to January 31, 2032, a provision unrelated to the heritage restoration program.
Key provisions
- 1Would require the American Battle Monuments Commission to establish a program identifying Jewish servicemembers buried overseas under non-Jewish markers and contacting their families
- 2Would run the program during the first five fiscal years beginning after enactment
- 3Would require the Commission to seek annual one-year, $500,000 contracts with a nonprofit organization to carry out the program, prioritizing experienced organizations
- 4Would extend a veterans' pension payment limit deadline under title 38 from November 30, 2031, to January 31, 2032
Who would be affected
Families and descendants of an estimated 900 Jewish American servicemembers from World War I and World War II buried overseas under incorrect religious markers, the American Battle Monuments Commission, nonprofit organizations eligible to contract for the identification work, and veterans affected by the pension payment date extension.
Why it matters
If enacted, affected families could learn that a deceased relative's grave marker will be corrected to reflect their Jewish faith, addressing decades-old burial errors at cemeteries visited by millions of people annually. The nonprofit contracting structure and five-year program window shape how quickly and thoroughly the identification work actually gets done.
What would change
Changes to existing law
Amends 38 U.S.C. § 5503(d)(7) (Sec. 4)
Extends a pension payment limit deadline from November 30, 2031, to January 31, 2032
Agencies directed to act
Effective dates
- Duration of the Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Program
Funding and costs
- $500,000
Annual one-year contract with a nonprofit organization to carry out the heritage restoration program
Congressional Budget Office estimate
CBO estimates H.R. 2701 would reduce the deficit by $8 million over the 2025–2035 period, while also increasing spending subject to appropriation by $3 million over the same window.
CBO estimates that H.R. 2701 would reduce net direct spending (mandatory spending) by $8 million over the 2025–2035 period, primarily by extending for two months — through January 31, 2032 — the existing law that limits VA pension payments to $90 per month for veterans and survivors living in Medicaid-covered nursing homes; that extension would reduce VA benefit outlays by roughly $10 million per month but increase Medicaid spending by about $6 million per month, for a net saving of $8 million. The bill would also authorize $500,000 per year for five years to the American Battle Monuments Commission to fund grants to nonprofit organizations that identify the graves of Jewish U.S. service members buried overseas under incorrectly labeled headstones, costing an estimated $3 million in discretionary spending (spending that requires future appropriations) over the 2025–2035 period. CBO identified no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates in the bill.
How implementation would work
The American Battle Monuments Commission would establish the program and, in each of the first five fiscal years after enactment, seek to award a one-year, $500,000 contract to a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, prioritizing organizations with demonstrated expertise in identifying misidentified graves. The contracted organization would research burial records, identify covered members, and contact survivors and descendants. No reporting requirement to Congress is specified in the text.
Legislative status & sources
Latest action
Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 292.
Official CRS summary
Show the CRS summaryHide the CRS summary
This bill requires the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) to establish the Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Program to identify deceased members of the Armed Forces who were Jewish and buried in a U.S. military cemetery located outside of the United States under a marker indicating the member was not Jewish. The program must contact survivors and descendants of such members.
The ABMC must seek to enter into a contract with a nonprofit organization to carry out the program during the first 10 fiscal years beginning after the date of enactment of the bill.
Legislative subjects
American Battle Monuments Commission; Armed Forces and National Security; Military facilities and property; Military history; Public contracts and procurement; Religion; Veterans' organizations and recognition
Committee report
H. Rept. 119-258