S. 3483Senate117th Congress (2021-2023)In Committee

Justice for ALS Veterans Act of 2022

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.

AI-Generated Summary

Updated February 8, 2026 at 8:49 AM UTC

The Justice for ALS Veterans Act of 2022 changes the law so that surviving spouses of veterans who die from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) receive the higher rate of Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (IDC) regardless of how long the veteran had ALS. It adds a new rule treating those veterans the same as veterans already eligible for the increased rate. The amendment applies to veterans who die from ALS on or after October 1, 2021, and affects the benefits paid to their surviving spouses.

Key Provisions

Amends 38 U.S.C. §1311(a)(2) to insert a new subparagraph (B) that treats a veteran who died from ALS as eligible for the increased IDC rate, without considering disease duration.
Specifies that the new eligibility applies to veterans who die from ALS on or after October 1, 2021.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action

SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Veterans' Affairs Committee

January 12, 2022

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

January 12, 2022

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Veterans' Affairs Committee

January 12, 2022

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued January 12, 2022

117th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. 3483

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

January 12 (legislative day, January 10), 2022

Mr. Coons 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.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Justice for ALS Veterans Act of 2022.

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, 2021.