Ensuring Veterans’ Final Resting Place Act of 2025

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Bill ID: 119/s/1116
Last Updated: July 13, 2026

Sponsored by

Sen. Banks, Jim [R-IN]

ID: B001299

Follow the money

The bill

Ensuring Veterans’ Final Resting Place Act of 2025

S. 1116, 119th Congress.

The sponsor

Sen. Banks, Jim [R-IN]

Every bill has someone who introduced it. That name is where the paper trail starts.

The money

$131,221 raised

21 itemised contributions to this sponsor, pulled from FEC filings.

The alignment

85% match to Project 2025

This bill's text tracks the "Department of Veterans Affairs" section, p. 688-691 of the Mandate for Leadership.

Bill's Journey to Becoming a Law

Track this bill's progress through the legislative process

Latest Action

Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.

March 17, 2026

Introduced

Committee Review

Floor Action

📍 Current Status

Next: The full Senate will vote on whether to pass the bill.

✅

Passed Senate

🏛️

House Review

🎉

Passed Congress

🖊️

Presidential Action

⚖️

Became Law

📚 How does a bill become a law?

1. Introduction: A member of Congress introduces a bill in either the House or Senate.

2. Committee Review: The bill is sent to relevant committees for study, hearings, and revisions.

3. Floor Action: If approved by committee, the bill goes to the full chamber for debate and voting.

4. Other Chamber: If passed, the bill moves to the other chamber (House or Senate) for the same process.

5. Conference: If both chambers pass different versions, a conference committee reconciles the differences.

6. Presidential Action: The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action.

7. Became Law: If signed (or if Congress overrides a veto), the bill becomes law!

Bill Summary

Joy. Another bill that's about as meaningful as a participation trophy for politicians who want to pretend they care about veterans.

**Main Purpose & Objectives:** The Ensuring Veterans' Final Resting Place Act of 2025 is a masterclass in legislative theater, designed to make it seem like Congress actually cares about the well-being of veterans. In reality, this bill is just a minor tweak to existing law, authorizing additional burial benefits for individuals who receive an urn or plaque instead of a headstone.

**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law:** The bill amends Section 2306(h) of title 38, United States Code, which deals with the provision of headstones and markers for veterans. The changes are about as exciting as watching paint dry: they reorganize some paragraphs, strike out a few words, and insert new language that essentially says the same thing.

**Affected Parties & Stakeholders:** Veterans who receive urns or plaques instead of headstones will be affected by this bill. But let's not get too excited – we're talking about a relatively small group of people here. The real stakeholders are the politicians who sponsored this bill, Mr. Banks and Ms. Collins, who get to pat themselves on the back for "supporting our troops."

**Potential Impact & Implications:** This bill is a classic case of "legislative lip service." It's a minor tweak that won't actually make a significant difference in the lives of veterans or their families. The real impact will be felt by politicians who get to use this bill as a talking point during election season, claiming they're "supporting our heroes" while doing nothing meaningful to address the actual issues facing veterans.

Diagnosis: This bill is suffering from a bad case of " Politician's Disease," characterized by symptoms such as:

* Inflated sense of self-importance * Lack of actual substance or impact * Overuse of buzzwords like "supporting our troops" * A desperate need for attention and validation

Treatment: A healthy dose of skepticism, a strong stomach for bureaucratic nonsense, and a willingness to call out politicians on their empty promises.

