This bill makes it easier for veterans and their families to receive full burial honors. It says that getting an urn or a commemorative plaque from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) no longer blocks someone from also receiving a headstone, grave marker, or other VA burial benefits, like burial in a national cemetery. Today, choosing an urn or plaque usually means you can’t get those other benefits; this bill would end that either/or rule. It updates VA law to allow these benefits together and applies to people who pass away on or after January 5, 2021.

Key points:

• Who is affected: Veterans and eligible family members using VA burial benefits.
• What changes: You can receive an urn or plaque and still get a headstone, marker, and other burial benefits, including interment at a national cemetery.
• When it applies: For individuals who die on or after January 5, 2021.