Dignified Burial of Veterans Act of 2012 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to furnish a casket or urn of sufficient quality for a dignified burial for the burial in a national cemetery of a deceased veteran with no next of kin, or other person claiming the body of the deceased veteran, and who is without sufficient resources to cover burial and funeral expense. Prohibits the furnishing of such casket or urn in the case of a veteran convicted of a federal or state capital crime.
Requires the Secretary, in the case of a deceased veteran with no next of kin and without sufficient resources to cover funeral and burial expenses, to ensure that the entity responsible for transporting the body to a national cemetery for burial notifies the VA as to whether such veteran was cremated and steps taken to ensure that such veteran has no next of kin.
Directs the Secretary to report to the congressional veterans committees on VA compliance with industry standards for caskets and urns.
[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6073 Introduced in House (IH)]
112th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6073
To amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure that deceased veterans
with no known next of kin can receive a dignified burial, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 29, 2012
Mr. Bilirakis (for himself, Mr. Miller of Florida, Mr. Nugent, Mr.
Young of Florida, Mr. Mack, Mr. Ross of Florida, and Ms. Castor of
Florida) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure that deceased veterans
with no known next of kin can receive a dignified burial, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Dignified Burial of Veterans Act of
2012''.
SEC. 2. FURNISHING CASKETS AND URNS FOR DECEASED VETERANS WITH NO KNOWN
NEXT OF KIN.
(a) In General.--Section 2306 of title 38, United States Code, is
amended--
(1) by redesignating subsections (f) and (g) as subsections
(g) and (h), respectively;
(2) by inserting after subsection (e) the following new
subsection (f):
``(f) The Secretary shall furnish a casket or urn, of such quality
as the Secretary considers appropriate for a dignified burial, for
burial in a national cemetery of a deceased veteran described in
section 2414(b) of this title.''; and
(3) in subsection (h), as redesignated by paragraph (1), by
adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(4) A casket or urn may not be furnished under subsection
(f) for burial of a person described in section 2411(b) of this
title.''.
(b) Effective Date.--Subsections (f) and (h)(4) of section 2306 of
title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), shall take
effect on the date of the enactment of this Act and shall apply with
respect to deaths occurring on or after such date.
SEC. 3. IMPROVED COMMUNICATION BETWEEN DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
AND MEDICAL EXAMINERS AND FUNERAL DIRECTORS.
(a) In General.--Chapter 24 of title 38, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 2414. Communication between Department of Veterans Affairs and
medical examiners and funeral directors
``(a) Required Information.--With respect to each deceased veteran
described in subsection (b) who is transported to a national cemetery
for burial, the Secretary shall ensure that the local medical examiner,
funeral director, county service group, or other entity responsible for
the body of the deceased veteran before such transportation submits to
the Secretary the following information:
``(1) Whether the deceased veteran was cremated.
``(2) The steps taken to ensure that the deceased veteran
has no next of kin.
``(b) Deceased Veteran Described.--A deceased veteran described in
this subsection is a deceased veteran whom the Secretary determines--
``(1) that there is no next of kin or other person claiming
the body of the deceased veteran; and
``(2) does not have sufficient resources to cover burial
and funeral expenses.
``(c) Determination of Sufficient Resources.--If the Secretary is
unable to make a reasonable determination of the amount of the
resources of a deceased veteran under subsection (b)(2), the Secretary
shall deem such resources to be an amount that is not sufficient to
cover burial and funeral expenses.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of
such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section
2413 the following new item:
``2414. Communication between Department of Veterans Affairs and
medical examiners and funeral directors.''.
(c) Effective Date.--Section 2414 of title 38, United States Code,
as added by subsection (a), shall take effect on the date of the
enactment of this Act and shall apply with respect to deaths occurring
on or after the date that is 180 days after the date of the enactment
of this Act.
SEC. 4. REPORT ON COMPLIANCE OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS WITH
INDUSTRY STANDARDS FOR CASKETS AND URNS.
(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit
to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the Committee
on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives a report on the
compliance of the Department of Veterans Affairs with industry
standards for caskets and urns.
(b) Elements.--The report required by subsection (a) shall include
the following:
(1) A description of industry standards for caskets and
urns.
(2) An assessment of compliance with such standards at
National Cemeteries administered by the Department with respect
to caskets and urns used for the interment of those eligible
for burial at such cemeteries.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
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