Headstones for Honor Act

This bill would let the Department of Veterans Affairs provide government headstones, markers, and medallions for the graves of certain enslaved people who accompanied service members or Civil War veterans during service, or who served in place of another person. It would also cover people who performed military functions while barred from serving by Federal, State, or Tribal law because of race, gender, sex, or ethnicity. Headstones for enslaved people who served Confederate forces would have to state that they were forced to support their own enslavement. Only direct descendants, or people who made a reasonable attempt to get a known descendant's consent, could request these headstones. The VA would have to write rules within one year, including what evidence it may consider, and report to Congress within 15 months.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Sponsors

• Steven Horsford Democrat sponsor
• 3 cosponsors