Next week, NFDA members will gather in Washington, D.C., for the annual Advocacy Summit. During this year’s event, attendees will discuss two important issues with members of Congress: the BRAVE Act (H.R. 497/S. 598) and the Consensual Donation and Research Integrity Act (H.R. 1835). Federal priorities began to shift this month when the 116th Congress took office following the mid-term elections. During their meetings, Summit attendees will help to ensure funeral service issues, like these two bills, stay top-of-mind with their elected senators and representatives.

The Burial Rights for America’s Veterans’ Efforts (BRAVE) Act of 2019 has been introduced in the United States Senate and House of Representatives. NFDA supports this bill because it would assure veterans are not penalized due to their circumstance at the time of death or where they die. Learn more. Also, be sure to see the video below for a short overview of why the BRAVE Act is so important. 

When a family chooses to donate a loved one’s body for education or research, they do so with the hope that they will make a difference in the field of medicine. Regrettably, many are unknowingly contributing to a for-profit industry in which the body of their loved one could be traded as raw material in a largely unregulated national market. With the introduction of the Consensual Donation and Research Integrity Act in the U.S. House of Representatives, Congress is taking an essential step toward regulating this industry. This bill has NFDA’s full support. Learn more here and see the informative video below for an overview of why this bill is so important. 

If you are attending the Advocacy Summit, don’t miss the important issues briefing the morning of April 4. During this important session, you will learn more about each of these bills and how you can urge your members of Congress to sign on as co-sponsors and support their passage.