Justice for ALS Veterans Act of 2025

This legislation proposes to change how the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) calculates survivor benefits for the spouses of veterans who died from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Currently, a surviving spouse is only eligible for increased dependency and indemnity compensation if the veteran was rated totally disabled for at least eight years prior to their death. Because ALS is a rapidly progressing disease, many veterans do not survive long enough to meet this eight-year requirement, leaving their families ineligible for the higher benefit rate.

If enacted, the bill would remove the eight-year waiting period specifically for ALS cases. This would allow surviving spouses to receive the increased compensation regardless of how long the veteran lived with the diagnosis. The bill aims to provide more equitable financial support to families dealing with the unique challenges of this terminal illness. Additionally, the bill proposes to make these changes retroactive for veterans who died from ALS on or after October 1, 2022.