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Department of Veterans Affairs provision of additional burial benefits when an urn or commemorative plaque is furnished

Title V: Memorial Affairs

Plain-language summaryAI

If the Department of Veterans Affairs provides an urn or commemorative plaque for a deceased individual, it generally will not also provide a headstone, marker, or burial benefit for that individual unless certain conditions are met. These conditions include requesting a shared headstone or marker at the same time as another eligible individual or interring the individual in the same gravesite and at the same time as another eligible veteran. This rule applies to individuals who died on or after January 5, 2021.

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Section Text · Sec. 502.
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(a) In general

Paragraph (2) of section 2306(h) of title 38, United States Code, is amended to read as follows:

(2)

If the Secretary furnishes an urn or commemorative plaque for an individual under paragraph (1), the Secretary may not provide for such individual a headstone or marker under this section, or any interment benefit under section 2402 of this title, unless—

(A)

in the case of a request for a headstone or marker under this section—

(i)

such request is made at the same time as a request for placement of a headstone or marker for another individual who is eligible to have such a headstone or marker placed in a national cemetery, a veterans’ cemetery in receipt of a grant made under section 2408 of this title, or a post cemetery; and

(ii)

the Secretary furnishes one headstone or marker inscribed for both individuals; or

(B)

in the case of a request for interment, the individual is interred at the same time and in the same gravesite as the interment of another individual eligible for interment in a national cemetery under section 2402(a) of this title.

(b) Applicability

The amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to an individual who dies on or after January 5, 2021.