1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Ensuring Survivors Benefits during COVID–19 Act of 2020”.
Ensuring Survivors Benefits during COVID–19 Act of 2020
A BILL
To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to secure medical opinions for veterans with service-connected disabilities who die from COVID–19 to determine whether their service-connected disabilities were the principal or contributory cases of death, and for other purposes.
2. Medical opinions for certain veterans with service-connected disabilities who die of COVID–19
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 of a veteran if each of the following criteria apply with respect to such death:
The veteran had one or more service-connected disabilities at the time of death.
The death certificate—
identifies Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID–19) as the principal or contributory cause of death; and
does not clearly identify any of the service-connected disabilities as the principal or contributory cause of death.
An individual has filed a claim for benefits under chapter 13 of title 38, United States Code.