H.R. 2701, Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Act
H.R. 2701 would establish a program to identify Jewish U.S. service members who are buried overseas under a grave marker that incorrectly indicates that they were not Jewish. The bill also would reduce the amount of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) pensions the department pays to certain veterans and survivors who reside in nursing homes. CBO estimates that H.R. 2701 would increase spending subject to appropriation by $3 million and reduce direct spending by $8 million over the 2025-2035 period.
The costs of the legislation, detailed in Table 1, fall within budget functions 550 (health) and 700 (veterans benefits and services).
Table 1. Estimated Budgetary Effects of H.R. 2701 | |||||||||||||
By Fiscal Year, Millions of Dollars |
|||||||||||||
2025 |
2026 |
2027 |
2028 |
2029 |
2030 |
2031 |
2032 |
2033 |
2034 |
2035 |
2025-2030 |
2025-2035 |
|
Increases in Spending Subject to Appropriation |
|||||||||||||
Estimated Authorization |
0 |
1 |
* |
1 |
* |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
3 |
Estimated Outlays |
0 |
1 |
* |
1 |
* |
1 |
* |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
3 |
Decreases (-) in Direct Spending |
|||||||||||||
Estimated Budget Authority |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
-8 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
-8 |
Estimated Outlays |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
-8 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
-8 |
* = between zero and $500,000. | |||||||||||||
Spending Subject to Appropriation
H.R. 2701 would authorize annual appropriations of $500,000 for five years to the American Battle Monuments Commission for the purpose of providing grants to nonprofit organizations. The commission maintains American military cemeteries and memorials outside of the United States. Grant recipients would use the funds to identify the graves of Jewish U.S. service members who are buried in those cemeteries under headstones or markers that incorrectly indicate the service member was not Jewish. CBO estimates that implementing the grant program would cost $3 million over the 2025-2035 period. Such spending would be subject to the appropriation of the specified amounts.
Direct Spending
Under current law, VA reduces pension payments to veterans and survivors who reside in Medicaid nursing homes to $90 per month. That required reduction expires November 30, 2031. Section 3 would extend that reduction for two months, through January 31, 2032. CBO estimates that extending that requirement would reduce VA benefits by $10 million per month. (Those benefits are paid from mandatory appropriations and are therefore considered direct spending.) As a result of that reduction in beneficiaries’ income, Medicaid would pay more of the cost of their care, increasing spending for that program by $6 million per month. Thus, enacting section 3 would reduce net direct spending by $8 million over the 2025-2035 period.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Logan Smith. The estimate was reviewed by Christina Hawley Anthony, Deputy Director of Budget Analysis.
Phillip L. Swagel
Director, Congressional Budget Office
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