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S 2807119th CongressIntroduced

RESPECT Act of 2025

Introduced: Sep 16, 2025
Civil Rights & Justice
View on Congress.gov
Standard Summary
Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

The RESPECT Act of 2025 would narrow and adjust how the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Army can reconsider decisions to inter a person’s remains or honor that person in a national cemetery. Specifically, it limits reconsideration authority to decisions related to interment or memorialization that were made on or after June 18, 1973. In addition, the bill updates a cross-reference related to how “tier III” sex offenders are defined under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), replacing an older reference with a more current statutory definition. It also repeals a provision from the Alicia Dawn Koehl Respect for National Cemeteries Act (Public Law 113-65). The short title given is the Restoring the Sanctity of Public Entombments, Cemeteries, and Tributes Act of 2025 (or the RESPECT Act of 2025). In essence, the bill narrows when reconsideration of national cemetery interment/honor decisions can occur and modernizes an SORNA-related definitional reference, while removing a prior provision from a related national cemeteries act.

Key Points

  • 1Amends 38 U.S.C. 2411 to restrict reconsideration of interment/honor decisions to those made on or after June 18, 1973. This narrows the scope of cases subject to reconsideration and may prevent reevaluation of earlier decisions.
  • 2Updates the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) cross-references used in certain provisions, replacing references to “tier III sex offender for purposes of SORNA (34 U.S.C. 20901 et seq.)” with “the definition of a tier III sex offender under section 111 of SORNA (34 U.S.C. 20911).”
  • 3Conforming repeal: Repeals subsection (c) of the Alicia Dawn Koehl Respect for National Cemeteries Act (Public Law 113-65), aligning this area of law with the RESPECT Act.
  • 4Title and purpose: The bill is titled the Restoring the Sanctity of Public Entombments, Cemeteries, and Tributes Act of 2025 (RESPECT Act of 2025), signaling a focus on upholding standards and boundaries surrounding national cemetery decisions.
  • 5Introduced in the Senate on September 16, 2025 by Senator Cornyn with several cosponsors; referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

Impact Areas

Primary: Veterans and families involved with interment or honors decisions in national cemeteries, and the VA and Army officials who authorize those decisions. The narrowing of reconsideration could affect whether certain past interment/honor decisions can be reopened.Secondary: National cemetery policy and governance; potential administrative implications for how reconsiderations are processed and which cases are eligible.Additional impacts: By modernizing the SORNA reference, the bill may influence qualification criteria related to individuals who are sex offenders in the context of national cemetery decisions where applicable. The repeal of a Koehl Act subsection also adjusts related regulatory framework in this area.
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