Title: Justice for ALS Veterans Act of 2021
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Justice for ALS Veterans Act of 2021
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 this bill, a surviving spouse is a person who was married to the veteran for a continuous period of eight years or longer prior to the veteran's death.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5607 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 5607

 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.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 19, 2021

Ms. Slotkin (for herself and Mr. Fitzpatrick) introduced the following 
     bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 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.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Justice for ALS Veterans Act of 
2021''.

SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF INCREASED DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY COMPENSATION TO 
              SURVIVING SPOUSES OF VETERANS WHO DIE FROM AMYOTROPHIC 
              LATERAL SCLEROSIS.

    (a) Extension.--Section 1311(a)(2) of title 38, United States Code, 
is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``(A)'' before ``The rate''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
    ``(B) A veteran who died from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis shall 
be treated as a veteran described in subparagraph (A) without regard 
for how long the veteran had such disease prior to death.
    ``(C) For purposes of the payment of compensation under this 
subsection by reason of the death of veteran described in subparagraph 
(B), the term `surviving spouse' means a person who was married to the 
veteran for a continuous period of eight years or longer prior to the 
death of the veteran.''.
    (b) Applicability.--Subparagraphs (B) and (C) of section 1311(a)(2) 
of title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), shall 
apply to a veteran who dies from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis on or 
after October 1, 2021.
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