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Legislative Hearing on H.R. 8552, the “Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2026”; H.R. 8767, the “Compensation Fund Recrediting Act”; H.R. 9006, the “Locating Our Unclaimed Veterans Act”; H.R. 6588, the “PROVIDE Act” H.R. 6921, the “Hawai’i National Cemetery Act” Discussion Draft, the “Unclaimed Veterans’ Legacy Grant Program Act.”

House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs

June 25, 2026 (recording here)

HEARING INFORMATION

Witnesses & Written Testimony (linked) (Panel One):

• Ms. Lesley Witter: Senior Vice President, National Funeral Directors Association

• Mr. Cole Lyle: National Director of Legislative Affairs, The American Legion

Witnesses & Written Testimony (linked) (Panel Two):

• Mr. Glenn Powers: Deputy Under Secretary for Field Programs and Cemetery Operations, National Cemetery Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

• Mr. Jocelyn Moses: Senior Principal Advisor, Compensation Service, Veterans Benefits Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

QUICK SUMMARY

• The subcommittee broadly supported legislation to provide an annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for veterans' disability compensation and survivor benefits to ensure payments keep pace with inflation.

• Members and witnesses emphasized the need to improve identification, coordination, and dignified burial of unclaimed veterans, though the VA and lawmakers disagreed over the best mechanism to expand those efforts.

• Lawmakers debated the PROVIDE Act, with supporters seeking expedited claims processing for veterans affected by natural disasters while the VA argued existing priority processing authorities already address many of those situations.

• The proposed Hawaii National Cemetery Act generated significant discussion, with supporters arguing that geographic isolation limits meaningful access to national burial benefits, while the VA maintained that existing national and state cemeteries adequately serve Hawaii's veterans.

• Committee members from both parties repeatedly urged the VA to work more closely with Congress during the legislative process, calling for earlier collaboration on technical concerns and more specific recommendations to strengthen veterans legislation before committee consideration.

PARTY LINE PERSPECTIVES

OPENING STATEMENTS FROM THE COMMITTEE

• Chairman Morgan Luttrell (R-TX) opened the hearing by emphasizing that the six bills under consideration sought to strengthen support for veterans, survivors, and military families by improving access to earned benefits and ensuring veterans received the dignity and recognition they deserved. He highlighted legislation to provide veterans and survivors with a cost-of-living adjustment, improve the identification and burial of unclaimed veterans, expedite claims processing during natural disasters, preserve burial options in Hawaii, and establish grants to support organizations that locate and memorialize unclaimed veterans. Chairman Luttrell also discussed legislation to close the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund after noting that all known claims had been processed and that the remaining funds could not be redirected for other purposes. He concluded by thanking the bill sponsors and witnesses and expressed his commitment to working collaboratively to better serve veterans and their families.

• Ranking Member Morgan McGarvey (D-KY) thanked the chairman for holding a bipartisan hearing and highlighted legislation introduced by Reps. Ed Case (D-HI) and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), which he said would benefit veterans and survivors. While expressing support for the overall intent of the bills before the subcommittee, he raised concerns about the implementation of the Unclaimed Veterans Legacy Grant Program, arguing that any expansion should be accompanied by sufficient funding. Ranking Member McGarvey also questioned the proposal to close the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund, stating that Congress should first ensure all eligible recipients had been served and suggesting that any remaining funds be retained for veterans' programs rather than returned to the Treasury. He concluded by expressing hope that the hearing would identify opportunities to improve the legislation through further discussion and possible amendments.

• Rep. Jack Bergman (R-MI) spoke in support of H.R. 9006, the Locating Our Unclaimed Veterans Act, explaining that the bill would establish a centralized VA portal to track information related to unclaimed veterans' remains. He noted that responsibility for handling these cases is currently divided among multiple VA administrations, creating unnecessary gaps in coordination. Rep. Bergman emphasized that the legislation would improve information sharing without creating new funding or expanding federal programs. He described the bill as a practical solution to better connect existing systems and ensure veterans receive the dignified recognition they earned.

