VA Transparency Upgrade: New Annual Report to Track Every National Cemetery Burial and Construction Project

The National Cemetery Administration Annual Report Act of 2026 mandates that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) deliver a comprehensive data dump to Congress and the public every single year. Starting within 12 months of becoming law, the VA must pull back the curtain on the National Cemetery Administration (NCA), detailing everything from burial volumes to how satisfied families are with the services provided. This isn't just a summary; it’s a granular look at how the government honors those who served, requiring specific breakdowns of casketed versus cremated remains and the status of construction projects at every national cemetery site.

Mapping the Final Salute

One of the most practical shifts in this bill is the requirement for the VA to provide digital maps of every national cemetery, including those run by states, counties, or tribal organizations that receive federal grants (Section 2415). For a veteran’s family trying to understand their options, this means clearer information on which cemeteries are open for new burials and what specific options—like headstones, markers, or medallions—are available at each location. By requiring a breakdown of burials by eligibility category, the law ensures that the public can see exactly how different groups, from career service members to eligible dependents, are utilizing these federal benefits.

Accountability for Every Acre

The bill also puts a spotlight on the business side of cemetery management. The VA must now report on every major and minor construction project, including what was finished this year and what’s on the drawing board for next year. For taxpayers and local communities, this provides a roadmap of where federal money is being spent to expand or maintain these grounds. Additionally, the report must account for the burial of unclaimed veterans' remains at each cemetery, ensuring that those who pass away without family are still accounted for in the national record.

Digital Access for All

To keep this from becoming a dusty binder on a shelf in D.C., the legislation requires the Secretary to post the entire report on a public VA website in a digital format. This move toward open data allows researchers, veterans' advocates, and families to track the performance of the NCA and the distribution of grants to state and tribal cemeteries. By documenting the recipient, amount, and purpose of every grant under section 2408, the bill creates a paper trail for millions of dollars in federal funding, making it easier to see if the money is actually reaching the local veterans' cemeteries it was intended to support.