H.R. 4398 — Veteran Burial Timeliness and Death Certificate Accountability Act

This section states congressional findings that (1) states and counties have reported significant delays in signing death certificates for veterans dying from natural causes; (2) such delays—caused by refusal or postponement by Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) physicians—have lasted up to eight weeks in some cases; and (3) such delays prevent timely burial of deceased veterans and access to survivor benefits.

This section requires a physician or nurse practitioner employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) who serves as the primary care provider for a veteran dying of natural causes to certify the death within 48 hours of learning of it, or, if unable to comply, allows a coroner or medical examiner in the relevant jurisdiction to certify the death. It further requires the VA Secretary, beginning one year after enactment and annually thereafter, to report to the Senate and House Committees on Veterans’ Affairs on compliance for the prior year, including (1) the percentage of cases in which VA physicians or nurse practitioners complied, (2) the number of cases in which they could not comply, and (3) the most common reasons for non-compliance.