Justice for ALS Veterans Act of 2023

IB Union Calendar No. 556 118TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 3790 [Report No. 118–660] 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 JUNE 1, 2023 Ms. SLOTKIN (for herself and Mr. FITZPATRICK) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs SEPTEMBER 10, 2024 Additional sponsors: Mr. KILDEE, Ms. CARAVEO, Ms. PETTERSEN, Ms. LOF- GREN, Mr. ALLRED, Mr. NICKEL, Ms. MATSUI, Ms. TLAIB, Mr. PHIL- LIPS, Ms. MANNING, Ms. BLUNT ROCHESTER, Mr. PANETTA, Mr. VAN ORDEN, Mr. QUIGLEY, Ms. NORTON, Mr. HORSFORD, Mr. VAN DREW, Ms. ROSS, Mr. AMO, Ms. HOULAHAN, Ms. BROWNLEY, and Mr. SOTO SEPTEMBER 10, 2024 Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] [For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on June 1, 2023] VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:31 Sep 11, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6652 E:\BILLS\H3790.RH H3790 ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 3790 RH A BILL To amend title 38, United States Code, to extend increased dependency and indemnity compensation paid to sur- viving spouses of veterans who die from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, regardless of how long the veterans had such disease prior to death. VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:31 Sep 11, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6652 E:\BILLS\H3790.RH H3790 ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 3790 RH Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Justice for ALS Veterans 4 Act of 2023’’. 5 SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF INCREASED DEPENDENCY AND IN- 6 DEMNITY COMPENSATION TO SURVIVING 7 SPOUSES OF VETERANS WHO DIE FROM 8 AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS. 9 (a) EXTENSION.—Section 1311(a)(2) of title 38, 10 United States Code, is amended— 11 (1) by inserting ‘‘(A)’’ before ‘‘The rate’’; and 12 (2) by adding at the end the following new sub- 13 paragraph: 14 ‘‘(B) A veteran who died from amyotrophic lateral 15 sclerosis shall be treated as a veteran described in subpara- 16 graph (A) without regard for how long the veteran had such 17 disease prior to death. 18 ‘‘(C) For purposes of the payment of compensation 19 under this subsection by reason of the death of veteran de- 20 scribed in subparagraph (B), the term ‘surviving spouse’ 21 means a person who was married to the veteran for a con- 22 tinuous period of eight years or longer prior to the death 23 of the veteran.’’. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:31 Sep 11, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H3790.RH H3790 ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 3790 RH (b) APPLICABILITY.—Subparagraphs (B) and (C) of 1 section 1311(a)(2) of title 38, United States Code, as added 2 by subsection (a), shall apply to a veteran who dies from 3 amyotrophic lateral sclerosis on or after October 1, 2023. 4 SEC. 3. REPORT ON ADDITIONAL MEDICAL CONDITIONS. 5 (a) REPORT REQUIRED.—Not later than 180 days 6 after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Vet- 7 erans Affairs shall submit to Congress a report that includes 8 an identification of any service-connected disability, other 9 than amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, that the Secretary deter- 10 mines should be treated in the same manner as amyotrophic 11 lateral sclerosis is treated under subparagraphs (B) and (C) 12 of section 1311(a)(2) of title 38, United States Code, as 13 added by section 2. 14 (b) CONTENTS.—The report required by subsection (a) 15 shall include the following: 16 (1) A comprehensive list of service-connected dis- 17 abilities with mortality rates exceeding 95 percent 18 within eight years of diagnoses of persons with each 19 such disability. 20 (2) Detailed information on the average life ex- 21 pectancy for persons with each such disability. 22 SEC. 4. MODIFICATION OF CERTAIN HOUSING LOAN FEES. 23 The loan fee table in section 3729(b)(2) of title 38, 24 United States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘November 15, 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:31 Sep 11, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H3790.RH H3790 ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 3790 RH 2031’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘December 2, 1 2031’’. 2 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:31 Sep 11, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H3790.RH H3790 ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS Union Calendar No. 556 118TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 3790 [Report No. 118–660] A BILL To amend title 38, United States Code, to extend increased dependency and indemnity compensa- tion paid to surviving spouses of veterans who die from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, regardless of how long the veterans had such disease prior to death. SEPTEMBER 10, 2024 Reported with an amendment, committed to the Com- mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:31 Sep 11, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6651 Sfmt 6651 E:\BILLS\H3790.RH H3790 ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS