Keeping Military Families Together Act of 2024
Public Law 118-271 · S. 2181 · 118th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Joe Biden (D) on Jan 4, 2025 · Armed Forces and National Security
Sponsor: Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI)
Cosponsors (6): Sen. Dan Sullivan, Sen. Kevin Cramer,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- 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.
This act extends certain Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) burial benefits provided to spouses and dependent children of veterans or active duty servicemembers.
Specifically, the act extends through FY2032 the requirement for the VA to furnish, upon request, memorial headstones or markers for spouses or dependent children of veterans or servicemembers who were serving on active duty at the time of the spouse’s or child’s death.
Additionally, the act extends through FY2032 the authority for burial in any open national cemetery under the control of the National Cemetery Administration for a spouse or dependent child of veterans or servicemembers who were serving on active duty at the time of the spouse’s or child’s death.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
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
1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 9055Related bill
Veterans’ Burial Improvement Act of 2024
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. 20 actions.
- Jan 4, 2025Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 118-271.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Dec 26, 2024FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Dec 23, 2024FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Dec 21, 2024Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to the House amendment and amendment to the title to S. 2181 by Unanimous Consent.
- OtherOther · Resolving differences -- Senate actions: Senate agreed to the House amendment and amendment to the title to S. 2181 by Unanimous Consent.
- Nov 19, 2024FloorFloor · Message on House action received in Senate and at desk: House amendments to Senate bill.
- Nov 18, 2024FloorFloor · 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 voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 2181.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Bost moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- May 6, 2024FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
- FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- May 3, 2024FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- May 1, 2024FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs discharged by Unanimous Consent.
- Jun 22, 2023CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
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
No amendments to this bill are on record.
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.