Sponsors (2)
The bill increases transparency and accountability of national cemetery operations and grants—giving veterans, families, local operators, and Congress better information—at the cost of added VA administrative expense, potential privacy/security concerns for some families/sites, and added reporting burdens for small grant recipients.
Veterans and their families, and the general public: will have clearer, cemetery-level information about burials and burial options published annually and posted online, improving transparency and helping families plan and verify services.
State, county, and tribal cemetery operators and grant recipients: will gain visibility into federal grants (recipients, amounts, purposes), which aids coordination, planning, and local implementation of cemetery projects.
Congress and taxpayers: will receive regular, detailed reporting on the National Cemetery Administration that supports stronger congressional oversight and more informed legislative and budget decisions.
Veterans and taxpayers: the VA will incur additional administrative costs to prepare and publish detailed annual reports, which could divert staff time and funds away from direct cemetery services.
Some veterans, families, and cemetery sites: public disclosure of cemetery locations and counts of unclaimed remains could raise privacy or security concerns for families or create safety risks for specific sites or individuals.
Smaller state, local, and tribal grant recipients: may face increased scrutiny and administrative burden from public reporting, which could strain limited administrative capacity or slow project progress.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires the VA to prepare and publish an annual, detailed report on National Cemetery Administration interments, cemetery maps, customer satisfaction, projects, and grants.
Official title: To amend title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit to Congress an annual report on the National Cemetery Administration, and for other purposes.
Introduced January 27, 2026 by Ryan Mackenzie · Last progress January 27, 2026
Requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to produce and publish an annual report on National Cemetery Administration activities. The report, first due within one year of enactment and annually thereafter, must include counts and breakdowns of interments, customer satisfaction data, maps of cemeteries (including grantee cemeteries), descriptions of burial options, counts of memorial items issued, project summaries, grant details, and digital publication on a VA website.