H.R. 2701: Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Act

The Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Act is a piece of legislation aimed at addressing the misidentification of American-Jewish servicemembers buried in U.S. military cemeteries abroad. Here’s a breakdown of the bill's main components:

Purpose of the Bill

The bill seeks to ensure that Jewish servicemembers who fought for the United States during World War I and World War II are accurately recognized for their religious heritage. It specifically targets approximately 900 servicemembers who, due to historical inaccuracies, were buried under Latin Crosses rather than appropriate markers reflecting their Jewish heritage.

Program Establishment

The American Battle Monuments Commission is mandated to establish a program specifically called the Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Program. This program will:

• Identify the named servicemembers buried overseas under incorrect markers.
• Contact the survivors and descendants of these servicemembers to inform them about the misidentification.

Program Duration

The program will operate for ten fiscal years following the enactment of the bill. This timeframe allows for thorough identification and rectification of past errors regarding the marking of graves.

Contracts and Funding

To facilitate the program's objectives, the Commission will:

• Engage in contracts with nonprofit organizations that will assist in carrying out the program.
• Provide an annual budget of $500,000 for each of the ten fiscal years to support the program's operations.
• Prefer organizations that have demonstrated the capability and experience in handling similar tasks when awarding contracts.

Financial Authorization

The bill authorizes federal appropriations of $500,000 each fiscal year during the program's operation to ensure funding for its activities.

Definitions

In the context of the bill:

• A covered member is defined as a deceased Jewish member of the Armed Forces who was buried in a U.S. military cemetery outside the United States under a marker that does not indicate their Jewish identity.
• A nonprofit organization refers to an organization described under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, qualifying for tax exemption.

Findings

The bill outlines findings that support the need for its enactment, including:

• The historical context where Jewish servicemembers were buried under incorrect markers due to various inadvertent reasons.
• The significant role of American-Jewish servicemembers in achieving victories during the World Wars.
• The importance of properly recognizing and honoring the heritage of these veterans.
• The responsibility of the U.S. Government to rectify previous mistakes in how these servicemembers have been commemorated.

Relevant Companies

None found