I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5931 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs to provide direct payment to cremation providers for direct crema-
tion designated by veterans prior to death, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 7, 2025 
Mr. BIGGS of Arizona introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs to provide direct payment 
to cremation providers for direct cremation designated 
by veterans prior to death, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans’ Cremation 
Certainty Act of 2025’’. 
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SEC. 2. DIRECT PAYMENT FOR DIRECT CREMATION. 
(a) DIRECT PAYMENT FOR DIRECT CREMATION.— 
Chapter 23 of title 38, United States Code, is amended 
by adding at the end the following new section: 
‘‘§ 2309. Direct payment for direct cremation 
‘‘(a) DIRECT PAYMENT.—Upon the death of an eligi-
ble veteran who has submitted an application described in 
subsection (b), the Secretary shall pay the direct crema-
tion provider specified in such application the following 
applicable payment for the cost of direct cremation: 
‘‘(1) For a veteran described in section 
2303(a)(2) of this title, such payment shall not ex-
ceed the amount authorized under such section and 
shall be in lieu of any benefit authorized under sec-
tion 2302 of this title. 
‘‘(2) For a veteran described in section 2307 of 
this title, such payment shall not exceed the amount 
authorized under section 2307 of this title and shall 
be in lieu of any benefit authorized under section 
2307 of this title. 
‘‘(b) APPLICATION.—An application described in this 
section is an application to the Secretary in which an eligi-
ble veteran elects direct cremation in lieu of benefits under 
section 2303 or 2307 of this title and specifies a direct 
cremation provider. 
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‘‘(c) INTEGRATION WITH PRE-NEED ELIGIBILITY 
PROCESS.—To the extent practicable, the Secretary shall 
ensure the application process under subsection (b) is inte-
grated with the pre-need eligibility determination process 
(or successor process) pursuant to section 2404 of this 
title. 
‘‘(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) The term ‘direct cremation provider’ 
means a crematory or funeral home that provides di-
rect cremation. 
‘‘(2) The term ‘direct cremation’ means the 
basic cremation of human remains in a simple con-
tainer without embalming, viewing, funeral cere-
mony, or inurnment. Such term includes— 
‘‘(A) transportation of the deceased from 
the place of death to the direct cremation pro-
vider; 
‘‘(B) a basic container or chosen urn; 
‘‘(C) delivery of the cremated remains to 
the next of kin or location of inurnment; and 
‘‘(D) completion of a death certificate. 
‘‘(3) The term ‘eligible veteran’ means a vet-
eran eligible for benefits under this chapter and for 
interment in a national cemetery under section 2402 
of this title.’’. 
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(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 
for chapter 23 of such title is amended by adding at the 
end the following new item: 
‘‘2309. Direct payment for direct cremation.’’. 
(c) REGULATIONS.—Not later than 120 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs shall prescribe regulations under section 
2309 of such title, as added by this section. 
(d) APPLICATION.—Section 2309 of such title, as 
added by this section, shall apply with respect to deaths 
that occur on or after the day that is 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act. 
Æ 
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