Justice for ALS Veterans Act of 2025

The Justice for ALS Veterans Act of 2025 would change how the Department of Veterans Affairs provides survivor benefits to spouses of veterans who die from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease). Currently, surviving spouses can only receive increased dependency and indemnity compensation if the veteran's ALS was rated as totally disabling for at least eight continuous years before death. This bill would remove that eight-year requirement, allowing surviving spouses to receive these benefits regardless of how long the veteran had ALS.

The bill also establishes a requirement that the surviving spouse must have been married to the veteran for at least eight continuous years before the veteran's death to qualify for these benefits. Additionally, the legislation would direct the VA to study other service-connected disabilities and report on which ones should receive the same treatment as ALS for survivor compensation purposes. The bill is currently under committee consideration and has not yet been voted on by the full House.