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HR 9055

Veteran Burial Benefit Correction Act

119th Congress Introduced by Brad Finstad and 1 co-sponsor

Raises the base VA burial/funeral payment from $2,000 to $3,000 and adds automatic annual CPI-based increases to keep payments aligned with costs.

Introduced in House
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HR 9055

Overview

  • Bill: H.R. 9055
  • Session: 119th Congress
  • Introduced: May 29, 2026
  • Primary sponsors: Rep. Brad Finstad (with Rep. Kelly Morrison)
  • Purpose: Amend title 38 United States Code to increase burial and funeral expenses covered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) for deaths from service-connected disabilities, and authorize annual inflation-based increases.

What the bill would do

  • Increase base burial/funeral expense payment:
    • Current reference: Section 2307(a)(1) of title 38 (as cited in the bill) sets a base payment amount.
    • The bill increases the base amount from $2,000 to $3,000, with the revised amount being “$3,000 (as increased from time to time under subsection (b)).”
  • Inflation adjustment (automatic annual increase):
    • Adds a new subsection (b) to §2307 that requires the VA to provide a percentage increase to burial/funeral expenses each fiscal year.
    • The adjustment is tied to the Consumer Price Index (CPI):
    • The increase for a given fiscal year must equal the percentage by which:
      • CPI for the 12-month period ending June 30 before the fiscal year begins, exceeds
      • CPI for the 12-month period preceding that 12-month period.
    • The increase is rounded to the nearest dollar.

Key provisions and changes

  • Section 2307(a)(1) would be amended to:
    • Insert a subsection label and reflect the higher base amount of $3,000 (instead of $2,000).
  • New Section 2307(b) would establish:
    • An automatic, annual CPI-based percentage increase.
    • Calculation method: year-over-year CPI difference (June 30 prior year vs. prior 12-month period) determines the percent increase.
    • The resulting increase is applied to the base amount (and presumably to future years as the base is “as increased from time to time under subsection (b)”).
  • The overall effect is to:
    • Provide a higher initial burial benefit for deaths from service-connected disability.
    • Ensure ongoing, inflation-adjusted increases to reflect rising funeral costs.

Who/what is affected

  • Beneficiaries: Veterans or eligible individuals whose death is due to a service-connected disability, for whom the VA pays burial and funeral expenses.
  • VA program: Burial/funeral expense benefit program under title 38 (Section 2307).

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs (as of May 29, 2026).
  • Effective date: The bill does not specify an immediate effective date beyond the new statutory framework; the CPI-based adjustment operates on a fiscal-year basis once enacted.
  • Implementation: Requires VA to administer the increased base payment and apply annual CPI-based adjustments for each fiscal year.

Summary of impact

  • Financial impact for beneficiaries:
    • Increases the base burial/funeral payment from $2,000 to $3,000.
    • Adds a mechanism for automatic annual increases aligned with CPI to keep payments in line with cost changes.
  • Administrative impact:
    • Requires VA to compute and apply annual CPI-based adjustments and to maintain the updated base amount for future years.

Note: This summary reflects the text and intent as provided. If enacted, exact implementation details would be governed by the final statutory language and VA regulations.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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