Plain English summary not yet available
The full original text is available below. Check back soon as we process this bill.
II
116TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
S. 554
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to take actions necessary to
ensure that certain individuals may update the burn pit registry with
the cause of death of a registered individual, and for other purposes.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
FEBRUARY 26, 2019
Mr. UDALL (for himself and Mr. SULLIVAN) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to take actions
necessary to ensure that certain individuals may update
the burn pit registry with the cause of death of a reg-
istered individual, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Burn Pit Registry En-
4
hancement Act’’.
5
VerDate Sep 11 2014
04:16 Mar 01, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\S554.IS
S554
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
2
•S 554 IS
SEC. 2. UPDATES OF BURN PIT REGISTRY ESTABLISHED
1
AND MAINTAINED BY DEPARTMENT OF VET-
2
ERANS AFFAIRS.
3
(a) INDIVIDUALS ELIGIBLE TO UPDATE.—
4
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days
5
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
6
retary of Veterans Affairs shall take actions nec-
7
essary to ensure that the burn pit registry may be
8
updated with the cause of death of a deceased reg-
9
istered individual by—
10
(A) an individual designated by such de-
11
ceased registered individual; or
12
(B) if no such individual is designated, an
13
immediate family member of such deceased reg-
14
istered individual.
15
(2) DESIGNATION.—The Secretary shall pro-
16
vide, with respect to the burn pit registry, a process
17
by which a registered individual may make a des-
18
ignation for purposes of paragraph (1)(A).
19
(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
20
(1) The term ‘‘burn pit registry’’ means the
21
registry established under section 201 of the Dig-
22
nified Burial and Other Veterans’ Benefits Improve-
23
ment Act of 2012 (Public Law 112–260; 38 U.S.C.
24
527 note).
25
VerDate Sep 11 2014
04:16 Mar 01, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\S554.IS
S554
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
3
•S 554 IS
(2) The term ‘‘immediate family member’’, with
1
respect to a deceased individual, means—
2
(A) the spouse, parent, brother, sister, or
3
adult child of the individual;
4
(B) an adult person to whom the indi-
5
vidual stands in loco parentis; or
6
(C) any other adult person—
7
(i) living in the household of the indi-
8
vidual at the time of the death of the indi-
9
vidual; and
10
(ii) related to the individual by blood
11
or marriage.
12
(3) The term ‘‘registered individual’’ means an
13
individual registered with the burn pit registry.
14
Æ
VerDate Sep 11 2014
04:16 Mar 01, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\S554.IS
S554
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS