U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono and Representatives Ed Case and Jill Tokuda led the introduction of the Hawaii National Cemetery Act, legislation that would require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a new national veterans cemetery in the state of Hawaiʻi.
The current National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, which has been closed to in-ground burials since 1991 and will stop accepting cremated remains by 2036, is running out of space to bury the veterans.
This proposed legislation will require the VA Secretary to initiate the construction of a new national cemetery in Hawaii to supplement the remaining space at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, helping to increase veteran access to burial benefits.
The process will involve multiple phases, including community consultation, and could take more than eight years to complete.
AP Photo