Related Topics

Military & Veterans Affairs
Generated using Llama 3.1 70B (Dr. Haus personality)

💰 Campaign Finance Network

Sen. Banks, Jim [R-IN]

Congress 119 • 2024 Election Cycle

Total Contributions
$131,221
18 donors
PACs
$0
Organizations
$100
Committees
$0
Individuals
$131,121

No PAC contributions found

1
STOCKAMP FOUNDATION
1 transaction
$100

No committee contributions found

1
NEAL, ROLLIE
2 transactions
$26,136
2
RAMSEY, JASON
2 transactions
$13,200
3
SALAMONE, CHRISTOPHER J
1 transaction
$12,000
4
BYERS, RICHARD JR.
2 transactions
$11,600
5
BARKLEY, JOSH
1 transaction
$6,700
6
THRIFT, PAUL
1 transaction
$6,700
7
MUSELMAN, ROGER C.
1 transaction
$6,700
8
WALTERS, KENNETH
1 transaction
$6,700
9
DUMEZICH, DANA A.
1 transaction
$6,600
10
SEEGERS, PAUL R.
1 transaction
$5,800
11
MOORE, NOEL
1 transaction
$5,000
12
LILLARD, ROYCE
1 transaction
$4,650
13
VANDEBUNTE, BARB
1 transaction
$4,357
14
LEDERER, HOWARD
1 transaction
$4,140
15
COPELAND, LAMMOT JR
1 transaction
$3,700
16
BROWN, MATTHEWS
1 transaction
$3,680
17
PEDERSON, BRAD
1 transaction
$3,458

Cosponsors & Their Campaign Finance

This bill has 2 cosponsors. Below are their top campaign contributors.

Sen. Collins, Susan M. [R-ME]

ID: C001035

Top Contributors

21

1
SHAKOPEE MDEWAKANTON SIOUX COMMUNITY
PACPRIOR LAKE, MN
$1,000
Jun 28, 2023
2
SILBEY, ALEXANDER
ATS COMMUNICATIONS, INC, • CONSULTANT
IndividualWASHINGTON, DC
$6,600
Jul 23, 2024
3
ARNOLD, LAURA
RETIRED • RETIRED
IndividualHOUSTON, TX
$6,600
Aug 10, 2024
4
READ, KURT
RSF PARTNERS • PARTNER
IndividualDALLAS, TX
$3,300
Dec 29, 2023
5
COATES, CHRIS
RETIRED • RETIRED
IndividualIRVING, TX
$3,300
Dec 29, 2023
6
READ, KURT
RSF PARTNERS • PARTNER
IndividualDALLAS, TX
$3,300
Dec 29, 2023
7
CROTTY, THOMAS
RETIRED • RETIRED
IndividualSCOTTSDALE, AZ
$3,300
Dec 29, 2023
8
COATES, CHRIS
RETIRED • RETIRED
IndividualIRVING, TX
$3,300
Dec 29, 2023
9
CROTTY, THOMAS
RETIRED • RETIRED
IndividualSCOTTSDALE, AZ
$3,300
Dec 29, 2023
10
YOUNGMAN, ANDREW
CITIZENS DISABILITY LLC • CEO
IndividualWEST NEWTON, MA
$3,300
Nov 20, 2023

Sen. Rosen, Jacky [D-NV]

ID: R000608

Top Contributors

42

1
PUYALLUP TRIBE OF INDIANS
OrganizationTACOMA, WA
$3,700
Jul 31, 2024
2
SEMINOLE TRIBE OF FLORIDA
OrganizationHOLLYWOOD, FL
$3,300
Sep 30, 2023
3
POARCH BAND OF CREEK INDIANS
OrganizationATMORE, AL
$3,300
Sep 30, 2023
4
CHEROKEE NATION
OrganizationTAHLEQUAH, OK
$3,300
Dec 28, 2023
5
FEDERATED INDIANS OF GRATON RANCHERIA
OrganizationROHNERT PARK, CA
$3,300
Mar 10, 2023
6
FEDERATED INDIANS OF GRATON RANCHERIA
OrganizationROHNERT PARK, CA
$3,300
Mar 10, 2023
7
SYUCAN BAND OF THE KUMEYAAY NATION
OrganizationEL CAJON, CA
$3,300
Mar 31, 2023
8
POARCH BAND OF CREEK INDIANS
OrganizationATMORE, AL
$3,300
Mar 28, 2024
9
SEMINOLE TRIBE OF FLORIDA
OrganizationHOLLYWOOD, FL
$3,300
Sep 30, 2024
10
MATCH-E-BE-NASH-SHE-WISH BAND OF POTTAWATOMI INDIANS
OrganizationSHELBYVILLE, MI
$3,300
Oct 21, 2024

Donor Network - Sen. Banks, Jim [R-IN]

PACs
Organizations
Individuals
Politicians

Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.