• Rep. Ed Case (D-HI) urged support for H.R. 6921, the Hawaii National Cemetery Act, which would begin the process of establishing a new national cemetery in Hawaii. He explained that the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl has effectively reached capacity and will no longer be able to accommodate veterans' burial needs in the coming years. Rep. Case argued that Hawaii's geographic isolation makes access to another national cemetery uniquely burdensome, as eligible veterans would otherwise have to be buried more than 2,500 miles away on the mainland. He maintained that Hawaiian veterans deserve the same access to a nearby national cemetery as veterans elsewhere in the country and said the bill would simply initiate the long-term planning process to achieve that goal.

• Rep. Zach Nunn (R-IA) spoke in support of H.R. 9321, the Unclaimed Veterans Legacy Grant Program Act, emphasizing the nation's responsibility to honor veterans who die without family to claim their remains. Drawing on the stories of several fallen Iowa service members and Civil War veteran Joseph Chester, he highlighted the work of nonprofit organizations that identify unclaimed veterans, locate surviving family members, and arrange dignified burials. Rep. Nunn explained that his legislation would authorize VA grants to support these organizations in carrying out their labor-intensive work without additional cost to taxpayers. He concluded that the bill would uphold the military's commitment to "leave no one behind" by ensuring every veteran receives the recognition and final resting place they deserve.

SUMMARY OF KEY POINTS (PANEL ONE)

• Mr. Cole Lyle testified that The American Legion supported most of the legislation under consideration because it aligned with the organization's priorities of protecting earned benefits, improving VA services, and honoring veterans. He expressed strong support for the annual cost-of-living adjustment, the Locating Our Unclaimed Veterans Act, the Hawaii National Cemetery Act, and the proposed Unclaimed Veterans Legacy Grant Program, while offering recommendations to improve implementation and funding. Mr. Lyle also supported the disaster claims processing bill with amendments, recommending broader eligibility criteria and safeguards to prevent expedited claims from unintentionally reducing veterans' disability ratings. He stated that The American Legion stood ready to work with Congress and the VA to strengthen the legislation and improve outcomes for veterans and their families.

• Ms. Leslie Witter testified in support of three bills that she said would improve how the nation honors veterans and serves their families: the Locating Our Unclaimed Veterans Act, the Hawaii National Cemetery Act, and the Unclaimed Veterans Legacy Grant Program Act. She explained that funeral directors frequently encounter unclaimed veterans' remains and argued that better coordination among agencies would help identify veterans, notify families, and facilitate dignified burials. Ms. Witter also emphasized that limited burial capacity and transportation costs create significant barriers for veterans' families in Hawaii, making a new national cemetery necessary to ensure equitable access to earned burial benefits. She concluded that the legislation would reinforce the nation's commitment to ensuring no veteran's service or sacrifice is forgotten.

• Chairman Luttrell questioned the witnesses about the feasibility of establishing a new national cemetery in Hawaii and whether their organizations had been involved in similar efforts. He also asked about the process for transporting and burying unclaimed veterans' remains, with Ms. Witter explaining that funeral directors work closely with the VA and the National Cemetery Administration (NCA) to identify veterans and coordinate dignified burials.

• Chairman Luttrell further inquired about challenges working with the VA, and Ms. Witter responded that communication and coordination had improved significantly in recent years due to increased outreach and education efforts.

• Ranking Member McGarvey focused on the proposed priority processing of disability claims for veterans affected by natural disasters, asking Mr. Lyle to explain concerns that expedited claims could inadvertently result in reduced disability ratings. Mr. Lyle explained that veterans undergoing new compensation and pension examinations could have existing ratings reevaluated and, in some cases, lowered as part of the process, even when seeking benefits for unrelated conditions.

• Ranking Member McGarvey also asked about the relationship between funeral directors and the NCA, and Ms. Witter described ongoing collaboration, including expanded outreach and training, while noting that verifying eligibility and locating family members remain the most time-consuming aspects of handling unclaimed veterans' remains.

• Rep. Aumua Amata Radewagen (R-AS) questioned the witnesses about whether the VA's current burial access standards adequately reflected the realities faced by veterans' families in Hawaii. Ms. Witter testified that geographic isolation, inter-island travel, and transportation costs created significant barriers that were not captured by mileage-based standards, making another national cemetery necessary to ensure meaningful access. Mr. Lyle agreed that burial benefits should be both technically available and practically accessible, emphasizing that veterans' families should be able to honor their loved ones without facing extraordinary travel burdens.

