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Advocacy Alert: Two Major Developments in NFDA-supported Legislation

When NFDA Speaks, Congress listens.

The U.S. House of Representatives is set to vote on the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act (S. 4744/H.R. 9237), which includes key provisions on which NFDA Senior Vice President of Advocacy Lesley Witter previously testified and submitted public comments; NFDA members also advocated on these provisions during the recent Advocacy Summit.

During the Summit, funeral service professionals from across the country traveled to Washington, D.C., and met with lawmakers on a wide range of issues including legislation to ensure veterans and their spouses can be laid to rest together in a national cemetery and legislation to reduce delays in the certification of veterans’ deaths.

The inclusion of these two bills in the larger Take Care of America’s Veterans package is a testament to the advocacy efforts of NFDA members and the respect Congress has for the expertise funeral service professionals bring to discussions about veterans’ funeral and burial benefits.

A vote in the House is expected this week. Following that, the full Senate will vote on the bill. After that, the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act will go to President Donald Trump to be signed into law.

For decades, NFDA has worked to improve veterans’ funeral, burial and memorial benefits, helping ensure veterans receive the honors they earned and families can access those benefits when they need them most. Funeral directors work with veterans and their loved ones every day, helping them navigate military honors, burial benefits, veterans cemeteries and memorialization options. As a result, lawmakers regularly turn to NFDA for practical insight into how these programs work and where improvements are needed.

NFDA Testifies on Additional Veterans Legislation This Week

This week, on Thursday, June 25, NFDA Senior Vice President of Advocacy Lesley Witter will testify before the U.S. House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs. NFDA was the only national funeral service association invited to provide testimony, continuing the association’s longstanding role as a trusted resource on veterans’ funeral, burial and memorial benefits.

During the hearing, Witter will express NFDA’s support for:

You can watch Witter’s testimony during the subcommittee hearing, which begins at 2:15 p.m. ET on June 25 here: Veterans.House.gov/Calendar/Eventsingle.aspx?EventID=7930.

Take Action Today

The inclusion of NFDA-supported provisions in the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act demonstrates the impact of NFDA’s advocacy efforts and the power of your voice. We need your help to galvanize support for passage.

Step 1: Find Contact Information For Your Congressional Representatives           

We encourage you to call or send an email to your members of Congress. Use the following link to find contact information for your representatives and senators:

Step 2: Call or Send a Message

We’ve done the hard work for you! Below is a message you can send to your members of Congress. This message can also serve as a guide for a phone conversation. Personal stories can be especially powerful, so consider sharing an example from your own experience serving veterans and their families.

Subject: Please Support the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act (S. 4744/H.R. 9237)

Dear Senator/Representative [Last Name]:

As your constituent and a funeral director, I urge you to support passage of the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act (S. 4744/H.R. 9237).

Every day, funeral directors have the privilege of helping veterans and their families at one of the most difficult times in their lives. We help families secure military honors, navigate veterans’ benefits and ensure those who served our nation are remembered with dignity and respect.

The legislation includes two important provisions that will make a meaningful difference for veteran families.

Section 502 of the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act incorporates the Ensuring Veterans’ Final Resting Place Act (S. 1116/H.R. 647), which helps ensure veterans and their spouses can be laid to rest together in a national cemetery as intended.

Section 313 of the bill incorporates the Veteran Burial Timeliness and Death Certificate Accountability Act (S. 2309/H.R. 4398) and helps reduce delays that can postpone funeral arrangements and prevent families from accessing benefits and other important resources during an already difficult time.

These are not partisan issues. They are practical improvements that honor service, support families and help fulfill the promises our nation has made to those who wore the uniform.

I respectfully ask you to support the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act and help move this important legislation forward.

Thank you for your service to our community and for your support of America’s veterans.

Sincerely,

[Name]

[Funeral Home]

[City, State]

Thank You

From advocating for improvements to veterans’ funeral and burial benefits to ensuring no veteran is forgotten or denied earned honors, NFDA remains committed to being a strong voice for veterans and their families in Washington, D.C.

The progress being made on the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act demonstrates what can happen when funeral service professionals share their expertise with lawmakers. At the same time, NFDA continues to work with Congress and the Department of Veterans Affairs on additional issues affecting veterans and their loved ones.

Thank you for lending your voice to these efforts. Together, we can help ensure every veteran receives the dignity, recognition and benefits earned through service to our nation.