Sponsors (8)
The bill creates regular, data-driven reviews and reporting to help benefits track inflation and improve oversight, but it risks higher costs for taxpayers and still leaves multi-year gaps that may let inflation erode veterans' benefits.
Veterans will receive regular, data-driven reviews of the automatic maximum coverage amount that can guide increases so benefits are more likely to keep pace with inflation.
Congress and Department of Veterans Affairs oversight committees will receive timely reports (beginning Jan 1, 2026), improving transparency and enabling more informed oversight of benefit-indexing decisions.
Taxpayers may face higher VA program costs if reviews lead to increases in coverage amounts, increasing fiscal pressure without explicit new appropriation language.
Veterans may see their benefits lose purchasing power between updates because five-year review intervals could delay adjustments and allow inflation to erode benefit value.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires VA to compare the automatic maximum coverage amount to a CPI‑adjusted reference value every five years and report results to congressional veterans committees.
Requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to begin a periodic review (starting January 1, 2026 and repeating every five years) that compares the statute’s automatic maximum coverage amount to a Consumer Price Index (CPI)‑adjusted reference number. The reference amount is calculated from a $500,000 baseline and the average five‑fiscal‑year percent change in the CPI‑U; the VA must submit the results to the House and Senate Committees on Veterans’ Affairs. The measure also defines “Consumer Price Index” and updates the chapter table of sections.
Introduced February 4, 2025 by John Cornyn · Last progress February 4, 2025