Justice for ALS Veterans Act of 2019

Bill: 116-s-3091
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE]
Introduced: 2019-12-18
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Marriage and family status

Neurological disorders

Veterans' pensions and compensation
Latest action: action_date: 2019-12-18
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Summaries:
action_date: 2019-12-18
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Justice for ALS Veterans Act of 2019</b></p> <p>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.</p>

tv_txt: II 116th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 3091 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES December 18, 2019 Mr. Coons (for himself and Ms. Murkowski ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 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, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Justice for ALS Veterans Act of 2019 . 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 whom the Secretary determines 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. . (b) Applicability Subparagraph (B) 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, 2019.