Navigation Bill Introduced in Senate to Restore Full VA Burial Benefits for Some Veterans
A bill introduced in the Senate on March 26, 2025 would allow Veterans to retain their full Department of Veterans Affairs benefit to be buried at a national cemetery even if they previously chose to get a plaque or urn for their remains.
This bill would correct the language in a bill passed in 2020 that intended to expand veterans’ death benefits by allowing them to get a commemorative plaque or urn from the VA to use if they are cremated and interred at a non-VA cemetery. However, this bill stated that the VA may not provide the Veterans with any burial benefit to be interred at a VA national cemetery if a plaque or urn is provided. The biggest issue with the 2020 bill is that a surviving spouse still has the right to be buried in a VA cemetery even if their Veteran husband or wife no longer does. So a Veteran who passes before their spouse, if they chose to be cremated and are provided with a plaque or an urn by the VA, could not then be buried with their spouse at a VA national cemetery.
The new bill introduced on March 26, 2025, would allow Veterans to receive the plaque or urn and then retain their benefit to be buried at a national cemetery with their spouse.
