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Justice for ALS Veterans Act of 2025
2/3/2026, 9:05 AM
Summary of Bill HR 1685
Currently, DIC is provided to surviving spouses of veterans who die as a result of a service-connected disability. However, under the current law, the increased DIC for ALS is only available to surviving spouses if the veteran had the disease for a certain period of time before their death. This bill seeks to remove that requirement and ensure that all surviving spouses of veterans who die from ALS are eligible for the increased DIC benefits.
The purpose of this bill is to provide support and financial assistance to the surviving spouses of veterans who have been affected by ALS, a debilitating and progressive neurological disease. By extending the DIC benefits to all surviving spouses of veterans who die from ALS, regardless of the duration of the disease prior to death, this bill aims to ensure that these families receive the support they need during a difficult time. Overall, Bill 119 hr 1685 seeks to address a gap in the current law and provide much-needed assistance to the families of veterans who have been impacted by ALS.
Congressional Summary of HR 1685
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.





