S. 4487Senate119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2026

AI-Generated Summary

Updated May 14, 2026 at 2:51 AM UTC

The Veterans' Compensation Cost‑of‑Living Adjustment Act of 2026 would raise the monthly payments that veterans with service‑connected disabilities receive, as well as the survivor benefits paid to their spouses and children. The increase would take effect on December 1, 2026 and would be tied to the same percentage increase applied to Social Security benefits under Title II of the Social Security Act. The bill applies to wartime disability compensation, additional dependent compensation, clothing allowances, and dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children.

Key Provisions

Effective Dec 1 2026, the VA Secretary must increase all listed disability and survivor compensation amounts by the same percentage that Social Security benefits are increased on that date.
The amounts to be raised include wartime disability compensation, extra compensation for dependents, clothing allowances, and survivor benefits for spouses and children under the relevant sections of Title 38.
The Secretary may also administratively adjust compensation rates for certain individuals covered by Public Law 85‑857 who are not otherwise receiving Chapter 11 benefits.
The adjusted rates must be published in the Federal Register by the deadline set for Social Security benefit publications in fiscal year 2027.

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

May 11, 2026

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

May 11, 2026

SenateIntro Referral

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

Veterans' Affairs Committee

May 11, 2026

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued May 11, 2026

119th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. 4487

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

May 11, 2026

Mr. Moran (for himself, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Boozman, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Tillis, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Cramer, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Banks, Ms. Hassan, Mr. Sheehy, Mr. King, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Gallego, Ms. Slotkin, and Mrs. Blackburn) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

A BILL

To increase, effective as of December 1, 2026, the rates of compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for the survivors of certain disabled veterans, and for other purposes.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2026.

Increase in rates of disability compensation and dependency and indemnity compensation

(a)

Rate adjustment

Effective on December 1, 2026, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall increase, in accordance with subsection (c), the dollar amounts in effect on November 30, 2026, for the payment of disability compensation and dependency and indemnity compensation under the provisions specified in subsection (b).

(b)

Amounts To be increased

The dollar amounts to be increased pursuant to subsection (a) are the following:

(1)

Wartime disability compensation

Each of the dollar amounts under section 1114 of title 38, United States Code.

(2)

Additional compensation for dependents

Each of the dollar amounts under section 1115(1) of such title.

(3)

Clothing allowance

The dollar amount under section 1162 of such title.

(4)

Dependency and indemnity compensation to surviving spouse

Each of the dollar amounts under subsections (a) through (d) of section 1311 of such title.

(5)

Dependency and indemnity compensation to children

Each of the dollar amounts under sections 1313(a) and 1314 of such title.

(c)

Determination of Increase

Each dollar amount described in subsection (b) shall be increased by the same percentage as the percentage by which benefit amounts payable under title II of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 401 et seq.) are increased effective December 1, 2026, as a result of a determination under section 215(i) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 415(i)).

(d)

Special rule

The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may adjust administratively, consistent with the increases made under subsection (a), the rates of disability compensation payable to persons under section 10 of Public Law 85–857 (72 Stat. 1263) who have not received compensation under chapter 11 of title 38, United States Code.

Publication of adjusted rates

The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall publish in the Federal Register the amounts specified in section 2(b), as increased under that section, not later than the date on which the matters specified in section 215(i)(2)(D) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 415(i)(2)(D)) are required to be published by reason of a determination made under section 215(i) of such Act during fiscal year 2027.