• Rep. Bergman continued the discussion on burial access in Hawaii, asking whether existing mileage standards accurately reflected veterans' families' ability to use their earned burial benefits. Ms. Witter responded that distance alone failed to account for the realities of inter-island travel and cited survey data showing that transportation barriers already prevent many families from using national cemeteries.

• Rep. Bergman also asked whether similar challenges affected rural and remote communities, and Mr. Lyle agreed that travel time, cost, and accessibility should be considered alongside mileage when determining meaningful access to veterans' benefits.

• Rep. Bergman concluded that Congress should ensure veterans' families can realistically utilize the benefits their loved ones earned through military service.

SUMMARY OF KEY POINTS (PANEL TWO)

• Mr. Richard Powers testified on behalf of the Department of Veterans Affairs, stating that the VA supported the Veterans Compensation Cost of Living Adjustment Act and the Locating Our Unclaimed Veterans Act, subject to amendments and available appropriations, as well as the Compensation Fund Recrediting Act, with technical amendments. He explained that the VA had concerns with the PROVIDE Act, arguing that existing priority claims processing authorities already cover many disaster-affected veterans and that creating a separate framework could complicate claims processing and create inequities. Powers also testified that the VA opposed the Hawaii National Cemetery Act, asserting that all Hawaii veterans currently have access to burial benefits through existing national and state veterans cemeteries, and opposed using the Veterans Legacy Program to fund efforts related to unclaimed veterans because it would divert the program from its intended educational and memorialization mission. He concluded by emphasizing the VA's commitment to strengthening services for veterans and their families while ensuring responsible stewardship of agency resources.

• Chairman Luttrell questioned the VA's opposition to the PROVIDE Act, asking why the department objected to legislation intended to help veterans affected by natural disasters. Ms. Moses explained that the VA already maintains multiple priority processing categories, argued that disaster-affected veterans are often covered under existing authorities, and said the department preferred to avoid creating additional claims requirements. Chairman Luttrell expressed frustration that the VA had not worked through its concerns with committee staff before the hearing and urged greater collaboration during the legislative process.

• Chairman Luttrell also challenged the VA's opposition to the Unclaimed Veterans Legacy Grant Program Act, arguing that Congress introduced the bill because existing efforts were not sufficiently addressing the problem of unclaimed veterans' remains, while Mr. Powers maintained that the department objected specifically to repurposing the Veterans Legacy Grant Program rather than to the goal of improving services.

• Ranking Member McGarvey continued the discussion on the Unclaimed Veterans Legacy Grant Program Act, pressing the VA to explain why it opposed the legislation while acknowledging that unclaimed veterans' remains remain a significant issue. Mr. Powers stated that the department viewed the Veterans Legacy Program primarily as an educational initiative and believed the proposed legislation expanded it beyond its intended purpose, although he agreed there was an ongoing need to improve identification and burial efforts.

• Ranking Member McGarvey repeatedly asked the VA to identify specific amendments and funding recommendations that would allow Congress to address the problem, emphasizing that both Congress and the VA agreed additional action was needed. He concluded by urging the department to provide concrete timelines and recommendations rather than broad assurances that improvements would continue.

• Rep. Radewagen asked the VA how it balanced burial access needs in Hawaii against unmet needs elsewhere in the country and whether it would support alternatives to immediately establishing a new national cemetery. Mr. Powers responded that the VA remained willing to work with the committee and argued that Hawaii veterans currently have access to national or state veterans cemeteries on each major island through longstanding federal-state partnerships.

• Rep. Radewagen also noted that American Samoa is exploring the creation of a veterans cemetery despite limited land availability, highlighting similar challenges faced by U.S. territories.

• Rep. Bergman questioned whether the VA's burial access standards adequately accounted for geographic realities rather than relying on straight-line mileage calculations. Mr. Powers acknowledged that the standard simplifies travel considerations and explained that the VA works with states to evaluate local needs and has funded additional state veterans cemeteries when justified.

• Rep. Bergman suggested that the VA should allow greater flexibility to address unique geographic circumstances, including in Hawaii and other underserved areas, instead of relying solely on a uniform mileage standard. He concluded that the hearing established a useful record for future discussions about balancing federal standards with practical access to earned burial benefits.

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