December 22, 2005
Media contact: Jeff Schrade (202)224-9093

(Washington, DC) Two measures sought by the chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs were approved Wednesday in the Defense Authorization bill. The bill is now on its way to President Bush.

The first will protect the nation's cemeteries by prohibiting the burial or inurnment of those who have been, or who could have been, sentenced to death or life in prison for their crimes. The legislation applies to both national cemeteries run by the federal government and cemeteries for veterans run by state governments which were funded with VA grants. It also prohibits the military from playing Taps or presenting an American flag at such funerals ? at both public and private cemeteries.

The second measure requires the Department of Defense to establish a comprehensive policy on casualty assistance to survivors when a member of the Armed Forces dies while in military service.

The legislative language also requires the DoD to establish an integrated website to inform servicemembers and their survivors of the benefits they are entitled to. Earlier this year, at the request of Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho), who chairs the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs launched a similar website, located at http://www.vba.va.gov/Survivors

"We have now put in place a framework to help the living and set in place appropriate protections for the sacred nature of military cemeteries," Craig said. "After working on these two measures for much of this year, I am pleased to see them get final approval."

Craig sought for improvements for survivors after holding a hearing in February with several war widows. Tiffany Petty, a 25-year-old mother of two from Craig's home state of Idaho, told the committee about military officials who were unable to give her clear information about the benefits she and her children could receive.

"At that hearing I expressed my own frustration about the need to get a ?one stop shop' up and running on the Internet so that survivors have a clear place to go to get the help they need," Craig said.

At the time this press release was issued, the final Defense Authorization Bill was not available on the Internet.

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