Veterans’ Burial Improvement Act of 2025
Sponsored By: Representative Rep. Pappas, Chris [D-NH-1]
In Committee
Summary
Would permanentize and broaden VA burial benefits and transportation support for veterans and certain family members. It would remove time limits on some headstone and interment authorities, expand who can qualify, set a base transport allowance, and allow group markers for some multi‑burial sites.
Show full summary
- Families and eligibility: Would remove the deadline that limited headstones and interment for spouses and dependent children who predecease active‑duty members and would add veterans discharged under conditions other than dishonorable who fail minimum active‑duty service rules to the list of those eligible in cemeteries that accept the VA plot allowance. This change also extends eligibility to those veterans' spouses and dependent children.
- Transportation and costs: Would create a $745 initial transportation allowance to move a deceased veteran to a covered veterans' cemetery and index that amount to CPI. The VA could pay actual transport costs beyond the allowance up to the amount needed to reach the nearest national cemetery with space and would pay transport from a covered facility under defined limits.
- Memorialization rules: Would allow the VA to furnish group headstones or markers at locations with multiple eligible burials under Secretary rules. The measure limits replacement individual markers at those sites and requires coordination with property owners and preservation rules.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
More help for burial and transport
If enacted, families of eligible deceased veterans would get a $745 transportation allowance to move a body to a veterans' cemetery. The VA would pay actual transport costs when a veteran dies in a covered facility. If a veteran dies outside a State facility and transport costs exceed the allowance, the VA would pay an extra amount up to a statutory cap tied to the nearest national cemetery with space. The VA would also pay burial and funeral costs up to $700, subject to annual CPI increases. The bill would define who counts as a covered deceased veteran, covered facility, and covered veterans' cemetery.
More veterans eligible for burial
If enacted, veterans discharged under conditions other than dishonorable who would otherwise qualify but lack the minimum active-duty service could be buried in a national cemetery. The spouses and dependent children of those veterans would also become eligible for burial or interment. This change would take effect when the bill is enacted.
New rules for headstones and markers
If enacted, the VA would be able to place one group headstone where several eligible people are buried instead of multiple individual markers. If a group marker is used, the VA generally would not provide new individual markers at that location. The bill would remove temporary date limits so certain headstone and interment authorities become permanent. The bill would also add a new rule that bars some parents from receiving individual markers for certain deceased veterans.
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Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Rep. Pappas, Chris [D-NH-1]
NH • D
Cosponsors
Del. Moylan, James C. [R-GU-At Large]
GU • R
Sponsored 12/17/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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