HR-4983-116
Became Public Law No: 116-295.
Sponsored by Andy Biggs (R-AZ)
What it does
This bill gives an official honorary name to an existing Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic located at 3285 South Val Vista Drive in Gilbert, Arizona. The clinic would be formally designated the "Staff Sergeant Alexander W. Conrad Veterans Affairs Health Care Clinic." The bill makes no changes to the clinic's operations, staffing, funding, or services.
Who benefits
The family, friends, and fellow service members of Staff Sergeant Alexander W. Conrad, who receive a lasting public tribute to his service and sacrifice. Veterans and community members in Gilbert, Arizona who use the clinic may feel a stronger sense of connection to the facility. Broadly, veterans who value public recognition of military service benefit symbolically.
Who is hurt
No group is directly or materially harmed by this bill. There are no funding changes, service reductions, or policy shifts. Taxpayers bear a minimal administrative cost for updating signage and official records, though this cost is not quantified in the bill.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue that naming the clinic after Staff Sergeant Conrad is a meaningful and appropriate way for Congress to honor a service member who sacrificed for the country. They contend that attaching a fallen or distinguished veteran's name to a VA facility creates a lasting, visible tribute that acknowledges military service within the very institution built to care for veterans. Supporters also note that such designations cost taxpayers virtually nothing while delivering significant symbolic value to a veteran's family and community, and that Congress has a long tradition of using naming legislation to recognize individuals of local and national importance.
Opponents argue
Opponents argue that while honoring veterans is a worthy goal, Congress devotes limited floor time and legislative resources to purely symbolic naming bills that have no substantive policy effect. They contend that the same recognition could be achieved through non-legislative means — such as administrative designation by the VA — freeing congressional time for more pressing veterans' issues like wait times, mental health funding, and benefits backlogs. Some critics also argue that the proliferation of individual naming bills sets no consistent standard for which service members are honored, raising questions of fairness to the many veterans who are not similarly recognized.