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Version 00 · Introduced in House · Feb 27, 2025
Justice for ALS Veterans Act of 2025
This bill extends increased dependency and indemnity compensation to the surviving spouse of a veteran who dies 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.
For purposes of compensation for a surviving spouse of a veteran who dies from ALS, the spouse must have been married to the veteran for a continuous period of eight years or longer prior to the death of the veteran.
Additionally, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) must report on service-connected disabilities the VA determines should be treated in the same manner as ALS for purposes of dependency and indemnity compensation.
People & committees
Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1] · R–PA
Legislative record
A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.
Subcommittee Hearings Held
Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.
Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
Source last updated: Aug 18, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2025-02-27 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
The proposed Justice for ALS Veterans Act of 2025 would extend access to increased survivor compensation for spouses of veterans who die from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Its special rule would disregard how long the veteran had ALS, require at least eight continuous years of marriage before death, and apply to deaths on or after October 1, 2025. It would also require a report on other service-connected disabilities that might warrant similar treatment.
This Act may be cited as the Justice for ALS Veterans Act of 2025.
Extension of increased dependency and indemnity compensation to surviving spouses of veterans who die from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
(B) A veteran who 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. (C) For purposes of the payment of compensation under this subsection by reason of the death of veteran described in subparagraph (B), the term surviving spouse means a person who was married to the veteran for a continuous period of eight years or longer prior to the death of the veteran.
shall apply to a veteran who dies from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis on or after October 1, 2025.
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to Congress a report that includes an identification of any service-connected disability, other than amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, that the Secretary determines should be treated in the same manner
Section 2 would amend the existing survivor-compensation statute so that a veteran who died from ALS would be treated as a veteran covered by the provision redesignated as subparagraph (A), regardless of how long the veteran had ALS. The supplied bill does not reproduce that existing provision's eligibility rules or payment amount.
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 who 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.
For compensation paid through this proposed ALS rule, a surviving spouse would have to have been married to the veteran continuously for at least eight years before the veteran's death.
(C) For purposes of the payment of compensation under this subsection by reason of the death of veteran described in subparagraph (B), the term surviving spouse means a person who was married to the veteran for a continuous period of eight years or longer prior to the death of the veteran.
The proposed ALS rule and its marriage requirement would apply to veterans who die from ALS on or after October 1, 2025.
Subparagraphs (B) and (C) 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, 2025.
Within 180 days after enactment, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs would have to report to Congress identifying any other service-connected disabilities the Secretary believes should receive the same treatment. This provision requires a report; it does not itself extend the ALS rule to other disabilities.
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to Congress a report that includes an identification of any service-connected disability, other than amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, that the Secretary determines should be treated in the same manner as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is treated under subparagraphs (B) and (C) of section 1311(a)(2) of title 38, United States Code, as added by section 2.
The report would have to include a comprehensive list of service-connected disabilities with high death rates and detailed information about average life expectancy for people with each disability.
(1) A comprehensive list of service-connected disabilities with high mortality rates. (2) Detailed information on the average life expectancy for persons with each such disability.
The supplied official-actions snapshot, updated August 18, 2026, records introduction and referral to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs on February 27, 2025; referral to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs on March 27, 2025; and subcommittee hearings on February 3, 2026. This snapshot does not establish enactment.
Source snapshot updated 2026-08-18T08:05:40Z. 2026-02-03: Subcommittee Hearings Held 2025-03-27: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs. 2025-02-27: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. 2025-02-27: Introduced in House
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2025-02-27. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No unrelated provision or policy change attached to appropriations was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion does not cover other versions or accompanying materials.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for particular recipients or places was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion does not establish the absence of earmarks in other versions or accompanying materials.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
Findings to examine
The proposed disease-specific exception warrants scrutiny as a narrow eligibility preference central to the bill's policy. This classification is not a judgment about its justification.
The proposal gives surviving spouses of veterans who die from ALS a specific route to increased compensation that disregards how long the veteran had the disease. It limits that route to spouses married continuously for at least eight years before death and to veterans who die on or after October 1, 2025.
Extension of increased dependency and indemnity compensation to surviving spouses of veterans who die from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
(B) A veteran who 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. (C) For purposes of the payment of compensation under this subsection by reason of the death of veteran described in subparagraph (B), the term surviving spouse means a person who was married to the veteran for a continuous period of eight years or longer prior to the death of the veteran.
Subparagraphs (B) and (C) 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, 2025.
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Aug 18, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI