H.R. 9006: Locating Our Unclaimed Veterans Act

This bill, known as the Locating Our Unclaimed Veterans Act, aims to create a centralized system within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for the management of unclaimed remains of veterans. Here are the main components of the bill:

Establishment of a Centralized System

The Secretary of Veterans Affairs is tasked with establishing a centralized information system that tracks unclaimed remains suspected to be those of veterans. This system will store:

• Information about unclaimed human remains received from coroners, state governments, and funeral homes.
• If available, the name, fingerprints, estimated age at death, and other identifiers of the veterans whose remains are unclaimed.

Collaboration with Other Federal Agencies

The Secretary will collaborate with various federal agencies to gather relevant information needed to identify unclaimed veterans. These agencies include:

• The Social Security Administration
• The Federal Bureau of Investigation
• The Department of Defense

The Secretary may request additional information to aid in identifying the unclaimed remains and may enter into new agreements or modify existing ones with other agencies as necessary.

Timeframe and Reporting Requirements

The system established by the bill will terminate three fiscal years after its enactment. Furthermore, the Secretary is required to submit reports to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs in both the House of Representatives and the Senate:

• Within one year of the enactment of the bill, and annually for the next three years.
• These reports will summarize the implementation of the system, describe outreach activities, and state the total number of identified unclaimed veteran remains during the reporting period.

Purpose of the Bill

The primary goal of the Locating Our Unclaimed Veterans Act is to ensure that the remains of veterans who have not been claimed are properly identified and that appropriate efforts are made to connect with their next-of-kin or to honor their memory in a suitable manner.

Relevant Companies

• None found