An act to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the inurnment in Arlington National Cemetery of the cremated remains of certain persons whose service has been determined to be active service.
Public Law 114-158 · H.R. 4336 · 114th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Barack Obama (D) on May 20, 2016 · Armed Forces and National Security
Sponsor: Rep. Martha McSally (R-AZ-2)
Cosponsors (191): Rep. Susan Davis, Rep. Charlie Rangel,
Passage votes
- HouseUnanimous consent
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
(Sec. 1) This bill directs the Department of the Army to ensure that the cremated remains of persons whose service has been determined to be active duty service pursuant to the GI Bill Improvement Act of 1977 are eligible for above ground inurnment in Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors.
Such provision shall apply with respect to: (1) the remains of a person that are not formally interred or inurned as of the date of the enactment of this Act, and (2) a person who dies on or after such date.
(Sec. 2) The Department of the Army shall report to Congress on Arlington National Cemetery's interment and inurnment capacity, including:
• the estimated date that the cemetery will reach maximum interment and inurnment capacity; and
• recommendations for legislative actions and non legislative options to ensure that the cemetery's maximum interment and inurnment capacity is not reached until well into the future, including options with respect to redefining interment and inurnment eligibility and expansion opportunities beyond the cemetery's current boundaries.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Armed Services Committee · House · discharged from, referred toSubcommittee: Military Personnel Subcommittee- Veterans' Affairs Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
3 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 4909Related bill
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017
S. 2437Related bill
Women Airforce Service Pilot Arlington Inurnment Restoration Act of 2016
S. 2921Related bill
Veterans First Act
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 31 actions.
- May 20, 2016Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 114-158.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- May 13, 2016FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- May 11, 2016Resolving differencesResolving differences · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · On motion that the House agree to the Senate amendments Agreed to without objection.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Mr. Abraham asked unanimous consent that the House agree to the Senate amendments.
- FloorFloor · The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- OtherOther · Resolving differences -- House actions: On motion that the House agree to the Senate amendments Agreed to without objection.
- May 10, 2016FloorFloor · Passed Senate with amendments and an amendment to the Title by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs discharged by Unanimous Consent.
- Apr 4, 2016CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- Mar 22, 2016FloorFloor · The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 385 - 0 (Roll no. 135).House roll call 135
- FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
- FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 4336.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Miller (FL) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Mar 21, 2016CalendarCalendar · Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 351.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Armed Services discharged.
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. H. Rept. 114-459, Part I.
- Feb 25, 2016CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
- CommitteeCommittee · Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Discharged.
- Jan 19, 2016CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.
- Jan 12, 2016CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.
- Jan 6, 2016CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
2 amendments offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.
- Agreed to
S.Amdt. 3895SenateSen. Joni ErnstR-IA· offered May 10, 2016Agreed to
To amend the title.
May 10, 2016: Amendment SA 3895 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
- Agreed to
S.Amdt. 3894SenateSen. Joni ErnstR-IA· offered May 10, 2016Agreed to
To improve the bill.
May 10, 2016: Amendment SA 3894 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.