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Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2026
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.
Summary
This bill increases the rates of disability compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities effective December 1, 2026. The increases also apply to additional compensation for dependents, clothing allowances, and dependency and indemnity compensation payments to surviving spouses and children of deceased disabled veterans. The percentage increase is determined by the same cost-of-living adjustment used for Social Security benefits in December 2026, ensuring that veterans' benefits keep pace with inflation. The Department of Veterans Affairs must publish the adjusted rates in the Federal Register when the Social Security Administration announces its annual cost-of-living adjustment. The bill also allows the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to adjust compensation rates for older beneficiaries receiving payments under prior law.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
- Sen. Moran, Jerry [R-KS] (R-KS)
15 cosponsors
- Sen. Banks, Jim [R-IN] (R-IN)
- Sen. Blackburn, Marsha [R-TN] (R-TN)
- Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] (D-CT)
- Sen. Boozman, John [R-AR] (R-AR)
- Sen. Cramer, Kevin [R-ND] (R-ND)
- Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL] (D-IL)
- Sen. Gallego, Ruben [D-AZ] (D-AZ)
- Sen. Hassan, Margaret Wood [D-NH] (D-NH)
- Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI] (D-HI)
- Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME] (I-ME)
- Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA] (D-WA)
- Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT] (I-VT)
- Sen. Sheehy, Tim [R-MT] (R-MT)
- Sen. Slotkin, Elissa [D-MI] (D-MI)
- Sen. Tillis, Thomas [R-NC] (R-NC)
Actions (2)
- May 11, 2026 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. · senate
- May 11, 2026 Introduced in Senate
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Full text
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.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of- Living Adjustment Act of 2026”.
SEC. 2. 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.
SEC. 3. 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. <all>
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