Central ND News

In Washington, D.C., Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND), John Fetterman (D-PA), and Dave McCormick (R-PA) have introduced the Dennis and Lois Krisfalusy Act. This bipartisan legislation aims to expand burial benefits provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for veterans and their families.

The initiative stems from a 1985 incident involving U.S. Air Force Veteran Dennis “Denny” Krisfalusy and his wife, Lois, who died in an earthquake in Mexico City. While Dennis received a memorial headstone at the Cemetery of the Alleghenies in Pennsylvania, Lois was not eligible due to existing VA date restrictions. The current law allows VA burial markers or headstones only for spouses and dependent children who died after November 11, 1998, and before October 1, 2025.

Senator Cramer stated: “Families of service members sacrifice and serve alongside their loved ones, but outdated restrictions prohibit the VA from providing a memorial headstone for military spouses and dependents if they passed away before 1998.” He emphasized the importance of removing this hurdle to honor these family members' service to the nation.

Senator Fetterman added: “We can never repay the debt we owe our veterans and their families for their sacrifices to keep our country safe. We have a responsibility to honor those sacrifices regardless of when a family member died.” He noted that "Lois Krisfalusy should be honored with her husband," but arbitrary barriers prevent that recognition.

Senator McCormick expressed his support by stating: “Our veterans put their lives on the line to protect our freedoms, and we owe them a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid.” He highlighted that bureaucracy should not impede honoring veterans' families properly.

This legislative effort seeks to address what its proponents see as an injustice by allowing all military spouses and dependents access to VA burial benefits irrespective of their date of death.