Veteran Burial Timeliness and Death Certificate Accountability Act
The Veteran Burial Timeliness and Death Certificate Accountability Act would require a VA-employed physician or nurse practitioner who is the veteran’s primary care provider to certify the death of a veteran who dies of natural causes within 48 hours of learning about the death. If the VA clinician cannot meet this deadline, a local coroner or medical examiner may certify the death. The bill also establishes an ongoing reporting requirement: one year after enactment and every year thereafter, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs must report to Congress on compliance with the 48-hour deadline, including the share of cases meeting the requirement, the number of non-compliant cases, and the most common reasons for non-compliance. The findings emphasize delays in death certificate signing and their impact on timely burial and survivor benefits.
Key Points
- 148-hour certification deadline: A VA physician or nurse practitioner who is the primary care provider for a veteran who dies of natural causes must certify the death within 48 hours of learning of the death.
- 2Role of coroner/ME as fallback: If the VA clinician cannot certify within 48 hours, the local coroner or medical examiner may certify the death.
- 3Annual compliance reporting: Starting one year after enactment, and every year thereafter, the VA Secretary must report to the Senate and House Veterans’ Affairs Committees on compliance with the 48-hour requirement.
- 4Report content: The annual report must include the percentage of cases compliant, the number of non-compliant cases, and the most common reasons for non-compliance.
- 5Legislative purpose and name: The act is intended to improve burial timeliness and death certificate accountability for veterans and is titled the Veteran Burial Timeliness and Death Certificate Accountability Act.