To amend title 38, United States Code, to prohibit the interment or memorialization in national cemeteries of persons convicted of committing State capital crimes regardless of whether their sentences included parole.

September 29, 2005

Mr. TIAHRT introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

To amend title 38, United States Code, to prohibit the interment or memorialization in national cemeteries of persons convicted of committing State capital crimes regardless of whether their sentences included parole.

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 `Preserving the Sacredness of our National Cemeteries Act'.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITION OF INTERMENT OR MEMORIALIZATION IN NATIONAL CEMETERIES OF PERSONS CONVICTED OF COMMITTING CAPITAL CRIMES AND SENTENCED TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT WITH PAROLE.

(a) Prohibition to Include All Persons Sentenced to Life Imprisonment-

(1) COVERED SENTENCES- Subsection (b)(2) of section 2411 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by striking `without parole'.

(2) COVERED CRIMES- Subsection (d)(2) of such section is amended by striking `without parole'.

(b) Certification Required- Such section is further amended--

(1) by redesignating subsection (d), as amended by subsection (a)(2), as subsection (e); and

(2) by inserting after subsection (c) the following new subsection (d):

`(d) As part of an application for interment or memorialization of any person in a national cemetery, the Secretary shall require the person submitting the application to certify whether or not the person to be interred or memorialized has been convicted of a capital crime.'.

END