,,ii ,calendar ,no4 #hc #aagth          
,,congress  #ast ,session  ,s4 #hi  ,,in
 ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united     
,,states  ,january #bh1 #bjba,ms4       
,sinema 7for herself1 ,mr4 ,tillis1     
,mrs4 ,shaheen1 ,mr4 ,boozman1 ,mr4     
,blumenthal1 ,ms4 ,warren1 ,mr4 ,coons1 
,mr4 ,manchin1 ,mr4 ,reed1 ,ms4         
,collins1 ,mr4 ,markey1 ,mr4 ,wicker1   
,mr4 ,whitehouse1 ,mr4 ,kelly1 ,mr4     
,peters1 ,ms4 ,baldwin1 ,ms4 ,hassan1   
and ,mr4 ,king7 introduced the following
 bill2 which was read twice and referred
 to the ,committee on ,veterans'        
,affairs  ,june #bd1 #bjba,reported by  
,mr4 ,tester1 with an amendment,strike  
out all after the enacting clause and   
insert the part printed in italic  ,a   
,,bill  ,to require the ,secretary of   
,veterans ,affairs to secure medical    
opinions for veterans with              
service-connected disabilities who die  
from ,,covid-#ai to determine whether   
their service-connected disabilities    
were the principal or contributory      

causes of death1 and for other purposes4
  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be    
cited as the ,ensuring ,survivor        
,benefits ,during ,,covid-#ai ,act of   
#bjba4  #b4 ,medical opinions for       
certain veterans with service-connected 
disabilities who die of ,,covid-#ai ,in 
any case in which a veteran with one or 
more service-connected disabilities     
dies1 the death certificate identifies  
,coronavirus ,disease #bjai             
7,,covid-#ai7 as the principal or       
contributory cause of death1 the death  
certificate does not clearly identify   
any of the service-connected            
disabilities as the principal or        
contributory cause of death1 and a claim
 for benefits is filed with respect to  
the veteran under chapter #ac of title  
#ch1 ,unites ,states ,code1 the         
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  
secure a medical opinion to determine if
 a service-connected disability was the 
principal or contributory cause of      
death4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may 

be cited as the ,ensuring ,survivor     
,benefits during ,,covid-#ai ,act of    
#bjba4  #b4 ,medical opinions for       
certain veterans with service-connected 
disabilities who die of ,,covid-#ai  7a7
 ,in general ,the ,secretary of         
,veterans ,affairs shall secure a       
medical opinion to determine if a       
service-connected disability was the    
principal or contributory cause of death
 before notifying the survivor of the   
final decision in any case in which all 
of the following factors are met3 7#a7  
,a claim for compensation is filed under
 chapter #ac of title #ch1 ,unites      
,states ,code1 with respect to a veteran
 with one or more service-connected     
disabilities who dies4  7#b7 ,the death 
certificate for the veteran identifies  
,coronavirus ,disease #bjai             
7,,covid-#ai7 as the principal or       
contributory cause of death4  7#c7 ,the 
death certificate does not clearly      
identify any of the service-connected   
disabilities of the veteran as the      

principal or contributory cause of      
death4  7#d7 ,a service-connected       
disability of the veteran includes a    
condition more likely to cause severe   
illness from ,,covid-#ai as determined  
by the ,centers for ,disease ,control   
and ,prevention4  7#e7 ,the claimant is 
not entitled to benefits under section  
#acah of such title4  7#f7 ,the evidence
 to support the claim does not result in
 a preliminary finding in favor of the  
claimant4  7b7 ,outreach ,the ,secretary
 shall provide information to veterans1 
dependents1 and veterans service        
organizations about applying to         
dependency and indemnity compensation   
when a veteran dies from ,,covid-#ai4   
,the ,secretary shall provide such      
information through the website of the  
,department of ,veterans ,affairs and   
via other outreach mechanisms4  ,june   
#bd1 #bjba,reported with an amendment