The Hawai'i National Cemetery Act requires the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to build a new national cemetery in Hawai'i to provide burial options for veterans and their eligible family members. Currently, Hawai'i's only national cemetery—the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific—has been closed to casket burials since 1991 and will stop accepting cremated remains by 2036, forcing veterans who want in-ground burials to travel over 2,500 miles to the mainland, creating significant financial and logistical hardships. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs must identify potential cemetery sites within one year, prioritizing locations near population centers that are accessible and minimize environmental impact, while consulting with the Hawai'i governor and veterans organizations. The department must then submit progress reports every two years until the cemetery becomes operational, covering site selection, environmental assessments, land acquisition, design, and construction stages—a process expected to take more than eight years. This bill aligns with the Veterans Affairs Department's goal of ensuring 95 percent of veterans live within 75 miles of a national, state, or tribal veterans cemetery.
Take Action
Your position
Add a comment
to comment on this bill.
Annotate the text
Highlight any passage on the Summary or Full Text tab to attach a note. Annotations appear on the Annotations tab.