Veterans’ Cremation Certainty Act of 2025

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5931 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 5931

   To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of 
 Veterans Affairs to provide direct payment to cremation providers for 
 direct cremation designated by veterans prior to death, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            November 7, 2025

Mr. Biggs of Arizona introduced the following bill; which was referred 
                 to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of 
 Veterans Affairs to provide direct payment to cremation providers for 
 direct cremation designated by veterans prior to death, 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 ``Veterans' Cremation Certainty Act of 
2025''.

SEC. 2. DIRECT PAYMENT FOR DIRECT CREMATION.

    (a) Direct Payment for Direct Cremation.--Chapter 23 of title 38, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new 
section:
``Sec. 2309. Direct payment for direct cremation
    ``(a) Direct Payment.--Upon the death of an eligible veteran who 
has submitted an application described in subsection (b), the Secretary 
shall pay the direct cremation provider specified in such application 
the following applicable payment for the cost of direct cremation:
            ``(1) For a veteran described in section 2303(a)(2) of this 
        title, such payment shall not exceed the amount authorized 
        under such section and shall be in lieu of any benefit 
        authorized under section 2302 of this title.
            ``(2) For a veteran described in section 2307 of this 
        title, such payment shall not exceed the amount authorized 
        under section 2307 of this title and shall be in lieu of any 
        benefit authorized under section 2307 of this title.
    ``(b) Application.--An application described in this section is an 
application to the Secretary in which an eligible veteran elects direct 
cremation in lieu of benefits under section 2303 or 2307 of this title 
and specifies a direct cremation provider.
    ``(c) Integration With Pre-Need Eligibility Process.--To the extent 
practicable, the Secretary shall ensure the application process under 
subsection (b) is integrated with the pre-need eligibility 
determination process (or successor process) pursuant to section 2404 
of this title.
    ``(d) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) The term `direct cremation provider' means a 
        crematory or funeral home that provides direct cremation.
            ``(2) The term `direct cremation' means the basic cremation 
        of human remains in a simple container without embalming, 
        viewing, funeral ceremony, or inurnment. Such term includes--
                    ``(A) transportation of the deceased from the place 
                of death to the direct cremation provider;
                    ``(B) a basic container or chosen urn;
                    ``(C) delivery of the cremated remains to the next 
                of kin or location of inurnment; and
                    ``(D) completion of a death certificate.
            ``(3) The term `eligible veteran' means a veteran eligible 
        for benefits under this chapter and for interment in a national 
        cemetery under section 2402 of this title.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents for chapter 23 of 
such title is amended by adding at the end the following new item:

``2309. Direct payment for direct cremation.''.
    (c) Regulations.--Not later than 120 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
prescribe regulations under section 2309 of such title, as added by 
this section.
    (d) Application.--Section 2309 of such title, as added by this 
section, shall apply with respect to deaths that occur on or after the 
day that is 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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