Veterans’ Surviving Spouse Equity Act of 2025

The Veterans’ Surviving Spouse Equity Act of 2025 (H.R. 4637) would broaden who can qualify for certain survivor benefits administered by the VA for a veteran who was rated totally disabled at the time of death. Specifically, it amends 38 U.S.C. 1318(c) to add a new pathway for surviv­ing spouses. In addition to existing criteria, the bill would allow eligibility for a surviving spouse who (A) was married to the veteran for at least one year immediately before the veteran’s death, or (B) lived with the veteran in the same household for at least one year immediately before death and publicly represented themselves as the spouse, even if the veteran or the surviving spouse later entered another marriage. The overall purpose is to provide greater equity for surviving spouses who may not meet narrow formal marriage requirements but had sustained, long-term relationships with the veteran. The bill’s text does not include an explicit effective date, so if enacted, the new criteria would apply to survivors meeting these standards once the law takes effect. It focuses narrowly on survivors of veterans who were rated totally disabled at death and expands the definition of “spouse” for eligibility purposes within that program.