Loading...

Showing 37 nodes and 43 connections

Total contributions: $43

Top Donors - Sen. Banks, Jim [R-IN]

Showing top 18 donors by contribution amount

1 Org17 Individuals

Project 2025 Policy Matches

This bill shows semantic similarity to the following sections of the Project 2025 policy document.AI-enhanced analysis provides detailed alignment ratings.

Department of Veterans Affairs

Strong
Vector: 68%
Pages: 688-691AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"The bill expands VA burial benefits to better honor veterans, directly supporting the Department of Veterans Affairs' mission to provide recognition and support for those who served, which aligns with Project 2025's focus on strengthening VA services and benefits."

Key themes:veterans benefitsburial honorsVA supportrecognition of service

— 655 — Department of Veterans Affairs ENDNOTES 1. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Division, VHA Directive 1003, “VHA Veteran Patient Experience,” April 14, 2020, pp. 1 and B-1. 2. S. 2372, VA Mission Act of 2018, Public Law No. 115-182, 115th Congress, June 6, 2018, https://www.congress. gov/115/plaws/publ182/PLAW-115publ182.pdf (accessed January 30, 2023). 3. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, VA History Office, “VA History,” last updated May 27, 2021, https://www. va.gov/HISTORY/VA_History/Overview.asp (accessed January 28, 2023). 4. 38 U.S. Code § 1116, https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/38/1116 (accessed January 28, 2023). 5. S. 3373, Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022 (Honoring Our PACT Act of 2022), Public Law No. 117-168, 117th Congress, August 10, 2022, https://www. congress.gov/117/plaws/publ168/PLAW-117publ168.pdf (accessed January 28, 2023). 6. H.R. 2471, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022, Public Law No. 117-103, 117th Congress, March 15, 2022, Division S, Title I, https://www.congress.gov/117/plaws/publ103/PLAW-117publ103.pdf (accessed March 18, 2023). Known variously as the Department of Veterans Affairs Nurse and Physician Assistant Retention and Income Security Enhancement Act and the VA Nurse and Physician Assistant RAISE Act. 7. See note 5, supra.

Department of Veterans Affairs

Strong
Vector: 63%
Pages: 688-691AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"The bill expands burial benefits to honor veterans and support their families, which aligns with Project 2025's goal of strengthening VA services and ensuring proper recognition of veterans' sacrifices."

Key themes:veterans benefitsburial honorsVA supportrecognition of servicefamily assistance

