Pappa's Burial Equity for Guards and Reserves Act Included in Omnibus Package

Today, Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) announced that his Burial Equity for Guards and Reserves Act will be included in the Omnibus funding package being considered by the House today.

"It's unimaginable that members of the National Guard and Reserves who swore the same oath as their active duty counterparts are currently denied the honor of being laid to rest next to their brothers and sisters in arms," said Congressman Pappas. "I've worked closely with leaders of the New Hampshire National Guard and our New Hampshire State Veterans Cemetery on this common sense, bipartisan policy change, and I'm pleased that this legislation is now moving forward in the House. Enacting it into law will guarantee long overdue equity for members of the Guard and Reserves."

"We are truly grateful for the sponsorship and staunch support of this bipartisan legislation from New Hampshire's congressional delegation," said New Hampshire Adjutant General David Mikolaities. "It closes an unfortunate loophole, which had unfairly singled out a segment of men and women who served honorably in the National Guard and Reserves. They are entitled to the same benefits and deserve no less respect than their active duty counterparts."

"This has been an issue ever since I served as Adjutant General," said Ken Clark, Former Adjutant General, New Hampshire National Guard. "We vowed that we wouldn't stop fighting for this change until it passed into law, and I'm grateful for Congressman Pappas's leadership in taking up this fight alongside us after he was elected. He's kept his word as our Representative, and I know that without his leadership we would not see this legislation coming up for a vote this week."

In order to be buried in a cemetery under the control of VA's National Cemetery Administration (NCA), a veteran must meet certain requirements. Under current law, in order to receive federal grant money from VA for improvements, state veterans cemeteries are barred from interring many National Guard members and Reservists due to rules requiring active service.

The New Hampshire Veterans Cemetery has received federal grant funding to establish and maintain their cemetery. When a state veterans' cemetery accepts NCA grant money, they accept NCA's restrictions on who legally qualifies as a veteran for burial which excludes thousands of National Guard and Reservists. State Veterans Cemetery Administrators are faced with the horrible responsibility of having to deny these applications, regardless of available space or their opinion on the policy.

This legislation would modify existing law to allow state cemeteries, including New Hampshire's Veterans Cemetery, to decide whether to inter an other than dishonorably discharged Guard member, Reservist, or their spouse or children, without jeopardizing their eligibility for federal grant funding.

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