Dignity for our Nation's Heroes Act

Dignity for our Nation's Heroes Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to cover the burial and funeral expenses of a deceased veteran: (1) who is homeless, has no next of kin or other person claiming the body, and does not have sufficient resources to cover such expenses; (2) whose service in the Armed Forces was not during wartime; and (3) who was either discharged under honorable conditions or died during a period deemed to be active service.

Prohibits any deduction from the burial allowance because of a veteran's assets or because of any contribution toward the burial and funeral expenses, unless the expenses incurred are covered by the United States, a state, an agency or political subdivision of the United States or a state, or the veteran's employer.

[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6042 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6042

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to expand burial benefits for 
                       certain homeless veterans.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 30, 2010

   Mr. Klein of Florida (for himself and Ms. Berkley) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 38, United States Code, to expand burial benefits for 
                       certain homeless veterans.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Dignity for our Nation's Heroes 
Act''.

SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF BURIAL BENEFITS FOR VETERANS.

    (a) Homeless Veterans.--
            (1) In general.--Chapter 23 of such title is amended by 
        inserting after section 2302 the following new section:
``Sec. 2302A. Funeral expenses for homeless veterans not serving during 
              wartime
    ``(a) Payment of Funeral Expenses.--The Secretary, in the 
Secretary's discretion, having due regard to the circumstances in each 
case, may pay a sum not exceeding the amount authorized under section 
2302(a) of this title to such person as the Secretary prescribes to 
cover the burial and funeral expenses of a deceased veteran described 
in subsection (b) and the expense of preparing the body and 
transporting it to the place of burial.
    ``(b) Homeless Veteran.--A deceased veteran described in this 
subsection is an individual--
            ``(1) whom the Secretary determines--
                    ``(A) is a homeless veteran (as defined in section 
                2002(1) of this title);
                    ``(B) has no next of kin or other person claiming 
                the body of the deceased veteran; and
                    ``(C) does not have available sufficient resources 
                to cover burial and funeral expenses;
            ``(2) whose service in the Armed Forces was not during 
        wartime; and
            ``(3) who was either--
                    ``(A) discharged from the active military, naval, 
                or air service under honorable conditions; or
                    ``(B) died during a period deemed to be active 
                military, naval, or air service under section 106(c) of 
                this title.
    ``(c) Deductions.--(1) Except as provided in this subsection, no 
deduction shall be made from the burial allowance because of the 
veteran's net assets at the time of the death of such veteran, or 
because of any contribution from any source toward the burial and 
funeral expenses (including transportation) unless the amount of 
expenses incurred is covered by the amount actually paid therefor by 
the United States, a State, any agency or political subdivision of the 
United States or of a State, or the employer of the deceased veteran.
    ``(2) No claim shall be allowed--
            ``(A) for more than the difference between the entire 
        amount of the expenses incurred and an amount paid by the 
        United States, a State, any agency or political subdivision of 
        the United States or of a State, or the employer of the 
        deceased veteran, as described in paragraph (1);
            ``(B) when the burial allowance would revert to the funds 
        of a public or private organization or would discharge such an 
        organization's obligation without payment; or
            ``(C) in any case where payment of expenses of funeral, 
        transportation, and interment for the veteran is made under any 
        other Act.''.
            (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the 
        beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the 
        item relating to section 2302 the following new item:

``2302A. Funeral expenses for homeless veterans not serving during 
                            wartime.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a)(1) shall 
apply to deaths occurring on or after the date of the enactment of this 
Act.
                                 <all>