Gerald’s Law Reauthorization Act of 2026

Key Points

• This bill extends a program that helps pay for funeral and burial costs for veterans who pass away at home. Usually, these benefits are easier to get if a veteran dies in a government hospital, but this law makes sure families are covered if the veteran was receiving hospice care at home through the Department of Veterans Affairs.
• The goal is to support veterans who want to spend their final days in the comfort of their own homes rather than in a medical facility. It ensures that choosing to stay at home with loved ones does not result in a financial penalty for the veteran's family after they pass away.
• This specific update would keep the program running until the year 2030. Without this change, the current rules allowing these at-home benefits are set to expire in 2026.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.