July 31, 2025
Mr. Rounds (for himself and Mr. Blumenthal) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
To enhance the transparency of the National Cemetery Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Honest Operations for National Cemetery Reporting Act of 2025
or the HONOR Act of 2025
.
Sec. 2. Interment schedule availability at cemeteries under the control of the National Cemetery Administration
(a) In general
The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall maintain, on the publicly accessible website landing page of the National Cemetery Administration, a spreadsheet or similar document displaying the most recent interment schedule availability for each operational cemetery under the control of the National Cemetery Administration.
(b) Implementation
The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall—
(1)
not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, make the spreadsheet or similar document described in subsection (b) available as required by such subsection; and
(2)
once every 30 days thereafter, update such spreadsheet or similar document.
(c) Definition of interment schedule availability
Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to Congress a proposed definition for the term interment schedule availability
that—
(1)
generally means the number of business days between the establishment of a case for a deceased individual and the first availability for the interment of the individual; and
(2)
takes into account the ability to meet the family's preferred dates, days of the week, and times for scheduling the interment.
(d) Report on historical data
Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to Congress a report on data for interment schedule availability during the five-year period ending on the date on which the report is submitted.
Sec. 3. Customer service surveys
(a) American Customer Satisfaction Index survey
(1) Sense of Congress
It is the sense of Congress that the National Cemetery Administration should continue to participate in the American Customer Satisfaction Index survey.
(2) Notice to Congress
Not later than 30 days before the date on which the National Cemetery Administration does not participate in an American Customer Satisfaction Index survey, the Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs of the Department of Veterans Affairs shall notify Congress of such non-participation.
(b) National Cemetery Administration surveys
(1) In general
The Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs shall continue to—
(A)
administer the customer service survey of the National Cemetery Administration to veterans, families, and funeral homes through ongoing survey activities; and
(B)
publish the results of such survey.
(2) Submittal to Congress
Not later than 30 days before the date on which any change is made to the survey described in paragraph (1), including with respect to methodology, participants, or scope, the Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs shall submit to Congress a description of such change.