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)11 Anoka County <br />ADMINISTRATION <br />Communications <br />July 21, 2025 <br />Contact: Erik Thorson, Chief Communications Officer, 763-324-4612, or e-mail: <br />Erik. Thorson@ anokacountvmn. Gov <br />FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE <br />County -Backed Veterans Legislation Supported at Congressional Level <br />Anoka County has been working for years on a solution that would require the U.S. <br />Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) doctors to sign death certificates within 48 hours, and this <br />effort got a big boost recently when U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer introduced legislation July 15 called <br />the Veterans Burial Accountability Act. <br />This legislation, which has received bipartisan support, is designed to eliminate needless <br />delays in veteran burials and ensure families can grieve on their own time. The VA's current policy <br />is if the individual in their care did not see their primary doctor at the VA within 120 days, the VA <br />will not sign a death certificate. This moves the responsibility to medical examiner's/coroner's <br />offices, which must locate all medical records and redetermine the cause of death. Shifting the <br />responsibility from the veteran's VA doctor to the medical examiner's/coroner's office can delay <br />signing of the death certificate by up to six weeks. <br />"Citizens have been adversely affected by the VA's current practice, and we're proud to <br />have the support of Rep. Emmer and other members of Congress to correct this issue," said District <br />3 Anoka County Commissioner Jeff Reinert, who has drawn attention to this issue and brought it <br />to the national stage. "When a person passes away, especially when they're a military veteran, <br />their family should be able to expect to have their death certificate promptly signed so they can <br />focus on after -death proceedings and the grieving process." <br />Commissioner Mike Gamache, chair, Anoka County Board of Commissioners, said the <br />proposed legislation would be of great benefit to families of veterans. <br />-more- <br />Respectful, Innovative, Fiscally Responsible <br />Government Center A 2100 3rd Avenue, Suite 700 A Anoka, MN 55303-5024 A www.anokacountymn.gov <br />Office: 763-324-4700 A Fax: 763-324-5490 <br />Affirmative Action / Equal Opportunity Employer <br />