Sponsor
Brian Jeffrey Mast
Representative · R-FL
Representative · R-FL
The bill lets the primary surviving next of kin request a formal lying-in-honor for fallen service members and creates a clear administrative process to do so, at the cost of modest taxpayer-funded administration and potential eligibility and logistics issues for some families.
Primary surviving next of kin of a fallen service member can request that the service member lie in honor in the U.S. Capitol rotunda, providing families a formal, high-profile national tribute.
Clarifies notification and next-of-kin definitions so families are formally notified and can exercise their right to request the lying-in-honor ceremony.
Assigns the Architect of the Capitol authority to set dates and regulations, creating a clear administrative process for scheduling and carrying out ceremonies.
Families excluded by existing eligibility rules (per 38 U.S.C. §105) will remain unable to obtain this honor, which may cause disappointment and perceptions of unfairness for affected next of kin.
When multiple eligible cases occur, scheduling, security, and interagency coordination could create operational burdens and potential delays at the Capitol.
Establishing procedures and conducting lying-in-honor ceremonies will impose modest additional administrative costs on the Architect of the Capitol and the Defense Department, paid by taxpayers.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Allows a qualifying service member's remains to lie in honor in the U.S. Capitol rotunda at the request of the primary surviving next of kin, with notification and procedural authority assigned to existing officials.
Official title: To permit the remains of certain members of the armed forces who died in line of duty to lie in honor in the rotunda of the United States Capitol, and for other purposes.
Introduced May 29, 2025 by Brian Jeffrey Mast · Last progress May 29, 2025
Allows the remains of a member of the Armed Forces who dies from a line-of-duty injury (subject to existing exclusions) to lie in honor in the U.S. Capitol rotunda if the service member’s primary surviving next of kin requests it. The bill directs the relevant military Secretary to notify that next of kin using existing procedures, empowers the Architect of the Capitol (under the Speaker and President pro tempore) to set the date/time and issue implementing regulations, and applies to qualifying deaths on or after the law takes effect.