This bill directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to disinter the remains of Fernando V. Cota from Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in Texas and relinquish them to his next of kin.
John Cornyn
Senator
TX
This bill mandates the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to disinter the remains of Fernando V. Cota from Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in Texas. The disinterment must occur within one year of the bill's enactment, with prior notification to Cota's next of kin. Following disinterment, the remains will be given to the next of kin or, if unclaimed, appropriately disposed of by the Secretary.
Bill Directs VA to Disinter Remains of Fernando V. Cota from Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery Within One Year
This legislation sets forth a specific directive for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). It requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to disinter, or unearth, the remains of an individual named Fernando V. Cota currently buried at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in Texas.
The Directive and Timeline
The core action mandated by this bill is the disinterment of Mr. Cota's remains. According to Section 1, the VA Secretary must complete this process within one year from the date the bill becomes law. Before proceeding, the Secretary is obligated to notify Mr. Cota's next of kin about the planned disinterment.
Handling the Remains
Once the disinterment is complete, the bill outlines the next steps. The Secretary is instructed to relinquish the remains directly to the next of kin. However, if the next of kin does not respond or cannot be reached, the bill authorizes the Secretary to arrange for an "appropriate disposition" of the remains, though the specifics of what constitutes 'appropriate' are not detailed further in this section.