Dennis and Lois Krisfalusy Act
Summary
The Dennis and Lois Krisfalusy Act would expand who can receive a memorial headstone or marker from the government. Currently, spouses, surviving spouses, children, and dependents of veterans or active-duty service members can only receive this benefit if their remains are unavailable and they died on or after November 11, 1998. If enacted, this bill would remove that date restriction, allowing family members who died before 1998 to also be eligible for a memorial headstone or marker.
This change would affect families of veterans and service members who lost loved ones before 1998 but were unable to recover their remains. The bill is currently under committee consideration and has not yet been voted on by the full House of Representatives.
AI-generated summary
Lifecycle of the Bill
Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.
Mar 21, 2025
Subcommittee Hearings Held
Mar 26, 2025
Mar 26, 2025 · 14:15
Legislative Hearing on: H.R. 530, ACES Act; H.R. 647, Ensuring Veterans’ Final Resting Place Act of 2025; H.R. 1039, Clear Communication for Veterans Claims Act; H.R. 1228, Prioritizing Veterans’ Survivors Act; H.R. 1286, Simplifying Forms for Veterans Claims Act; H.R. 1344, Dennis and Lois Krisfalusy Act; H.R. 2138, Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2025; H.R. 2137, Review Every Veterans Claim Act of 2025; Discussion Draft, Veteran Appeals Transparency Act of 2025; Discussion Draft, Improving VA Training for Military Sexual Trauma Claims Act; Discussion Draft, Veterans Claims Education Act; Discussion Draft, Survivors Benefits Delivery Improvement Act of 2025; and Discussion Draft, Board of Veterans Appeals’ Attorney Retention and Backlog Reduction Act.
Summary
The House Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs held a legislative hearing on March 26, 2025, examining 13 bills designed to improve veterans benefits and services. H.R. 530, the ACES Act, would provide for a study by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on the prevalence and mortality of cancer among individuals who served as active duty aircrew in the Armed Forces. H.R. 1039, the Clear Communication for Veterans Claims Act, requires the VA to seek to enter into an agreement with a federally funded research and development center to assess notices that the VA sends to claimants applying for or submitting claims for VA benefits, and the VA must report on the findings and implement recommendations. H.R. 1344, the Dennis and Lois Krisfalusy Act, expands eligibility for a memorial headstone or marker for the spouse, surviving spouse, child, or dependent of a veteran or member of the Armed Forces, making such individuals eligible regardless of the date they died, whereas currently such benefit is only available for individuals who died on or after November 11, 1998.\n\nMilitary aviators and crew members are being diagnosed with various forms of cancer at alarming rates, which is why H.R. 530, the Aviator Cancers Examination Study (ACES Act), was introduced. The National Organization of Veterans' Advocates (NOVA) members are accredited attorneys and agents who represent veterans, family members, survivors, and caregivers in their VA disability claims and appeals, and their testimony focused on bills designed to improve the adjudication process. NOVA supported the Review Every Veteran's Claim Act, which would prohibit VA from denying a claim solely because the veteran does not appear for a medical examination, noting that veterans frequently communicate an inability to attend exams for various reasons and sometimes never receive notice of the exam in the first place, reflecting a more veteran-centric policy. NOVA also supported the Improving Training For Military Sexual Trauma Claims Act, which builds on successful bipartisan efforts to improve adjudication of these claims and ensure veterans who make such claims are not re-traumatized, with particular emphasis on training for healthcare professionals and those who communicate with veterans to schedule exams. A hearing does not guarantee that bills will
Video
Witnesses(14)
| Name | Position | Links |
|---|---|---|
| Colonel Andrew Shurtleff | U.S. Air Force (Retired) | |
| Mr. Evan DeichertU.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Board of Veterans’ Appeals | Acting Deputy Vice Chairman | |
| Mrs. Patricia Krisfalusy-Maxon | Sister of Master Sergeant Dennis Krisfalusy, U.S. Air Force (Retired) | |
| Ms. Diane Boyd RauberNational Organization of Veterans' Advocates | Executive Director | |
| Ms. Jocelyn MosesU.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Benefits Administration | Senior Principal Advisor | |
| Ms. Kenesha BrittonU.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Benefits Administration | Assistant Deputy Undersecretary | |
| Ms. Lesley WitterNational Funeral Directors Association | Senior Vice President, Advocacy | |
| Ms. Lisa PozzebonU.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, National Cemetery Administration | Executive Director | |
| The Honorable August Pfluger | Member of Congress | |
| The Honorable Keith Self | Member of Congress | |
| The Honorable Robert Bresnahan | Member of Congress | |
| The Honorable Rudy Yakym | Member of Congress | |
| The Honorable Tom Barrett | Member of Congress | |
| The Honorable Young Kim | Member of Congress |
