H.R. 5607: Justice for ALS Veterans Act of 2021

117th Congress

To amend title 38, United States Code, to extend increased dependency and indemnity compensation paid to surviving spouses of veterans who die from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, regardless of how long the veterans had such disease prior to death.

Sponsor: Rep. Elissa Slotkin — D — MI

Requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to pay a higher benefit to surviving spouses of veterans who die from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), regardless of how long the veteran had the disease prior to death if the spouse was married to the veteran for at least eight years prior to the veteran’s death. Survivors of veterans who die from ALS after October 1, 2021, would be eligible for that enhanced benefit. Under current law, surviving spouses of veterans who die of a service-related injury or illness may receive monthly payments from the VA under the Dependency and Indemnity Compensation program (DIC). Generally, for a surviving spouse to receive DIC payments, the veteran must have died from a service-connected disability or be rated as totally disabled by VA for at least ten years prior to death. If the veteran was rated as totally disabled for at least eight full years and the surviving spouse was married to the veteran for those same eight years, the spouse is eligible to receive a higher DIC benefit.

View the full vote history of this bill on GovTrack.us.