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38 USC § 2304 - Claims for reimbursement

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t38/s2304"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "38 USC § 2304 - Claims for reimbursement"
title_number: 38
title_name: "VETERANS’ BENEFITS"
section_number: "2304"
section_name: "Claims for reimbursement"
chapter_number: 23
chapter_name: "BURIAL BENEFITS"
part_number: "II"
part_name: "GENERAL BENEFITS"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-21"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 85–857, Sept. 2, 1958, 72 Stat. 1170, § 904; Pub. L. 88–3, Apr. 2, 1963, 77 Stat. 4; Pub. L. 91–24, § 7, June 11, 1969, 83 Stat. 34; Pub. L. 99–576, title VII, § 701(51), Oct. 28, 1986, 100 Stat. 3295; Pub. L. 101–237, title III, § 313(b)(1), Dec. 18, 1989, 103 Stat. 2077; renumbered § 2304 and amended Pub. L. 102–83, § 5(a), (c)(1), Aug. 6, 1991, 105 Stat. 406; Pub. L. 116–315, title II, § 2202(b)(1)(A), Jan. 5, 2021, 134 Stat. 4985.)"
---

# § 2304. Claims for reimbursement

section 2303 of this title

Applications for payments under  regarding veterans described in subparagraph (B) or (C) of subsection (a)(2) of such section must be filed within two years after the burial of the veteran. If the burial allowance was not payable at the death of the veteran because of the nature of the veteran’s discharge from the service, but after the veteran’s death the veteran’s discharge has been corrected by competent authority so as to reflect a discharge from the service under conditions other than dishonorable, then the burial allowance may be paid if a claim is filed within two years from the date of correction of the discharge. If a claimant’s application is incomplete at the time it is originally submitted, the Secretary shall notify the applicant of the evidence necessary to complete the application. If such evidence is not received within one year from the date of such notification, no allowance may be paid.

---

**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 85–857, Sept. 2, 1958, 72 Stat. 1170, § 904; Pub. L. 88–3, Apr. 2, 1963, 77 Stat. 4; Pub. L. 91–24, § 7, June 11, 1969, 83 Stat. 34; Pub. L. 99–576, title VII, § 701(51), Oct. 28, 1986, 100 Stat. 3295; Pub. L. 101–237, title III, § 313(b)(1), Dec. 18, 1989, 103 Stat. 2077; renumbered § 2304 and amended Pub. L. 102–83, § 5(a), (c)(1), Aug. 6, 1991, 105 Stat. 406; Pub. L. 116–315, title II, § 2202(b)(1)(A), Jan. 5, 2021, 134 Stat. 4985.)

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2021— substituted “Applications for payments under  regarding veterans described in subparagraph (B) or (C) of subsection (a)(2) of such section” for “Applications for payments under ”.

1991— renumbered  as this section and substituted “2302” for “902”.

1989— substituted “Secretary” for “Administrator”.

1986— substituted “the veteran’s” for “his” in three places.

1969— substituted “two years from the date of correction of the discharge” for “two years from whichever last occurs, the date of correction of the discharge or the date of enactment of this sentence”.

1963— authorized payment of a burial allowance in cases where it was not payable at death because of the nature of the veteran’s discharge, where such discharge has been corrected by competent authority to reflect conditions other than dishonorable, and the claim is filed within two years from whichever last occurs, the date of correction of the discharge or the date of enactment of  [approved ].

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 2021 Amendment

Amendment by  applicable to deaths that occur on or after the date that is two years after , see , set out as a note under .