H.R. 2278 directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to improve how it serves survivors of deceased veterans by collecting demographic data on beneficiaries and identifying underserved populations. The bill requires the VA to develop a data collection system within 180 days that tracks survivor recipients of disability compensation, pensions, and burial benefits by race, ethnicity, tribal affiliation, LGBTQIA+ status, and geographic location, and to identify underserved demographic groups within one year. The VA must then create targeted outreach and education strategies for these underserved survivors and establish an Office of Survivors Assistance with adequate resources. Additionally, the bill expands the VA's outreach services to include not just veterans but all individuals who served in the uniformed services and their dependents, requiring the VA to automatically contact surviving eligible dependents at least quarterly after a service member's death until they file a benefits claim, and adds 5 to 10 new full-time positions at VA call centers to support this expanded outreach. No specific funding amounts are mentioned in the text.
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