Sponsors (16)
The bill provides a uniform, official recognition for fallen service members (including a dedication to the 13 killed in Kabul) that may comfort families, but it mandates wording that can conflict with personal or local preferences and imposes administrative burdens on honors personnel.
Families of deceased service members and veterans will receive a standardized ceremonial phrase honoring the fallen at funerals, providing consistent symbolic recognition and a potential source of comfort.
The bill establishes an official dedication recognizing the 13 service members killed in Kabul in August 2021, offering public acknowledgment and possible closure for their families and comrades.
Mandating specific wording in military funeral ceremonies could override local customs or individual family wishes and may cause problems if families are unaware of an opt-out option.
A statutory recital requirement may create added administrative and training burdens for funeral honors details responsible for many ceremonial presentations.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires honor details to recite "13 Folds of Honor" when presenting the folded U.S. flag at military or veteran funerals, unless the next of kin opts out; includes a symbolic dedication.
Introduced May 23, 2025 by Mario Diaz-Balart · Last progress May 23, 2025
Adds a requirement to federal law that military funeral honors details recite the phrase "13 Folds of Honor" when presenting the folded U.S. flag at the funerals of service members and veterans, unless the next of kin or authorized agent chooses to opt out. The measure also includes a nonbinding statement dedicating the law to the 13 service members killed at Hamid Karzai International Airport in August 2021.