Rushmore State News

U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), the ranking member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, have introduced new legislation aimed at updating the burial scheduling system managed by the Veterans’ Administration’s National Cemetery Administration (NCA). The proposed Honest Operations for National Cemetery Reporting (HONOR) Act would require the NCA to establish and maintain an online portal so families can monitor cemetery wait times.

Rounds said, “Our veterans put their lives on the line so that we can maintain the freedoms we enjoy here in the United States. A burial ceremony in a cemetery with their fellow veterans is a part of how we honor their sacrifice. Unfortunately, families across the nation are left in the dark about burial availability. Some families have experienced delays in scheduling burial ceremonies, waiting over a week or more at many cemeteries and up to 30 days at one cemetery. Here in South Dakota, the Black Hills National Cemetery maintains an average burial availability of two days. This should be standard across the nation. However, if a family must wait to hold a ceremony for their loved ones, knowing how long it will be and having the ability to request the earliest possible date brings added comfort during a difficult time.”

Blumenthal stated, “Ensuring veterans receive the burial ceremony they deserve at a veterans’ cemetery is an important part of honoring their legacy and service to our nation. Our bill will make sure veterans’ families and loved ones have improved access to information about how long it will take for their loved one to receive a burial ceremony during an already difficult time.”

The legislation instructs NCA to build data infrastructure that supports better tracking and transparency regarding burial scheduling. By improving transparency on burial availability and developing systems to analyze wait times, lawmakers say that VA can better fulfill its commitment of dignity, timeliness, and respect for all veterans and their families.

Currently, NCA provides several no-cost benefits for eligible individuals including gravesites in national cemeteries with available space; opening and closing of graves; perpetual care; government-provided headstones or markers; burial flags; and Presidential Memorial Certificates. In fiscal year 2023, nearly 138,000 people were buried in national cemeteries managed by NCA.

The full text of the bill is available here.