— 655 — Department of Veterans Affairs ENDNOTES 1. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Division, VHA Directive 1003, “VHA Veteran Patient Experience,” April 14, 2020, pp. 1 and B-1. 2. S. 2372, VA Mission Act of 2018, Public Law No. 115-182, 115th Congress, June 6, 2018, https://www.congress. gov/115/plaws/publ182/PLAW-115publ182.pdf (accessed January 30, 2023). 3. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, VA History Office, “VA History,” last updated May 27, 2021, https://www. va.gov/HISTORY/VA_History/Overview.asp (accessed January 28, 2023). 4. 38 U.S. Code § 1116, https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/38/1116 (accessed January 28, 2023). 5. S. 3373, Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022 (Honoring Our PACT Act of 2022), Public Law No. 117-168, 117th Congress, August 10, 2022, https://www. congress.gov/117/plaws/publ168/PLAW-117publ168.pdf (accessed January 28, 2023). 6. H.R. 2471, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022, Public Law No. 117-103, 117th Congress, March 15, 2022, Division S, Title I, https://www.congress.gov/117/plaws/publ103/PLAW-117publ103.pdf (accessed March 18, 2023). Known variously as the Department of Veterans Affairs Nurse and Physician Assistant Retention and Income Security Enhancement Act and the VA Nurse and Physician Assistant RAISE Act. 7. See note 5, supra. — 657 — Section Four THE ECONOMY The next Administration must prioritize the economic prosperity of ordi- nary Americans. For several decades, establishment “elites” have failed the citizenry by refusing to secure the border, outsourcing manufacturing to China and elsewhere, spending recklessly, regulating constantly, and generally controlling the country from the top down rather than letting it flourish from the bottom up. The proper role of government, as was articulated nearly 250 years ago, is to secure our God-given, unalienable rights in order that we might enjoy the pursuit of happiness, the benefits of free enterprise, and the blessings of liberty. Finding the right approach to trade policy is key to the fortunes of everyday Americans. In Chapter 26, president of the Competitive Enterprise Institute Kent Lassman and former White House director of trade and manufacturing policy Peter Navarro debate what an effective conservative trade policy would look like. Lass- man argues that the best trade policy is a humble, limited-government approach that would encourage free trade with all nations. He maintains that aggressive trade policies involve an increased government role that future leftist Administra- tions will utilize to push “climate change” and “equity”-based activism. Focusing more on gross domestic product (GDP) growth than on median income, he writes that “people mistakenly believe that U.S. manufacturing and the U.S. economy are in decline” when in truth “American manufacturing output is currently at an all-time high.” Meanwhile, we continue to experience “record-setting real GDP” despite our “long-run decline in manufacturing employment.” Lassman does not think that an aggressive U.S. trade policy would lead to more manufacturing jobs. Rather, he writes, “Federal Reserve research shows” that the

Department of Transportation

Strong
Vector: 62%
Pages: 673-675AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"The bill aligns with Project 2025's Veterans Affairs mission by enhancing burial benefits and recognition for veterans, supporting the VA's goal of providing exceptional, veteran-centric services in memorial affairs."

Key themes:veteran benefitsmemorial affairsVA servicesveteran recognitionburial support

