Hawai‘i National Cemetery Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6921 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 6921

    To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a new
   national cemetery in the State of Hawai'i, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 23, 2025

 Mr. Case (for himself and Ms. Tokuda) introduced the following bill;
        which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

    To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a new
   national cemetery in the State of Hawai'i, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Hawai`i National Cemetery Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Veterans, members of the Armed Forces, spouses, and
        dependents may be eligible for burial in a national cemetery
        pursuant to regulations prescribed under section 2402 of title
        38, United States Code.
            (2) According to the National Cemetery Administration
        Strategic Plan and Performance Goals, the Secretary of Veterans
        Affairs seeks to ensure that 95 percent of veterans live within
        75 miles of a national, State, or Tribal veterans cemetery.
            (3) The National Cemetery Administration's Long Range Plan,
        as detailed in the budget submission of the Department of
        Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2026, sets goals that seek to
        improve burial benefits, including the following:
                    (A) Veterans and eligible family members will have
                increased access to burial benefits.
                    (B) More veterans and eligible family members will
                use such burial and memorial benefits.
                    (C) Veterans will be memorialized through enhanced
                tributes befitting their service and sacrifice to the
                Nation.
                    (D) Stakeholders will place greater trust in the
                National Cemetery Administration based on enhanced
                accountability.
                    (E) Stakeholders will be served more efficiently
                and effectively by internal capacity of the National
                Cemetery Administration.
            (4) The goals described in paragraph (3) do not account for
        veterans in Hawai`i who prefer to be buried in a national
        cemetery even if other options exist. Hawai`i's only national
        cemetery, the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, has
        been essentially closed to casketed burials since 1991 and will
        stop accepting cremated remains by 2036. Should a veteran in
        Hawai`i prefer an inground burial in a national cemetery, they
        are forced to select a cemetery at least 2,500 miles away. This
        distance can create significant financial and logistical
        burdens compared to veterans in the continental United States,
        as air travel that is often cost-prohibitive is required for
        casket transportation and visitation.
            (5) To maintain equitable access to burial benefits in a
        national cemetery for veterans residing in Hawai`i, the
        Secretary of Veterans Affairs must initiate the construction of
        a new national cemetery in Hawai`i to supplement the remaining
        columbarium space at the National Memorial Cemetery of the
        Pacific. The work should begin immediately, as developing a new
        national cemetery must pass through six phases and such a
        cemetery can take more than eight years to construct.
            (6) While Hawai`i is home to many great State Veterans
        Cemeteries, establishment of a new national cemetery would
        align with the National Cemetery Administration's access goals
        and increase options for veterans and other beneficiaries in
        the Pacific.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF NEW NATIONAL CEMETERY IN THE STATE OF HAWAI`I.

    (a) Establishment.--In accordance with chapter 24 of title 38,
United States Code, and the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
establish a new national cemetery in the State of Hawai`i.
    (b) Site Selection.--In selecting a location for the national
cemetery described in subsection (a), the Secretary shall--
            (1) give priority to a location that--
                    (A) is near population centers;
                    (B) is accessible by existing modes of
                transportation; and
                    (C) minimizes environmental impact; and
            (2) consult with--
                    (A) the Governor of Hawai`i;
                    (B) local representatives of veterans service
                organizations; and
                    (C) other entities the Secretary determines
                appropriate.
    (c) Reports.--
            (1) Potential sites.--Not later than one year after the
        date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit
        to the appropriate congressional committees a report
        identifying sites that the Secretary determines appropriate for
        the national cemetery described in subsection (a).
            (2) Progress reports.--Not later than two years after the
        date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter
        until the national cemetery described in subsection (a) is
        operational, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate
        congressional committees a report regarding the establishment
        of such national cemetery, including progress regarding the
        following elements:
                    (A) Site selection.
                    (B) Environmental impact assessment.
                    (C) Land acquisition.
                    (D) Master planning and design development.
                    (E) Preparation of construction documents.
                    (F) Award of construction contracts.
                    (G) Completion of construction.
                    (H) Beginning of operations.
    (d) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section,
the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
            (1) the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate; and
            (2) the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of
        Representatives.
                                 <all>