NEWS / US Congress considers legislation to expedite VA death certificates

The United States Congress is considering a bill that would require the Veterans Administration (VA) to sign off on death certificates within 2 days, with annual reports to track enforcement. The legislation was introduced after reports of weeks-long and sometimes months-long delays in the issuance of veteran death certificates.

“It’s very basic,” US Representative Tom Emmer, a Republican from Minnesota who introduced the legislation in June, was quoted by ABC 5 Eyewitness News KSTP as saying. “When you lose a loved one, you want closure...I’m looking forward to being able to see those families get their death certificate within a matter of days, as opposed to weeks and months.”

Shane Sheets, the director of Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office in Anoka County, Minnesota, emphasized that his office often has to take over some VA cases due to a shortage of doctors registered to certify a death with the VA.

“It’s important to share the problem, but also the solution,” Shane was quoted by the periodical as noting.

The Minneapolis VA reported that it implemented a policy change in June requiring death certificates to be signed within 2 days of being notified of a veteran’s death.

The VA itself noted that only about 25% of their full-time physicians are registered with the state to sign off on death certificates, noting that the number was “adequate”.

If you require assistance retrieving or legalizing a death certificate for use abroad (with an apostille or authentication certificate), feel free to reach out to us via e-mail at info@apostille.us or by phone at (212) 233-7061. You can also place an order on our website.