BISMARCK – Under existing law, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) may only provide burial markers or headstones for spouses and dependent children who died after Nov. 11, 1998, and before Oct. 1, 2025. The Dennis and Lois Krisfalusy Act would eliminate the restriction and permanently authorize the VA to provide memorial headstones or markers for veterans, their spouses and dependents.

The legislation, introduced by U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer, R-ND, and John Fetterman, D-Pa., was named in honor of Dennis “Denny” Krisfalusy, a U.S. Air Force veteran who served during the Vietnam War. Dennis Krisfalusy and his wife, Lois Krisfalusy, tragically died during an earthquake in Mexico City in 1985, with neither of their remains recovered. While Dennis Krisfalusy received a memorial headstone at the Cemetery of the Alleghenies, Lois Krisfalusy was ineligible to have her name added under current VA regulations due to an arbitrary date restriction.

The legislation is supported by the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors and the Vietnam Veterans of America. A companion measure was introduced in the House by several U.S. representatives.