Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Act
Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Act
Plain Language Summary
# Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Act - Summary **What the Bill Does** This bill would require the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC)—the federal agency that manages U.S. military cemeteries abroad—to create a program identifying Jewish service members who died in military service and were buried in overseas U.S. cemeteries with incorrect religious markers on their graves. Once identified, the program would contact surviving family members. The ABMC would hire a nonprofit organization to run this 10-year program. **Who It Affects and Why It Matters** The bill addresses a historical issue affecting Jewish military families.
Some Jewish service members buried in American military cemeteries overseas had their graves marked incorrectly, failing to identify their Jewish faith. This correction matters to families and communities for religious and memorial purposes. The program would help restore accurate religious recognition for these fallen service members. **Current Status** The bill passed the Senate and is now in the House of Representatives for consideration. As a factual matter, it has bipartisan support focused on correcting historical military records and honoring fallen service members' religious heritage.
CRS Official Summary
Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration ActThis bill requires the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) to establish the Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Program to identify deceased members of the Armed Forces who were Jewish and buried in a U.S. military cemetery located outside of the United States under a marker indicating the member was not Jewish. The program must contact survivors and descendants of such members.The ABMC must seek to enter into a contract with a nonprofit organization to carry out the program during the first 10 fiscal years beginning after the date of enactment of the bill.
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