Locating Our Unclaimed Veterans Act

Central VA database for unclaimed veterans

If enacted, the bill would require the Department of Veterans Affairs, through the Under Secretary for Benefits, to create a centralized system to store information about unclaimed human remains suspected to be veterans. The system would include records sent from coroners, State governments, and funeral homes. For remains the VA holds, the system would record name and fingerprints if available, estimated age at death if determinable, and other identifiers the VA needs. The VA would use memoranda of understanding in effect at enactment to request relevant records from the Social Security Administration, the FBI, and the Department of Defense. The VA could enter into or modify memoranda of understanding as needed and would consider NamUs information when asking the FBI. This authority would begin on enactment and would expire at the end of the third fiscal year after enactment. The VA would report to the House and Senate Veterans' Affairs Committees not later than one year after enactment and annually for three years, summarizing system implementation, outreach, and the number of unclaimed veteran remains identified.