— 640 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise ENDNOTES 1. U.S. Department of Transportation, 2023 Budget Highlights, p. 1, https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot. gov/files/2022-03/Budget_Highlights_FY2023.pdf (accessed March 3, 2023). 2. U.S. Department of Transportation, DEIA [Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility] Strategic Plan FY22– FY26, p. 2, https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/2022-09/DOT%20DEIA%20Strategic%20Plan. pdf (accessed March 3, 2023). 3. 23 U.S. Code §§ 601–609, https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/23 (accessed March 3, 2023). 4. U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of the Secretary, “Administrative Rulemaking, Guidance, and Enforcement Procedures,” Final Rule, Federal Register, Vol. 84, No. 248 (December 27, 2019), pp. 71714–71734, https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/docs/regulations/361831/fed-reg-published-final-admin- rule.pdf (accessed March 3, 2023). 5. U.S. Department of Transportation, Build America Bureau, “About the Build America Bureau,” last updated October 24, 2022, https://www.transportation.gov/buildamerica/about (accessed March 3, 2023). 6. S. 622, Energy Policy and Conservation Act, Public Law No. 94-163, 94th Congress, December 22, 1995, https:// www.congress.gov/94/statute/STATUTE-89/STATUTE-89-Pg871.pdf (accessed March 3, 2023). 7. 42 U.S. Code Chapter 85, https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/chapter-85 (accessed March 3, 2023). 8. U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards for Model Years 2024–2026 Passenger Cars and Light Trucks,” Final Rule, Federal Register, Vol. 87, No. 84 (May 2, 2022), pp. 25710–26092, https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2022-05- 02/pdf/2022-07200.pdf (accessed March 10, 2023). 9. U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of the Secretary, “Defining Unfair or Deceptive Practices,” Final Rule, Federal Register, Vol. 85, No. 235 (December 7, 2020), pp. 78707–78718, https://www.transportation.gov/ sites/dot.gov/files/2020-12/Defining%20Unfair%20or%20Deceptive%20Practices%20Final%20Rule%20-%20 85%20FR%2078707.pdf (accessed March 3, 2023). 10. U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of the Secretary, “Procedures in Regulating Unfair or Deceptive Practices,” Final Rule, Federal Register, Vol. 87, No. 22 (February 2, 2022), pp. 5655–5659, https://www. govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2022-02-02/pdf/2022-01589.pdf (accessed March 3, 2023). 11. U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Budget Estimates Fiscal Year 2023, p. 1, https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/2022-04/FAA_Budget_Estimates_FY2023.pdf (accessed March 3, 2023). 12. Robert W. Poole, Jr., Organization and Innovation in Air Traffic Control, Hudson Institute Initiative on Future Innovation, November 2013, https://www.hudson.org/sites/default/files/researchattachments/ attachment/1199/poole_hi_res.pdf (accessed March 3, 2023). Also published subsequently as Reason Foundation Policy Study No. 431, January 2014, https://reason.org/wp-content/uploads/files/air_traffic_ control_organization_innovation.pdf (accessed March 3, 2023). 13. H.R. 3684, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Public Law No. 117-58, 117th Congress, November 15, 2021, https://www.congress.gov/117/plaws/publ58/PLAW-117publ58.pdf (accessed March 3, 2023). 14. S. 6, Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1964, Public Law 88-365, 88th Congress, July 9, 1964, https://www. govinfo.gov/content/pkg/STATUTE-78/pdf/STATUTE-78-Pg302-2.pdf (accessed March 3, 2023). 15. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration, “About Us,” last updated March 23, 2022, https:// www.maritime.dot.gov/about-us (accessed March 4, 2023). 16. H.R. 10378, Merchant Marine Act of 1920, Public Law 66-261, 66th Congress, June 5, 1920, https://govtrackus. s3.amazonaws.com/legislink/pdf/stat/41/STATUTE-41-Pg988.pdf (accessed March 3, 2023). — 641 — 20 DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Brooks D. Tucker MISSION STATEMENT The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is the primary provider of health care, benefits, and memorial affairs for America’s veterans and their families. The VA has the noble responsibility to render exceptional and timely support and services with respect, compassion, and competence. The veteran is at the forefront of every VA process and interaction. The VA must continually strive to be recognized as a “best in class,” “Veteran-centric”1 system with an organizational ethos inspired by and accountable to the needs and problems of veterans, not subservient to the parochial preferences of a bureaucracy. OVERVIEW At the end of the Obama Administration, the VA was held in low esteem both by the veterans it served and by the employees who served these former warriors. Eroding morale caused by the downstream effects of a health care access crisis in 2014 led to the resignation of Secretary Eric Shinseki and extensive oversight investigations by Congress from 2015–2016. By 2020, however, the VA had become one of the most respected U.S. agencies. This significant progress was due in part to the leadership of Secretary Robert Wilkie (2018–2021) and his team of political appointees and career senior executives, many of them veterans, who led the effort to ensure that the VA became “Veteran-centric” in its governance decisions and fostered a more positive work environment. This mindset translated into a department that was better attuned to employees’ and veterans’ needs and experiences in the daily operations of health care, benefits,

Showing 3 of 5 policy matches

About These Correlations

Policy matches are calculated using a hybrid approach: initial candidates are found using semantic similarity between bill summaries and Project 2025 policy text, then an AI model (Llama 3.1 70B) provides detailed alignment ratings and analysis. Ratings range from 1 (minimal alignment) to 5 (very strong alignment). This analysis does not imply direct causation or intent.

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