Veterans’ Surviving Spouse Equity Act of 2025

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4637 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4637

   To amend title 38, United States Code, to expand eligibility for 
   certain benefits under the laws administered by the Secretary of 
   Veterans Affairs for veterans rated totally disabled at death to 
                       certain surviving spouses.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 23, 2025

 Ms. Brownley introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

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                                 A BILL


 
   To amend title 38, United States Code, to expand eligibility for 
   certain benefits under the laws administered by the Secretary of 
   Veterans Affairs for veterans rated totally disabled at death to 
                       certain surviving spouses.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans' Surviving Spouse Equity 
Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF ELIGIBILITY FOR CERTAIN BENEFITS UNDER LAWS 
              ADMINISTERED BY THE SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS FOR 
              SURVIVORS OF CERTAIN VETERANS RATED TOTALLY DISABLED AT 
              TIME OF DEATH.

    Subsection (c) of section 1318 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), by striking (or);
            (2) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at the end and 
        inserting ``; or''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(3) the surviving spouse--
                    ``(A) was married to the veteran for a period of 
                one year or more immediately preceding the veteran's 
                death; or
                    ``(B) lived with the veteran in the same household 
                for at least one year immediately preceding the 
                veteran's death and held themselves to the public as 
                the spouse of the veteran during such period, 
                regardless of whether the veteran or the surviving 
                spouse entered into another legal or religious marriage 
                during such period.''.
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