King, Risch Seek to Correct Veteran Burial Benefits Disparity Through Bipartisan Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME), member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, and Jim Risch (R-ID) are introducing bipartisan legislation to correct a disparity in funeral and burial benefits for veterans who die from service-connected injuries when compared to non-service related causes. The Veteran Burial Benefit Correction Act would make sure that veterans who pass away due to service-related causes get the recognition they deserve for the sacrifices they made by receiving higher burial benefits compared to non-service-related deaths.

In 2020, Congress passed legislation that increased burial benefits for non-service-connected deaths and tied them to inflation. As a result, the benefit amount for non-service-connected deaths now exceeds that for service-connected deaths, which is capped at $2,000. The Veteran Burial Benefit Correction Act corrects this imbalance by increasing service-connected benefits from $2,000 to $3,000 and tying them to the same inflation adjustment as the non-service-connected benefit.

"Veterans who die as a result of their service to our nation deserve to be honored appropriately, and their families deserve our full support," said Senator King. "Our Veteran Burial Benefit Correction Act corrects an unintended disparity between service and non-service related deaths to even out the burial benefits for these veterans who served our country. On behalf of a grateful nation, it is the least we can do for these families."

"Our nation's veterans answered the call to serve and made unimaginable sacrifices for our freedoms," said Senator Risch. "My Veteran Burial Benefit Correction Act ensures our veterans who are injured or wounded during their service are laid to rest with honor and dignity."

Representing one of the states with the highest rates of military families and veterans per capita, Senator King is a staunch advocate for America's servicemembers and veterans. In March, Senator King was honored by The American Legion with its 2026 Distinguished Public Service Award. Last year, Senator King was honored by the Disabled American Veterans as its 2025 Legislator of the Year. He was also recognized by the Wounded Warrior Project as the 2024 Legislator of the Year for his "outstanding legislative effort and achievement to improve the lives of the wounded, ill, and injured veterans." On the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee (SVAC), he works to ensure American veterans receive their earned benefits and that the VA is properly implementing various programs. Earlier this year, he introduced the TAP Promotion Act which would allow accredited representatives from Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs), or other organizations, to participate in TAP classes to help transitioning servicemembers file Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD) claims. Additionally, he introduced the Ensuring Benefits for Disabled Veterans Act, which would address an unfair rule in federal law that creates unnecessary delays when veterans with service-connected disabilities attempt to access earned education and employment benefits.

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