U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) on July 31 sponsored bipartisan legislation to update the National Cemetery Administration’s (NCA’s) burial scheduling system.
The Honest Operations for National Cemetery Reporting (HONOR) Act of 2025, S. 2623, which is cosponsored by U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-T), would require NCA to create and maintain an online portal for families of deceased United States military veterans to monitor cemetery wait times.
“Our veterans put their lives on the line so that we can maintain the freedoms we enjoy here in the United States. A burial ceremony in a cemetery with their fellow veterans is a part of how we honor their sacrifice,” Sen. Rounds said. “Unfortunately, families across the nation are left in the dark about burial availability.”
Specifically, S. 2623 would direct NCA to begin building the data infrastructure necessary to support improved tracking and transparency standards, according to a bill summary provided by Sen. Rounds’ staff.
“Some families have experienced delays in scheduling burial ceremonies, waiting over a week or more at many cemeteries and up to 30 days at one cemetery,” said Sen. Rounds. “Here in South Dakota, the Black Hills National Cemetery maintains an average burial availability of two days. This should be standard across the nation.
“However, if a family must wait to hold a ceremony for their loved ones, knowing how long it will be and having the ability to request the earliest possible date brings added comfort during a difficult time,” he said.
“Our bill will make sure veterans’ families and loved ones have improved access to information about how long it will take for their loved one to receive a burial ceremony during an already difficult time,” added Sen. Blumenthal.