Us Congress 2025-2026 Regular Session

Us Congress House Bill HB695 Compare Versions

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Old	New		Differences
	1	+	I
1	2		119THCONGRESS
2	3		1
3	4		STSESSION H. R. 695
4		-	AN ACT
	5	+	To amend title 38, United States Code, to increase the rate of the special
	6	+	pension payable to Medal of Honor recipients, and for other purposes.
	7	+	IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
	8	+	JANUARY23, 2025
	9	+	Mr. N
	10	+	EHLS(for himself, Mr. PAPPAS, Ms. BOEBERT, and Ms. DELACRUZ)
	11	+	introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
	12	+	Veterans’ Affairs
	13	+	A BILL
5	14		To amend title 38, United States Code, to increase the
6	15		rate of the special pension payable to Medal of Honor
7	16		recipients, and for other purposes.
8	17		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1
9		-	tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 2
10		-	•HR 695 EH
11		-	SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 1
12		-	This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Medal of Honor Act’’. 2
13		-	SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 3
14		-	Congress finds the following: 4
15		-	(1) The Medal of Honor is the highest and 5
16		-	most prestigious military decoration of the United 6
17		-	States. 7
18		-	(2) To earn the Medal of Honor ‘‘the deed of 8
19		-	the person . . . must be so outstanding that it clear-9
20		-	ly distinguishes his gallantry beyond the call of duty 10
21		-	from lesser forms of bravery’’. 11
22		-	(3) The actions of Medal of Honor recipients 12
23		-	inspire bravery, and the willingness to give all, in 13
24		-	those who serve in the Armed Forces and those who 14
25		-	will serve in the future. 15
26		-	(4) Those listed on the Medal of Honor Roll ex-16
27		-	emplify the best traits of members of the Armed 17
28		-	Forces, a long and proud lineage of those who went 18
29		-	beyond the call of duty. 19
30		-	(5) Pursuant to section 1562 of title 38, United 20
31		-	States Code, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 21
32		-	pay monthly to each living person whose name has 22
33		-	been entered on the Army, Navy, Air Force, and 23
34		-	Coast Guard Medal of Honor Roll a special pension. 24
35		-	(6) Recipients of the Medal of Honor have 25
36		-	earned a substantial and historic increase to such 26 3
37		-	•HR 695 EH
38		-	special pension in recognition of their conspicuous 1
39		-	gallantry, unwavering commitment, and heroic ac-2
40		-	tions above and beyond the call of duty. 3
41		-	SEC. 3. INCREASE IN DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 4
42		-	SPECIAL PENSION PAYABLE TO MEDAL OF 5
43		-	HONOR RECIPIENTS. 6
44		-	Section 1562 of title 38, United States Code, is 7
45		-	amended— 8
46		-	(1) in subsection (a)(1)— 9
47		-	(A) by inserting ‘‘(A)’’ before ‘‘The Sec-10
48		-	retary’’; 11
49		-	(B) by striking ‘‘the rate of $1,406.73’’ 12
50		-	and inserting ‘‘the rate described in subpara-13
51		-	graph (B)’’; and 14
52		-	(C) by adding at the end the following new 15
53		-	subparagraph: 16
54		-	‘‘(B) The rate described in this subparagraph is equal 17
55		-	to the amount of monthly compensation paid to a veteran 18
56		-	without dependents under subsection (m) of section 1114 19
57		-	of this title, increased to the next intermediate rate under 20
58		-	subsection (p) of such section.’’; and 21
59		-	(2) in subsection (e)— 22
60		-	(A) by inserting ‘‘(1)’’ before ‘‘Effective’’; 23
61		-	(B) by inserting ‘‘, subject to paragraph 24
62		-	(2),’’ before ‘‘shall’’; and 25 4
63		-	•HR 695 EH
64		-	(C) by adding at the end the following new 1
65		-	paragraph (2): 2
66		-	‘‘(2) The Secretary shall not, under paragraph (1), 3
67		-	increase the amount of monthly special pension payable 4
68		-	under subsection (a) in a year if such amount was other-5
69		-	wise increased during such year.’’. 6
70		-	SEC. 4. EXTENSION OF CERTAIN LIMITS ON PAYMENTS OF 7
71		-	PENSION. 8
72		-	Section 5503(d)(7) of title 38, United States Code, 9
73		-	is amended by striking ‘‘November 30, 2031’’ and insert-10
74		-	ing ‘‘January 31, 2033’’. 11
75		-	Passed the House of Representatives February 26,
76		-	2025.
