S. 1071 · Signed into law · Armed Forces and National Security

National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026

Sponsor: John Cornyn (R-TX)

What it does

• Directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to disinter the remains of Fernando V. Cota from Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in Texas.
• Requires the VA to notify Cota's next of kin of the disinterment and offer the remains to them.
• Authorizes the VA to arrange final disposition of the remains if no next of kin claims them within a specified timeframe.

Official summary

This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to disinter the remains of Fernando V. Cota from Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, Texas, after notifying his next of kin. The VA must relinquish the remains to the next of kin or, if no next of kin responds to the notification, arrange for the disposition of the remains. Cota was interred prior to the enactment of regulations that would have barred his interment due to a 1975 rape conviction.

Latest action

Dec 18, 2025: Became Public Law No: 119-60.

Committee: Senate Armed Services