Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2025
Summary
What This Bill Does
This bill increases veterans disability compensation and dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) rates by the same percentage as the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment, effective December 1, 2025. It covers payments to disabled veterans, surviving spouses, and dependents under multiple sections of title 38. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs must publish the adjusted rates in the Federal Register.
Who Benefits and How
Disabled veterans receiving compensation at all disability rating levels benefit from inflation-adjusted payments. Surviving spouses and children receiving dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) also receive the increase. The COLA ensures these benefits maintain purchasing power as living costs rise.
Who Bears the Burden and How
The federal budget absorbs increased mandatory spending on VA compensation. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs must implement the rate adjustments and publish the new rates. No new taxes or offsets are specified.
Key Provisions
- Increases disability compensation rates under 38 USC 1114 by the Social Security COLA percentage
- Increases dependency and indemnity compensation rates under 38 USC 1311, 1313, and 1314
- Increases additional compensation for dependents under 38 USC 1115
- Effective date: December 1, 2025
- Requires publication of adjusted rates in the Federal Register.
- Authorizes the annual veterans compensation cost-of-living adjustment.
- Aligns veterans disability and survivor payments with the Social Security COLA calculation.
- Directs VA payment systems to apply the increase to covered compensation rates.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Provides a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to veterans disability compensation and dependency and indemnity compensation rates effective December 1, 2025, matching the Social Security COLA percentage
Key Policy Areas
Veterans Affairs, Federal Benefits
Primary Purpose
Provides a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to veterans disability compensation and dependency and indemnity compensation rates effective December 1, 2025, matching the Social Security COLA percentage
Policy Domains
whole_bill
Identified Gains
- Veterans receiving disability compensation
- Survivors receiving dependency compensation
- VA benefits recipients
Identified Costs
- Department of Veterans Affairs
- VA benefits payment systems
- Federal taxpayers
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
Signed into LawBecame Public Law No: 119-42.
Signed by President.
Presented to President.
Mr. Bost moved to suspend the rules and pass the …
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill …
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate …
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules …
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H4676-4678)
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without …
Held at the desk.
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Survivors of disabled veterans (DIC recipients), Veterans with service-connected disabilities, Veterans with service-connected disabilities and their survivors
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "secretary_va"
- → Secretary of Veterans Affairs
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology