Mr./ Madame Speaker, I offered an amendment to this bill, which would provide families the option of choosing a “Bronze V” in lieu of a VA headstone for graves already marked by a private marker. I am happy to say that this amendment was accepted with bipartisan support during committee mark up.

Many private cemeteries do not allow a second marker on a grave, but a “bronze V” would be accepted by all cemeteries and would identify a veteran’s grave in the same manner as a VA headstone.

While not the intent of the amendment, it may also lead to a decrease in costs for the Veterans Affairs Department. The average cost of a VA headstone is about $100. Last year, The VA provided 6,534 “second markers” for a total cost of $653,400 plus shipping. The cost for the same number of “bronze V” markers would have only been between $148,000 and $184,000.

Mounting of these “Second markers” is at the family’s expense, usually several times the cost of the stone; the “bronze V,” however, will avoid the need for professional mounting, thus reducing significant expenses for the veterans’ families.

This amendment not only distinguishes our nation’s veterans on their headstones, but it also allows families to demonstrate their loved ones’ selfless service to our nation in an efficient and cost-effective manner.

It provides a great solution to an unfortunate problem with the added bonus of saving money for veterans’ families and the VA.

Mr./ Madame Speaker, this bill will help our veterans, and I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 797.

I yield back.