Justice for ALS Veterans Act of 2025
This bill extends increased dependency and indemnity compensation to the surviving spouse of a veteran whom the Department of Veterans Affairs has determined died from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease) regardless of how long the veteran had such disease prior to death. Under current law, such compensation is paid for a service-connected disability that was rated totally disabling for a continuous period of at least eight years immediately preceding death.
Under the bill, such extension of increased compensation applies retroactively to veterans who died from ALS on or after October 1, 2022.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 749 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 749
To amend title 38, United States Code, to extend increased dependency
and indemnity compensation paid to surviving spouses of veterans who
die from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, regardless of how long the
veterans had such disease prior to death, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 26, 2025
Ms. Murkowski (for herself, Mr. Coons, Mr. Rounds, Mr. Whitehouse, Ms.
Slotkin, and Mr. Cassidy) introduced the following bill; which was read
twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to extend increased dependency
and indemnity compensation paid to surviving spouses of veterans who
die from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, regardless of how long the
veterans had such disease prior to death, and for other purposes.
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 ``Justice for ALS Veterans Act of
2025''.
SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF INCREASED DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY COMPENSATION TO
SURVIVING SPOUSES OF VETERANS WHO DIE FROM AMYOTROPHIC
LATERAL SCLEROSIS.
(a) Extension.--Section 1311(a)(2) of title 38, United States Code,
is amended--
(1) by inserting ``(A)'' before ``The rate''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
``(B) A veteran whom the Secretary determines died from amyotrophic
lateral sclerosis shall be treated as a veteran described in
subparagraph (A) without regard for how long the veteran had such
disease prior to death.''.
(b) Applicability.--Subparagraph (B) of section 1311(a)(2) of title
38, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), shall apply to a
veteran who dies from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis on or after October
1, 2022.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
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