119-HR-695 Journalist Public Summary

Headline Summary

Increase the Medal of Honor pension by tying it to a higher VA disability compensation rate so it automatically keeps up over time. [1]Congress.gov (Library of Congress) — Text - H.R.695 - 119th Congress (2025-2026…[3]U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs — Current Special Monthly Compensation Rates

What It Does

The bill boosts the special pension for living Medal of Honor recipients by replacing the fixed $1,406.73 per month with an amount pegged to VA’s Special Monthly Compensation at level “M” and then bumped to the next intermediate tier—so the pension tracks a higher disability rate and future cost‑of‑living increases. For reference, VA’s current table puts that tier in the several‑thousand‑dollars‑per‑month range. The bill also avoids double increases within the same year and extends an existing VA pension payment limit policy’s sunset from November 30, 2031 to January 31, 2033. [1]Congress.gov (Library of Congress) — Text - H.R.695 - 119th Congress (2025-2026…[2]Legal Information Institute (Cornell Law School) — 38 U.S. Code § 1562 - Specia…[3]U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs — Current Special Monthly Compensation Rates[6]Legal Information Institute (Cornell Law School) — 38 U.S. Code § 5503 - Hospit…

Who’s For It

• Overwhelming bipartisan support: the House approved it 424–0 on February 26, 2025 (Roll Call 51). [4]Congress.gov (Library of Congress) — House Roll Call Vote 51 (Feb. 26, 2025) on…
• The Senate passed it without amendment by unanimous consent on November 7, 2025. [5]Congress.gov (Library of Congress) — H.R.695 — Status and Latest Actions
• Sponsor: Rep. Troy Nehls (R‑TX); referred to the Veterans’ Affairs Committees in both chambers. [5]Congress.gov (Library of Congress) — H.R.695 — Status and Latest Actions

Who’s Against It

• No recorded votes against it in either chamber. [4]Congress.gov (Library of Congress) — House Roll Call Vote 51 (Feb. 26, 2025) on…[5]Congress.gov (Library of Congress) — H.R.695 — Status and Latest Actions
• No Congressional Budget Office cost estimate posted as of November 8, 2025, so the public budget impact hasn’t been formally scored yet; in general, skeptics of targeted benefit increases sometimes raise cost and precedent concerns. [5]Congress.gov (Library of Congress) — H.R.695 — Status and Latest Actions

What’s Next

Having passed the House and Senate, the bill now goes to the President for signature or veto. [5]Congress.gov (Library of Congress) — H.R.695 — Status and Latest Actions

Tone

Neutral, plain‑English overview to help a general audience understand what the bill does and where it stands.