Senators Hassan and Blackburn Introduce Bipartisan Legislation for Public to Honor Fallen Service Members Buried Overseas

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) introduced bipartisan legislation to reauthorize a program that allows members of the public to order flowers that are then placed by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) on the graves at American military cemeteries overseas, for instance, the Normandy American Cemetery where U.S. World War II veterans are buried. This program was discontinued in 2015. The Biden-Harris Administration recently announced that it will restart the program, and the Senators’ legislation will ensure that the program is authorized by law, meaning the ABMC will not need the permission of any administration to carry it out.

“We must always continue the work of honoring American service members who made the ultimate sacrifice so that we can be safe, secure, and free,” said Senator Hassan. “Earlier this summer, a bipartisan Congressional Delegation traveled to Normandy to commemorate the 80^th anniversary of D-Day and we paid our respects at the gravesites of American service members who lost their lives on D-Day saving the world from Hitler. This experience reinforced the importance of continuing to ensure that Americans can honor these heroes. I am pleased to introduce this bipartisan legislation to help Americans pay their respects by providing flowers to be placed at the gravesites at American cemeteries overseas.” 

“Brave servicemembers who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom overseas deserve to be recognized,” said Senator Blackburn. “This legislation would ensure families can request a flower-laying service for their loved ones at military cemeteries overseas and preserve the tradition of honoring fallen servicemembers.”

“The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) supports passage of the Flowers for Fallen Heroes Act of 2024 to assist families and other members of this grateful nation in remembering our fallen warriors and the sacrifices they made long ago on far away battlefields. The VFW thanks Senators Hassan and Blackburn for introducing this legislation that would improve the memorialization of our service members eternally resting in overseas cemeteries far from home,” said Nancy Springer, Associate Director, VFW National Legislative Service.

"AMVETS strongly urges Congress to support the Flowers for Fallen Heroes Act. Our organization is committed to honoring the memory of all American servicemembers who sacrificed their lives for their nation, and this bill would help ensure their legacy by simplifying the flower delivery process for those buried in Europe,” said Bill Clark, AMVETS National Commander.

This bipartisan bill will formally authorize the AMBC’s flower ordering program, allow credit card payments and electronic fund transfers to be used under the program, and require the ABMC to submit yearly reports to Congress.

Senator Hassan has led bipartisan efforts to support service members, veterans, and their families. Earlier this year, Senator Hassan introduced a bipartisan bill to increase access to job counseling services for spouses of members of the Armed Forces who died while serving in the military or of a service-connected disability. She also introduced the bipartisan Military Spouse Hiring Act earlier this year to help boost hiring of military spouses. Senator Hassan helped develop and pass into law the PACT Act, which fundamentally reforms and improves how veterans exposed to toxic substances receive health care and benefits from the VA – and recently the one millionth claim was approved thanks to this legislation.

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