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S. 4949 117th Congress Senate

National Cemeteries Preservation and Protection Act of 2022

Official title: A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to address green burial sections in national cemeteries, and for other purposes.

Introduced: September 27, 2022 See on congress.gov
Armed Forces and National Security Cemeteries and funeralsFederal-Indian relationsIndian lands and resources rightsLand transfers
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Sex offensesVeterans' organizations and recognition
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 Everywhere this bill has been 17 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Jan 5, 2023
Became Public Law No: 117-355.
Jan 5, 2023
Signed by President.
Dec 28, 2022
Presented to President.
Dec 22, 2022
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Dec 22, 2022
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H10038-10039)
Dec 22, 2022
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H10038-10039)
Dec 22, 2022
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 4949.
Dec 22, 2022
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H10038-10040)
Dec 22, 2022
Mr. Takano moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
Dec 21, 2022
Held at the desk.
Dec 21, 2022
Received in the House.
Dec 20, 2022
Message on Senate action sent to the House.
Dec 19, 2022
Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S7303-7304; text: CR S7303-7304)
Dec 19, 2022
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.(consideration: CR S7303-7304; text: CR S7303-7304)
Dec 19, 2022
Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs discharged by Unanimous Consent.
Sep 27, 2022
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Sep 27, 2022
Introduced in Senate
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 Latest action January 5, 2023

Became Public Law No: 117-355.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

National Cemeteries Preservation and Protection Act of 2022

This act addresses the administration and jurisdiction of national cemeteries.

Specifically, the act requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to pay a plot or interment allowance for a veteran if the veteran was buried before March 15, 2022, in a cemetery on trust land owned by, or held in trust for, a tribal organization, and the organization that maintains or operates the cemetery applies for such allowance. Such allowance is only authorized if a plot or interment allowance was not already paid for the burial of such veteran.

The act also authorizes the VA to designate green burial sections in national cemeteries (i.e., sections of cemeteries in which the remains of individuals have been prepared for interment in a manner not involving chemicals or embalming fluids and have been interred in a natural manner or completely biodegradable burial receptacle).

The act authorizes the Department of the Army to transfer certain lands to the VA to expand the Fort Bliss National Cemetery.

In addition, the act authorizes the Department of the Interior to transfer certain land to the VA for the land to be used as a national cemetery.

Finally, the act prohibits persons who have committed certain crimes from being interred or memorialized in a cemetery in the National Cemetery Administration or in Arlington National Cemetery.

 Bill text 4 versions

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
 Lobbying activity 1

Registered lobbyists who named this bill in their disclosure filings. Source: federal Lobbying Disclosure Act filings.

  • ENS RESOURCES, INC.
    for EAST BAY MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT · Virginia · 3rd Quarter 2026 (July 1 - Sep 30)

Bodies those filers lobbied

A filing lists the bills it worked on and the parts of government it contacted in separate sections, so these are the bodies those filers named anywhere in the filing, not a per-bill breakdown.

 Cosponsors 1
All 1 Republican 1
R
Rounds, Mike
South Dakota · Sep 27, 2022
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 4949: National Cemeteries Preservation and Protection Act of 2022. 117th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/117-S-4949/
MLA
"S. 4949: National Cemeteries Preservation and Protection Act of 2022." 117th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/117-S-4949/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 4949, 117th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/117-S-4949/.
Markdown link
[S. 4949: National Cemeteries Preservation and Protection Act of 2022](https://openamerica.io/bill/117-S-4949/)
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