Updated 6 hours ago
Last progress February 27, 2025 (11 months ago)
To advance sensible priorities.
Updated 6 days ago
Last progress December 11, 2025 (1 month ago)
Changes federal law so that when a veteran dies from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), their survivors are eligible for the higher level of Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) regardless of how long the veteran had ALS before death. The change applies to veterans who die from ALS on or after October 1, 2022, and may create retroactive benefit eligibility and payments for qualifying survivors.
Amend 38 U.S.C. §1311(a)(2) by adding a new subparagraph (B) that says: 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.
The new subparagraph (B) applies to a veteran who dies from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis on or after October 1, 2022.
Primary beneficiaries are survivors of veterans whose cause of death is ALS: surviving spouses and dependent children may become eligible for the higher Dependency and Indemnity Compensation. Because the change is effective for deaths on or after October 1, 2022, some survivors may receive retroactive payments back to that date. The Department of Veterans Affairs will need to update guidance, adjudicate new or reopened claims asserting ALS as the cause of death, and calculate any retroactive payments, which may modestly increase administrative workload. Fiscal effects (increased DIC outlays) arise from newly eligible survivors and retroactive awards; the legislation itself does not appropriate funds, so implementation will rely on VA’s existing budgetary processes. The change is narrowly tailored and does not expand DIC eligibility beyond ALS-related deaths.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Last progress February 26, 2025 (11 months ago)
Introduced on February 26, 2025 by Lisa Murkowski
