S. 189 · 117th Congress

Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2021

Introduced on Feb 3, 2021 by John Thune (R-SD). 9 cosponsors, 8 of them from another party. Became Public Law 117-45.

Stage
Became law
Public Law 117-45
Introduced
Feb 3, 2021
Cosponsors
9
8 from the other party
Policy area
Armed Forces and National Security
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Progress

The furthest stage the measure reached. Simple and concurrent resolutions do not go to the President.

  1. Introduced
  2. Reported by committee
  3. Passed one chamber
  4. Passed both chambers
  5. Sent to the President
  6. Became law

Official title

A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for annual cost-of-living adjustments to be made automatically by law each year in the rates of disability compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for survivors of certain service-connected disabled veterans, and for other purposes.

Subjects

  • Administrative law and regulatory procedures
  • Department of Veterans Affairs
  • Disability assistance
  • Inflation and prices
  • Veterans' pensions and compensation

Summary

By the Congressional Research Service (Public Law, Oct 8, 2021). Public domain.

Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2021

This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to increase the amounts payable for wartime disability compensation, additional compensation for dependents, the clothing allowance for certain disabled veterans, and dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children. Specifically, the VA must increase the amounts by the same percentage as the cost-of-living increase in benefits for Social Security recipients that is effective on December 1, 2021. The bill requires the VA to publish the amounts payable, as increased, in the Federal Register.

The VA is authorized to make a similar adjustment to the rates of disability compensation payable to persons who have not received compensation for service-connected disability or death.

Sponsor and cosponsors

Cosponsors by party as of the day they signed on. Original cosponsors signed on the day of introduction.

John ThuneR-SDSponsor

Democrats · 7

Independents · 2

Roll calls

Recorded votes on the measure. Most measures move by voice vote or unanimous consent, which record no individual positions.

  1. On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass
    Sep 20, 2021· House· Passage· Passed 423–0

History

Every action as published, oldest first. Roll calls link to how each member voted.

  1. Feb 3, 2021Introduced in Senate
  2. Feb 3, 2021 · SenateRead twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. (text: CR S319)
  3. Apr 28, 2021 · SenateCommittee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held.
  4. May 26, 2021 · SenateCommittee on Veterans' Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment favorably.
  5. Jun 24, 2021Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Reported by Senator Tester with an amendment in the nature of a substitute and an amendment to the title. Without written report.
  6. Jun 24, 2021 · SenateCommittee on Veterans' Affairs. Reported by Senator Tester with an amendment in the nature of a substitute and an amendment to the title. Without written report.
  7. Jun 24, 2021 · SenatePlaced on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 84.
  8. Jul 21, 2021Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment and an amendment to the Title by Unanimous Consent.(consideration: CR S5023; text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR S5023)
  9. Jul 21, 2021 · SenatePassed Senate with an amendment and an amendment to the Title by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S5023; text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR S5023)
  10. Jul 26, 2021 · SenateMessage on Senate action sent to the House.
  11. Jul 26, 2021 · HouseReceived in the House.
  12. Jul 26, 2021 · HouseHeld at the desk.
  13. Sep 20, 2021 · HouseMr. Takano moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
  14. Sep 20, 2021 · HouseConsidered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H4536-4537)
  15. Sep 20, 2021 · HouseDEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 189.
  16. Sep 20, 2021 · HouseAt the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
  17. Sep 20, 2021 · HouseConsidered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H4544)
  18. Sep 20, 2021Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 423 - 0 (Roll no. 262).(text: CR H4536)House · Roll call 262
  19. Sep 20, 2021 · HouseOn motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 423 - 0 (Roll no. 262). (text: CR H4536)House · Roll call 262
  20. Sep 20, 2021 · HouseMotion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  21. Sep 27, 2021Presented to President.
  22. Sep 27, 2021 · HousePresented to President.
  23. Oct 8, 2021Signed by President.
  24. Oct 8, 2021Signed by President.
  25. Oct 8, 2021Became Public Law No: 117-45.
  26. Oct 8, 2021Became Public Law No: 117-45.

Committees

Committees and subcommittees the measure was referred to.

Agencies in its committees' jurisdiction

Analisa's mapping of committee jurisdiction to federal agencies; the bill may touch others, or none of these.

Sources and method

Every figure on this page traces to these records.

  • Bill status: bills and resolutions, sponsors, actions, subjects and CRS summaries (U.S. Government Publishing Office (GovInfo), from Congress.gov (Library of Congress))GovInfo Bill Status bulk data (Congress.gov; summaries by the Congressional Research Service) · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: Public domain (U.S. Government work, 17 U.S.C. § 105)
  • Members of Congress, their terms, committees and identifiers (The @unitedstates project (from the Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress, the House and the Senate))unitedstates/congress-legislators: legislators, committees and current committee membership · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: CC0 1.0 (public domain dedication)
  • House roll-call votes (Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives)Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, roll-call vote records · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: Public domain (U.S. Government work, 17 U.S.C. § 105)
  • Senate roll-call votes and DW-NOMINATE scores (Voteview (UCLA Department of Political Science))Lewis, Jeffrey B., Keith Poole, Howard Rosenthal, Adam Boche, Aaron Rudkin, and Luke Sonnet (2026). Voteview: Congressional Roll-Call Votes Database. https://voteview.com/ · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: Free to use with the required citation
  • Lobbying disclosures (LD-1 registrations, LD-2 quarterly reports, LD-203 contribution reports) (Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives)Clerk of the House, Lobbying Disclosure Act filings (organizations only; lobbyists' names are not loaded) · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: Public domain (U.S. Government work, 17 U.S.C. § 105)
  • Positions are shown only where a roll call recorded them; voice votes and unanimous consent record none.