H.R. 4398 · 119th Congress

Requires VA clinicians to certify a veteran's death within 48 hours

Official title: Veteran Burial Timeliness and Death Certificate Accountability Act1

Never got a floor vote

§1What it does

Why this matters: A plain-English description of the bill as it was voted on, written by us from the official summary and text.

Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.

This bill would require a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) physician or nurse practitioner who is the primary care provider for a veteran who dies of natural causes to certify the death within 48 hours of learning of it.2,3,4 If the VA provider cannot do so, a coroner or medical examiner where the death occurred could certify it.4 The VA would have to report to Congress each year on how often its providers met the deadline and the most common reasons they did not.4

§2Status

StatusLatest action, June 30, 2026: Subcommittee Hearings Held1
IntroducedJuly 15, 2025
SponsorRep. Emmer, Tom [R-MN-6]
Cosponsors158 cosponsors (101 Republican, 57 Democratic)
Official recordH.R. 4398 on Congress.gov

§3It never got a vote

Why this matters: This bill had wide support from both parties, but it never reached the House or Senate floor, so no member of Congress was ever recorded voting for or against it.

Latest action, June 30, 2026: Subcommittee Hearings Held1 How bills die without a vote.

2026 candidates who sponsored or cosponsored it (137)