Berkley tries again to hike VA burial benefits

WASHINGTON - A bid to increase funeral and burial benefits for military veterans has been revived in Congress.

Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., reintroduced a bill that would double to $4,000 the burial allowance for veterans who die because of service-connected injuries.

For veterans whose deaths are not service-related, the allowance would increase $3,000 from $300.

The bill would restore an allowance that was curtailed in 1990 that partially reimburses families that prefer to buy their own headstone for placement in a private cemetery.

"Paying for the burial expenses of veterans is a growing concern for many families and state veterans cemeteries," Berkley said in a letter seeking House co-sponsors.

"The burial benefits provided to our nation's veterans by the Department of Veterans Affairs have seriously eroded due to inflation, leaving states and families to supplement the cost," she said.

Berkley, who is running for the U.S. Senate, has proposed similar bills since 2005. In 2010, Congress increased burial reimbursement from $300 to $700 for a category of veterans who died while under the care of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Berkley introduced the latest bill on May 18, before the House went home for a weeklong Memorial Day recess.

Contact Stephens Washington Bureau Chief Steve Tetreault at stetreault@stephensmedia.com or
202-783-1760. Follow him on Twitter @STetreaultDC.