Justice for ALS Veterans Act of 2025

Lisa Murkowski

Republican · AK · Senator

Source: Congress.gov · FEC

• Bill Cassidy (R-LA)Original· 2025-02-26
• Christopher A. Coons (D-DE)Original· 2025-02-26
• Elissa Slotkin (D-MI)Original· 2025-02-26
• Mike Rounds (R-SD)Original· 2025-02-26
• Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)Original· 2025-02-26
• Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV)· 2025-04-07
• Kevin Cramer (R-ND)· 2025-04-07
• Raphael G. Warnock (D-GA)· 2025-06-27
• Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)· 2025-12-11
• Cory A. Booker (D-NJ)· 2026-01-08
• John W. Hickenlooper (D-CO)· 2026-01-15
• Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)· 2026-01-15

Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held.

2026-04-29

Source: Congress.gov

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.

Plain-English rewrite of the Congressional Research Service summary published on Congress.gov. Cached and reviewed.

[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>

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