Ensuring Survivors Benefits during COVID–19 Act of 2020

II 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION S. 4166 To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to secure medical opinions for veterans with service-connected disabilities who die from COVID– 19 to determine whether their service-connected disabilities were the principal or contributory cases of death, and for other purposes. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES JULY 2, 2020 Ms. SINEMA (for herself and Mr. TILLIS) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs A BILL To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to secure med- ical opinions for veterans with service-connected disabil- ities who die from COVID–19 to determine whether their service-connected disabilities were the principal or con- tributory cases of death, 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 ‘‘Ensuring Survivors 4 Benefits during COVID–19 Act of 2020’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:42 Jul 12, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4166.IS S4166 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 2 •S 4166 IS SEC. 2. MEDICAL OPINIONS FOR CERTAIN VETERANS WITH 1 SERVICE-CONNECTED DISABILITIES WHO DIE 2 OF COVID–19. 3 In any case in which a veteran with a service-con- 4 nected disability dies from Coronavirus Disease 2019 5 (COVID–19), or complications caused by such disease, 6 and the death certificate of the veteran does not clearly 7 identify the service-connected disability as the principal or 8 contributory cause of death, the Secretary of Veterans Af- 9 fairs shall secure a medical opinion to determine if the 10 service-connected disability was the principal or contribu- 11 tory cause of death. 12 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:42 Jul 12, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\S4166.IS S4166 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS