Veteran Burial Benefit Correction Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 9055
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Armed Forces and National Security
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-05-29: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- Last Updated
- 2026-06-08T17:59:17Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose This legislation aims to raise the amount of burial and funeral expenses reimbursed by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) when a veteran dies from a service-connected disability.
Key Provisions
- The bill is titled the Veteran Burial Benefit Correction Act.
- It amends Section 2307 of title 38, United States Code.
- The payment amount increases from $2,000 to $3,000.
- The $3,000 figure is subject to annual adjustments based on changes in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for all items in U.S. cities.
- The adjustment formula compares the CPI for the 12-month period ending June 30 before the fiscal year with the prior 12-month period, then rounds the increase to the nearest dollar.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Current law sets a fixed $2,000 payment for these expenses.
- The bill replaces the fixed amount with an initial $3,000 level and adds an automatic annual inflation adjustment mechanism tied to the CPI.
- It restructures the section by adding subsections to separate the base payment from the adjustment process.
Potential Impacts
- Government agencies: The VA would pay higher amounts per qualifying death, potentially increasing overall program costs.
- Citizens: Families of eligible veterans would receive larger reimbursements for burial and funeral expenses.
- International relations: No direct effects identified in the bill.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Veterans who die from service-connected disabilities and their surviving family members.
- The Department of Veterans Affairs, which administers the payments.
- Congress, as the body responsible for funding and oversight.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- The bill expands an existing veterans' benefit without altering eligibility rules or creating new constitutional issues.
- It introduces indexing to inflation, which may affect future federal spending levels but remains within Congress's authority to adjust veterans' benefits.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (1)
Recent Actions
- 2026-05-29: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- 2026-05-29: Introduced in House
- 2026-05-29: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Veteran Burial Benefit Correction Act — issued 2026-05-29 — PDF (2 pages)