H.R. 3123 · 119th Congress

Ernest Peltz Accrued Veterans Benefits Act

Introduced on Apr 30, 2025 by Elise M. Stefanik (R-NY-21). 2 cosponsors, 2 of them from another party. Latest action (Feb 3, 2026): Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Stage
Passed one chamber
Introduced
Apr 30, 2025
Cosponsors
2
2 from the other party
Policy area
Armed Forces and National Security
Open in the Congress explorerCongress.govAlert me

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. 4Passed both chambers
  5. 5Sent to the President
  6. 6Became law

Official title

To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements to laws relating to the payment of certain benefits administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs that are affected by death, and for other purposes.

Subjects

  • Family relationships
  • Veterans' pensions and compensation

Summary

By the Congressional Research Service (Introduced in House, Apr 30, 2025). Public domain.

Ernest Peltz Accrued Veterans Benefits Act

This bill establishes procedures for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to issue a pension that was due but unpaid at the time of a veteran’s death. Specifically, if the VA issues a decision awarding entitlement to a pension to a veteran prior to the veteran’s death but issues the payment after the veteran dies, the pension must be paid to the first available recipient on the following list: (1) the veteran’s living spouse; (2) the veteran’s living children; (3) the veteran’s living dependent parents; or (4) the estate of the veteran, unless the estate will escheat (i.e., transfer to the state). To be eligible for such pension payments, a claimant of accrued benefits must file an application within one year after the veteran's death.

If no application for accrued benefits is filed within one year following the death of the veteran, the pension must be paid to the veteran’s estate unless the estate will escheat.

Sponsor and cosponsors

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

Elise M. StefanikR-NY-21Sponsor

Democrats · 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, as Amended
    Feb 2, 2026· House· Passage· Passed 405–1

History

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

  1. Apr 30, 2025Introduced in House
  2. Apr 30, 2025Introduced in House
  3. Apr 30, 2025 · HouseReferred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
  4. May 15, 2025 · HouseReferred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.
  5. Jun 24, 2025 · HouseSubcommittee Hearings Held
  6. Jul 23, 2025 · HouseSubcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Discharged
  7. Jul 23, 2025 · HouseCommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
  8. Jul 23, 2025 · HouseOrdered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
  9. Oct 8, 2025Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. H. Rept. 119-339.
  10. Oct 8, 2025 · HouseReported (Amended) by the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. H. Rept. 119-339.
  11. Oct 8, 2025 · HousePlaced on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 291.
  12. Feb 2, 2026 · HouseMr. Bost moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
  13. Feb 2, 2026 · HouseConsidered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H1930-1932)
  14. Feb 2, 2026 · HouseDEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 3123.
  15. Feb 2, 2026 · 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.
  16. Feb 2, 2026 · HouseConsidered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H1937-1938)
  17. Feb 2, 2026Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 405 - 1 (Roll no. 50). (text: CR H1930-1931)House · Roll call 50
  18. Feb 2, 2026 · HouseOn motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 405 - 1 (Roll no. 50). (text: CR H1930-1931)House · Roll call 50
  19. Feb 2, 2026 · HouseMotion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  20. Feb 3, 2026 · SenateReceived in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

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.

Who lobbied on it

Organizations whose lobbying reports (LD-2) name this measure. Spending is what they reported for those quarters on all issues, not on this measure alone.

  1. PARALYZED VETERANS OF AMERICA5 reports
    $483.9K reported (all issues)

Reports filed in 2025, 2026.

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 6, 2026 · loaded Oct 6, 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.
  • Money and votes are shown side by side; neither explains the other.