Rep. Summer Lee Announces the HONORS Act to Support Military Funeral Honors Program, Address Issue in Mid-Atlantic Region

RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Vaibhav Vijay, Vaibhav.Vijay@mail.house.gov
Kyla Gill, Kyla.Gill@mail.house.gov

Rep. Summer Lee Announces the HONORS Act to Support Military Funeral Honors Program, Address Issue in Mid-Atlantic Region

Washington, D.C. – Today, in honor of Veterans Day, Rep. Summer L. Lee (D-PA) announced plans to introduce the HONORS Act (Honoring Our Nation’s Own Retired Servicemembers), a new bill aimed at addressing logistical challenges within the Military Funeral Honors Program. Military funeral honors ceremonies pay tribute to the service and sacrifices of our nation’s service members. The HONORS Act will expand opportunities for veterans to participate in these ceremonies, ensuring they have an opportunity to commemorate and honor their fellow service members.

“Every service member who dedicated their life to this country deserves a proper, dignified farewell–for themselves and their loved ones,” said Rep. Summer Lee. “This bill empowers our veterans to honor one another, eases staffing burdens, and offers a cost-effective solution to maintain our commitment to those who served.

Military funeral honors ceremonies serve as a final tribute to our nation’s veterans, recognizing them for their service and sacrifice. While federal law requires each honors funeral detail to include at least two non-retired service members, veterans are authorized to support these details in supplemental roles and receive a stipend. Yet, for Navy veterans in the Mid-Atlantic Region (CNRMA)—which covers 20 states, including Pennsylvania—volunteering is currently not an option. Over the years, CNRMA, which oversees these honors for Navy veterans, has been working diligently to manage rising costs and an increasing number of requests, supporting nearly 21,000 funerals in FY23 alone. Due to budget limitations, CNRMA has needed to prioritize its funding to meet the legal requirement of including two active-status members in each detail, leaving limited resources to cover supplemental members who do not fulfill this requirement. As a result, many veterans who are eager to serve their fellow service members in this capacity are unable to do so.

The HONORS Act is designed to ensure that military funeral honors remain a sustainable and accessible service, particularly in regions facing budget constraints. Specifically, this legislation would allow retired service members to fulfill one of the two required active-status member positions in military funeral details, provided budget constraints require it, an active-status member is unavailable within 50 miles, and the family consents.This change ensures that willing veterans can participate in these ceremonies, addresses staffing issues, and reduces operational costs for CNRMA.

Background

Military funeral honors are formal ceremonies provided by the Department of Defense to recognize the service of U.S. service members. The ceremonies include the playing of “Taps,” folding, and presenting the American flag. Federal law requires two active-status members at each funeral detail, one from the decedent’s branch. However, rising travel expenses and regional staffing shortages have strained resources, especially for the Commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic (CNRMA), covering Pennsylvania and 19 other states. To support the ceremonial requirements, veterans and volunteers may supplement funeral details but currently cannot count towards the mandated two active-status positions, leading to financial and staffing difficulties.

Facing increased funeral requests and fewer reserve personnel due to closures of Reserve Centers, CNRMA has struggled to meet the minimum staffing requirements. In FY23 alone, CNRMA supported 20,988 funerals, with associated costs rising to $1,838,235, up from $1,161,913 in FY19. These costs are largely due to travel reimbursements for active-status reservists. 

Legislative Solution

The Military Funeral Honors Bill will amend the requirements of the Military Funeral Honors Program to:

• Allow retired service members to count as one of the two required active-status positions if:
  • Budget constraints necessitate it,
  • No active-status service member is available within a 50-mile radius,
  • The family of the deceased consents.

This change ensures that willing veterans can participate in these ceremonies, addresses staffing shortages, and reduces operational costs for CNRMA.

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Since taking office in January 2023, Lee, who serves on the House Oversight Committee and Space, Science and Technology Committee, has delivered historic levels of federal investment totaling over $2 Billion brought back to Western PA, including over $580 million for infrastructure, over $110 million for affordable transit, over $500 million to keep clean energy manufacturing at home in Pennsylvania, and over $55 million on clean energy efforts in and around schools to help keep our kids and communities safe. These investments will help improve Western Pennsylvania’s infrastructure and transit, ensure cleaner air and drinking water, lower housing costs, fund research institutions, fuel clean manufacturing, fund STEM innovation and entrepreneurship, boost workforce development, and create thousands of good paying union jobs.  Lee and her team have also delivered casework and constituent services to over 2,780 constituents with issues ranging from helping our seniors and disabled community access Medicare and social security to helping folks secure housing and helping families with immigration support and passports.

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