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Read. Follow. Verify.Gerald’s Law Act
Last action · April 27, 2023: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.Sponsor: John Boozman
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What This Bill Would Do
This bill expands eligibility for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) burial and funeral allowances. It specifically covers veterans who pass away at home or in other settings while receiving VA-furnished , provided that care followed specific hospital or nursing home treatment.
The bill ensures that families of veterans who die while receiving VA-authorized at home are eligible for the same burial and funeral financial allowances as those who die in a VA facility.
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Veterans
Veterans receiving VA-furnished hospice care at home may now qualify for burial and funeral allowances.
Department of Veterans Affairs
The agency is required to process burial and funeral allowance claims for the newly eligible group of veterans.
Key Facts
- The bill amends Section 2303(a)(2)(A) of title 38, United States Code.
- It adds a new category of eligibility for burial and funeral allowances for veterans who die at home or in other settings while receiving VA-furnished hospice care.
- Eligibility is contingent on the veteran having received VA-furnished hospital or nursing home care immediately preceding the hospice care.
- The provisions are retroactively effective as if they were included in the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020 (Public Law 116–315).
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible for the burial allowance under this bill?
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
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Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
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Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Retroactive Benefit Alignment
The bill uses a retroactive effective date to align with the 2020 Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act, suggesting a correction or expansion of intent from that previous legislation.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.congress.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance40How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy5Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz10Current news / social attention level
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