U.S. House passes burial benefits bill inspired by Michigan veteran

Ahead of Memorial Day, the U.S. House last week approved a bill inspired by a Michigan veteran that would extend eligibility for burial benefits to terminally ill veterans who die at home, outside a Veterans Affairs hospital or facility.

Currently, the Department of Veterans Affairs covers roughly $900 toward burial and funeral expenses only if the veteran is hospitalized at a VA facility or nursing home at the time of death.

The bill, sponsored by Reps. Jack Bergman, R-Watersmeet, and Colin Allred, D-Texas, passed the House 409-9 as part of a package of veterans-related legislation. It was initially named "Gerald's Law" for Gerald "Jerry" Elliott of Kingsford, who died on Aug. 11, 2019 at age 86.