Justice for ALS Veterans Act of 2025
Key claim: The Justice for ALS Veterans Act of 2025 would extend increased VA dependency and indemnity compensation to surviving spouses of veterans who died from ALS, eliminating the current requirement that the disability was rated totally disabling for at least eight continuous years before death, retroactive to October 1, 2022.
Abstract
(S749 · 119th Congress) 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. Latest action (2026-04-29): Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.
Why this matters
The Justice for ALS Veterans Act of 2025 would extend increased VA dependency and indemnity compensation to surviving spouses of veterans who died from ALS, eliminating the current requirement that the disability was rated totally disabling for at least eight continuous years before death, retroactive to October 1, 2022.