A major piece of legislation aimed at increasing support for Gold Star families and catastrophically wounded veterans is moving forward after passing the House this week.

The legislation, known as the Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act, would provide long-overdue increases to survivor and disability benefits that advocates say have not seen meaningful updates in decades. The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration.

What the Bill Would Change

If signed into law, the legislation would impact hundreds of thousands of military and veteran families across the country by expanding two key benefits:

Increased Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC)

The bill would increase Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) payments for surviving spouses and families of service members and veterans who died from service-connected causes.

Under the proposal:

• DIC payments would receive annual increases above inflation over the next several years
• The increase would help more than 500,000 surviving military families offset rising living expenses
• Advocates say this would mark the first meaningful non-inflationary increase to the benefit in over 30 years

The bill would raise Dependency and Indemnity Compensation payments for surviving spouses and family members of deceased service members, the first increase beyond inflation adjustments since 1993, while also adding $10,000 annually under VA’s Special Monthly Compensation program for certain catastrophically injured veterans who require regular in-home aid under medical supervision.

Currently, many survivor advocacy organizations argue DIC payments have failed to keep pace with the real financial challenges military families face after losing a loved one.

Additional Support for Catastrophically Disabled Veterans

The legislation would also increase compensation for veterans living with catastrophic service-connected injuries, including traumatic brain injuries and other severe disabilities requiring around-the-clock care.

The proposal includes:

• Additional annual compensation for eligible veterans with severe disabilities
• Increased financial support for families and caregivers providing long-term in-home care
• One of the largest proposed increases to these benefits in decades

Named After Two Military Families

The bill is named in honor of:

• Sharri Briley, a Gold Star spouse whose husband, Army pilot CW3 Donovan “Bull” Briley, was killed during the Black Hawk Down mission in Somalia
• Sgt. Eric Edmundson, an Army veteran who suffered life-changing injuries after an IED attack in Iraq

Lawmakers and veteran organizations say the legislation recognizes the long-term sacrifices made by both surviving military families and veterans living with catastrophic injuries.

Veteran Organizations Backing the Bill

A large coalition of military and veteran organizations have voiced support for the legislation, including:

• Wounded Warrior Project
• The American Legion
• Gold Star Spouses of America
• Among many others

Advocates say the bill represents a significant step toward improving financial stability for surviving spouses, caregivers, and veterans with severe disabilities.

Why Advocates Say This Matters

Supporters of the legislation have argued for years that military survivor benefits lag behind other federal survivor programs.

According to advocacy groups:

• Current DIC benefits replace a smaller percentage of income compared to federal civilian survivor programs
• Many military spouses face interrupted careers due to PCS moves and deployments
• Families caring for catastrophically injured veterans often face major out-of-pocket medical and caregiving costs

The Bill Also Includes Changes to VA Home Loan Benefits

In addition to expanding survivor and disability compensation, the legislation also includes proposed updates to the VA Home Loan program.

One provision would expand VA loan eligibility for additional National Guard and Reserve servicemembers by broadening the definition of qualifying active-duty service. Supporters say the change could help more military families access homeownership benefits they previously did not qualify for.

The Home Affordability for Guard and Reserve Act (H.R. 7009) was incorporated into the bill text of H.R. 6047 and would help more reservists and National Guard members buy a home. Currently, Guard and Reserve members must serve at least 90 days of non-training federal active duty or six years in the National Guard or Reserve to apply for VA home loans, which require no down payment and offer a competitive interest rate. Barrett’s bill would expand eligibility and allow Guard and Reserve members who have served 14 total days of active duty, inactive duty training, or annual training duty to apply for a VA home loan.

What Happens Next?

The bill now moves to the Senate, where lawmakers will determine whether the legislation advances toward becoming law.

Military and veteran advocacy groups are encouraging military families, survivors, and veterans to continue following the legislation as it progresses through Congress.