S. 749 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the Senate, Feb 26, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryIncreases benefits for ALS veterans' spouses
Right now, surviving spouses of veterans who died from ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) can only get increased compensation if the veteran's condition was rated as totally disabling for at least eight years before death. This bill removes that eight-year requirement for ALS specifically, so spouses get the increased benefits no matter how long the veteran had the disease. The change would also apply backwards to veterans who died from ALS starting October 1, 2022.
How it affects you
If you're the surviving spouse of a veteran who died from ALS, this could mean you'd receive increased compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Spouses whose veterans died from ALS in the past couple of years might also qualify for back payments under the retroactive part of the bill.
Read the official summary (Introduced in Senate, Feb 26, 2025)
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.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionS. 749
A BILL
Justice for ALS Veterans Act of 2025
Sponsor: Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) · Introduced Feb 26, 2025 · Armed Forces and National Security · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Apr 29, 2026: “Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held.”