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Congressional ____
SResearch Service
Presidential State Funerals: Past Practices and
Current Considerations
January 6, 2025
On December 29, 2024, former President James Earl Jimmy Carter, Jr. died. In the tradition of past
presidential deaths, President Carter will receive a state funeral (designated as aNational Special Security
Event [NSSE]), which includes several ceremonial events in Washington, DC, prior to his burial in Plains,
GA. The state funeral process is carried out by the Joint Task Force-National Capital Region, a division of
the Military District of Washington (JTF-MDW). The official schedule for President Carter's state funeral
is available from MDW's website.
Presidential State Funerals
A state funeral is a national tribute which is traditionally reserved for a head of state and is conducted
on behalf of all persons who hold, or have held, the office of president. Including President Carter, 11
Presidents have been honored with a state funeral. Prior to President Carter's death, the last state funeral
occurred for President George H. W. Bush.
State funerals are traditionally initiated by a presidential proclamation to announce the former President's
death, authorize the JTF-MDW to begin the state funeral process, order flags to fly at half-staff, and
declare a National Day of Mourning. For President Carter's state funeral, President Joseph Biden issued a
proclamation on December 29, 2024. The National Day of Mourning for President Carter will be held on
January 9, 2025.
A state funeral often includes three traditional elements:
* military honors (e.g., a military escort, a guard of honor, Armed Forces body bearers to
carry the casket, military clergy assistance, a flag-draped casket, a military flyover with
the missing man formation, a caisson to carry the President's casket, a caparisoned
[riderless] horse, a 21-gun salute, firing ofthree volleys over the former President's
grave, and military musical honors);
* lying in state in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda (see Use of the U.S. Capitol Rotunda below).
Not including President Carter, a total of 12 Presidents have lain in state in the U.S.
Capitol Rotunda-Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley, Harding, Taft, Kennedy, Hoover,
Congressional Research Service
https://crsreports.congress.gov
IN12479
CRS INSIGHT
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