77		-	Attest:
78		-	Clerk. 119
79		-	TH
80		-	CONGRESS
81		-	1
82		-	ST
	18	+	tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2
	19	+	SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3
	20	+	This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Medal of Honor Act’’. 4
	21	+	SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 5
	22	+	Congress finds the following: 6
	23	+	(1) The Medal of Honor is the highest and 7
	24	+	most prestigious military decoration of the United 8
	25	+	States. 9
	26	+	VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:52 Feb 19, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H695.IH H695
	27	+	kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 2
	28	+	•HR 695 IH
	29	+	(2) To earn the Medal of Honor ‘‘the deed of 1
	30	+	the person . . . must be so outstanding that it clear-2
	31	+	ly distinguishes his gallantry beyond the call of duty 3
	32	+	from lesser forms of bravery’’. 4
	33	+	(3) The actions of Medal of Honor recipients 5
	34	+	inspire bravery, and the willingness to give all, in 6
	35	+	those who serve in the Armed Forces and those who 7
	36	+	will serve in the future. 8
	37	+	(4) Those listed on the Medal of Honor Roll ex-9
	38	+	emplify the best traits of members of the Armed 10
	39	+	Forces, a long and proud lineage of those who went 11
	40	+	beyond the call of duty. 12
	41	+	(5) Pursuant to section 1562 of title 38, United 13
	42	+	States Code, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 14
	43	+	pay monthly to each living person whose name has 15
	44	+	been entered on the Army, Navy, Air Force, and 16
	45	+	Coast Guard Medal of Honor Roll a special pension. 17
	46	+	(6) Recipients of the Medal of Honor have 18
	47	+	earned a substantial and historic increase to such 19
	48	+	special pension in recognition of their conspicuous 20
	49	+	gallantry, unwavering commitment, and heroic ac-21
	50	+	tions above and beyond the call of duty. 22
	51	+	VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:52 Feb 19, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H695.IH H695
	52	+	kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 3
	53	+	•HR 695 IH
	54	+	SEC. 3. INCREASE IN DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 1
	55	+	SPECIAL PENSION PAYABLE TO MEDAL OF 2
	56	+	HONOR RECIPIENTS. 3
	57	+	(a) I
	58	+	NCREASE INSPECIALPENSIONPAYABLE TO 4
	59	+	L
	60	+	IVINGMEDAL OF HONORRECIPIENTS.—Section 5
	61	+	1562(a)(1) of title 38, United States Code, is amended 6
	62	+	by striking ‘‘$1,406.73’’ and inserting ‘‘$8,333.33’’. 7
	63	+	(b) A
	64	+	MOUNT OF SPECIALPENSIONPAYABLE TO 8
83	65		S
84		-	ESSION
85		-
86		-	H. R. 695
87		-	AN ACT
88		-	To amend title 38, United States Code, to increase
89		-	the rate of the special pension payable to Medal
90		-	of Honor recipients, and for other purposes.
	66	+	URVIVINGSPOUSES.—Section 1562(a)(2)(A) of title 38, 9
	67	+	United States Code, is amended— 10
	68	+	(1) by striking ‘‘special pension under this sec-11
	69	+	tion’’ and inserting ‘‘monthly’’; and 12
	70	+	(2) by striking the period and adding at the end 13
	71	+	the following: ‘‘a special pension under this section 14
	72	+	at the rate of $1,406.73, as adjusted from time to 15
	73	+	time under subsection (e).’’. 16
	74	+	Æ
	75	+	VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:52 Feb 19, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H695.IH H695
	76	+	kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB