Gerald’s Law Act

Gerald's Law Act

This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide a burial and funeral allowance for a veteran who dies in a home or other setting at which the veteran was receiving VA hospice care (if such care was directly preceded by VA hospital or nursing home care).

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 234 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 234

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide a burial allowance 
 for certain veterans who die at home while in receipt of hospice care 
            furnished by the Department of Veterans Affairs.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 10, 2023

 Mr. Bergman (for himself, Mr. Allred, Mrs. Miller-Meeks, Mr. Ellzey, 
   Ms. Houlahan, Mr. Baird, Mr. Bacon, and Mr. Mast) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide a burial allowance 
 for certain veterans who die at home while in receipt of hospice care 
            furnished by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

    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 ``Gerald's Law Act''.

SEC. 2. BURIAL ALLOWANCE FOR CERTAIN VETERANS WHO DIE AT HOME WHILE IN 
              RECEIPT OF HOSPICE CARE FURNISHED BY DEPARTMENT OF 
              VETERANS AFFAIRS.

    (a) In General.--Subsection (a)(2)(A) of section 2303 of title 38, 
United States Code, as amended by section 2202 of the Johnny Isakson 
and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement 
Act of 2020 (Public Law 116-315; 134 Stat. 4984), is further amended--
            (1) in clause (i), by striking ``; or'' and inserting a 
        semicolon;
            (2) in clause (ii)--
                    (A) in subclause (II), by striking ``; or'' and 
                inserting a semicolon; and
                    (B) in subclause (III), by striking the period at 
                the end and inserting ``; or''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new clause:
                    ``(iii) a home or other setting at which the 
                deceased veteran was, at the time of death, receiving 
                hospice care pursuant to section 1717(a) of this title 
                if such care was directly preceded by the Secretary 
                furnishing to the veteran hospital care or nursing home 
                care as described in subclauses (I), (II), or (III) of 
                clause (ii).''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall 
take effect as if included in the enactment of the Johnny Isakson and 
David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 
2020 (Public Law 116-315).
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