Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Act | ChamberLight

PASSED HOUSE· 119TH CONGRESS

House BillHR 2701Veterans' organizations and recognitionReligion

Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Act

INTRO APR 7· LAST ACTION DEC 9

READING

3MIN

COSPONSORS

41BIPARTISAN

READER REACTIONS0 TOTAL

NO VOTES YET · BE THE FIRST

One chamber only

LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS

STEP 4 / 8

Introduced

In Committee

Reported

Passed House

Passed Senate

Conference

To President

Became Law

WHAT THE BILL DOES

AI-written

This bill matters because it seeks to right a historical wrong and ensure that the religious heritage of fallen servicemembers is accurately recognized and honored. For many families, having their loved one's final resting place reflect their true faith is deeply important. If this bill becomes law, it provides a dedicated effort and funding to identify these mistakes and reach out to families, potentially bringing closure and accurate recognition to hundreds of servicemembers and their descendants.

If the bill does not become law, this specific, funded program to identify and correct these burial errors would not be established. The estimated 900 American-Jewish servicemembers would likely remain buried under incorrect markers, and their families might never be informed or have the opportunity to see their ancestors' heritage properly acknowledged in their final resting places in overseas military cemeteries. The change to pension limits is a minor, technical adjustment for veterans.

KEY PROVISIONS

4AI-extracted

PROVISION 01

Establishes a program within the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) to find American-Jewish servicemembers from WWI and WWII buried overseas under incorrect religious markers.

This directly addresses a historical error, aiming to provide proper recognition for fallen Jewish servicemembers.

PROVISION 02

Directs the ABMC to contract with a qualified non-profit organization for five years, providing $500,000 annually, to carry out the identification and family notification work.

This ensures dedicated funding and expertise are applied to the program's mission.

PROVISION 03

Defines "covered member" as a deceased Jewish servicemember buried overseas in a U.S. military cemetery under a marker that indicates they were not Jewish.

This clearly specifies who the program is intended to identify, focusing its efforts.

PROVISION 04

Amends existing law to extend the deadline for certain limits on veteran pension payments from November 30, 2031, to January 31, 2032.

This provides a short extension for a specific administrative detail related to veteran benefits.

SPONSORSHIP

1 + 41

Debbie Wasserman Schultz

D· Florida

YRS IN OFFICE

BILLS LED

COSPONSOR BREAKDOWNBIPARTISAN · 97%

DEM 20 REP 21 IND 0

ACTION TIMELINE

17 EVENTS

DEC 9

Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 292.

CALENDARS

SEP 16

Received in the Senate.

SENATE · INTROREFERRAL

SEP 15

Mr. Bost moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.

HOUSE · FLOOR

SEP 15

Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H4294)

FLOOR

BILL INFO

TypeHouse Bill

NumberHR 2701

Congress119th

StatusPassed House

IntroducedApr 7, 2025

Last actionDec 9, 2025

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PASSED HOUSE· 119TH CONGRESS · VETERANS' AFFAIRS COMMITTEE · INTRODUCED APR 7, 2025

House BillHR 2701Veterans' organizations and recognitionReligion

Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Act

INTRODUCED APR 7, 2025· LAST ACTION DEC 9, 2025

PASSAGE CHANCES

—%

READING

3 min

COSPONSORS

COMPLEXITY

Moderate

Call my reps

LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS

STEP 4 OF 8

Introduced

In Committee

Reported

Passed House

Passed Senate

Conference

To President

Became Law

Introduced
In Committee
Reported
Passed House
Passed Senate
Conference
To President
Became Law

WHAT THE BILL DOES

AI-written

KEY PROVISIONS

AI-extracted

high

Establishes a program within the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) to find American-Jewish servicemembers from WWI and WWII buried overseas under incorrect religious markers.

This directly addresses a historical error, aiming to provide proper recognition for fallen Jewish servicemembers.

high

Directs the ABMC to contract with a qualified non-profit organization for five years, providing $500,000 annually, to carry out the identification and family notification work.

This ensures dedicated funding and expertise are applied to the program's mission.

med

Defines "covered member" as a deceased Jewish servicemember buried overseas in a U.S. military cemetery under a marker that indicates they were not Jewish.

This clearly specifies who the program is intended to identify, focusing its efforts.

low

Amends existing law to extend the deadline for certain limits on veteran pension payments from November 30, 2031, to January 31, 2032.

This provides a short extension for a specific administrative detail related to veteran benefits.

DEADLINES & DATES

AI-extracted

An AI model extracted this from the bill’s official record and can make mistakes. Check the official text ↗ (opens in new tab)

First five fiscal years that begin after the date of enactment

Program duration for the Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Program

From November 30, 2031, to January 31, 2032

Extension of certain limits on payments of pension

FUNDING & AUTHORIZATIONS

AI-extracted

An AI model extracted this from the bill’s official record and can make mistakes. Check the official text ↗ (opens in new tab)

AMOUNT	PROGRAM	TYPE	YEARS
$500,000	Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Program (via contracts with nonprofit organizations)	discretionary	5 years

GLOSSARY

AI-written

American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC): An independent U.S. government agency that manages, operates, and maintains U.S. military cemeteries and monuments overseas.
Latin Cross: A common type of Christian cross, often used as a grave marker in military cemeteries to represent Christian faith.
Servicemembers: People serving in the United States Armed Forces, including the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard.
Nonprofit Organization (501(c)(3)): A type of organization that operates for charitable, religious, educational, scientific, or other public benefit purposes, and is exempt from federal income tax under specific IRS rules.
Covered Member: In this bill, it refers specifically to a deceased Jewish servicemember buried in an overseas U.S. military cemetery under a grave marker that does not indicate they were Jewish.
Fiscal Year: A 12-month period that a government or business uses for budgeting and financial reporting, typically starting on October 1st for the U.S. federal government.

ACTION TIMELINE

17 EVENTS

DEC 9, 25

Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 292.

CALENDARS

SEP 16, 25

Received in the Senate.

INTROREFERRAL

SEP 15, 25

Mr. Bost moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.

FLOOR

SEP 15, 25

Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H4294)

FLOOR

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Sep 9, 2025

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Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Act

LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS

WHAT THE BILL DOES

KEY PROVISIONS

SPONSORSHIP

ACTION TIMELINE

BILL INFO

READER REACTIONS

Discussion

Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Act

LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS

WHAT THE BILL DOES

KEY PROVISIONS

DEADLINES & DATES

FUNDING & AUTHORIZATIONS

GLOSSARY

ACTION TIMELINE

SPONSORS

READER REACTIONS

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Discussion

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