Medal of Honor Act
Signed into law Dec 1, 2025 · Armed Forces and National Security
What this law does
- Increases the monthly special pension paid to living Medal of Honor recipients.
- Bars Veterans Affairs from adding an inflation increase to that pension in a year when it was already raised.
- Extends the $90 monthly pension limit for veterans in Medicaid nursing homes with no spouse or child from November 30, 2031, to January 31, 2033.
The U.S. Constitution does not limit a bill to one subject, so a single law can carry several separate measures. Lawmakers vote yes or no on the whole package.
Plain-language list by Voting On, based only on the official summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service and the bill's titles. Read the official summary.
How it became law
- IntroducedJan 23, 2025 · House
- 34 daysPassed HouseFeb 26, 2025
- 254 daysPassed SenateNov 7, 2025
- 18 daysPresented to the PresidentNov 25, 2025
- 6 daysSigned into lawDec 1, 2025
Official summary
Medal of Honor Act
This act increases the monthly special pension for living Medal of Honor recipients. The act also prohibits the Department of Veterans Affairs from increasing the amount of the pension for inflation if the amount was already increased during such year.
Additionally, the act extends a limitation on the pension paid to veterans who reside in Medicaid nursing homes and have no spouse or child. Currently, such pensions are limited to $90 per month through November 30, 2031. The act extends this limitation through January 31, 2033.
Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service (Public Law, Dec 1, 2025).
Who wrote it
Sponsor: Rep. Nehls, Troy E. [R-TX-22]
4 cosponsors: 1 Democrats, 3 Republicans. 3 signed on the day it was introduced, 1 joined later.
Show all cosponsors
| Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|
| Rep. Pappas, Chris [D-NH-1] | Jan 23, 2025 | Original cosponsor |
| Rep. Boebert, Lauren [R-CO-4] | Jan 23, 2025 | Original cosponsor |
| Rep. De La Cruz, Monica [R-TX-15] | Jan 23, 2025 | Original cosponsor |
| Rep. Van Drew, Jefferson [R-NJ-2] | Feb 4, 2025 |
Recorded votes
| Date | Chamber | Vote | Yeas | Nays |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 26, 2025 | House | On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 424 - 0 (Roll no. 51). | 424 | 0 |
What was added
Amendments adopted (0)
No floor amendments were adopted. Any changes were made in committee or in a later version of the bill.
Sections in the final law that were not in the first version (Introduced in House) (1)
- 4. Extension of certain limits on payments of pension
What was removed
Sections in the first version (Introduced in House) that did not make it into the law (0)
None. Every section heading from the first version (Introduced in House) remains in the law.
Compared by section heading between the Introduced in House text (Jan 23, 2025) and the Enrolled Bill text, both from GovInfo. Wording changes inside a section that kept its heading are not shown here; see the amendments and the text versions.
Proposed but not adopted
No amendments were voted down or withdrawn.
Full action history
Show all 21 official actions
| Dec 1, 2025 | Signed by President. |
| Dec 1, 2025 | Signed by President. |
| Dec 1, 2025 | Became Public Law No: 119-43. |
| Dec 1, 2025 | Became Public Law No: 119-43. |
| Nov 25, 2025 | Presented to President. |
| Nov 25, 2025 | Presented to President. |
| Nov 7, 2025 | Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs discharged by Unanimous Consent. |
| Nov 7, 2025 | Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs discharged by Unanimous Consent. |
| Nov 7, 2025 | Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. |
| Nov 7, 2025 | Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S7976-7977) |
| Nov 7, 2025 | Message on Senate action sent to the House. |
| Feb 27, 2025 | Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. |
| Feb 26, 2025 | Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection. |
| Feb 26, 2025 | Passed/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): 424 - 0 (Roll no. 51). (text: CR H857) |
| Feb 26, 2025 | On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 424 - 0 (Roll no. 51). (text: CR H857) |
| Feb 26, 2025 | DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 695. |
| Feb 26, 2025 | Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H857-859) |
| Feb 26, 2025 | Mr. Bost moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended. |
| Jan 23, 2025 | Introduced in House |
| Jan 23, 2025 | Introduced in House |
| Jan 23, 2025 | Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. |
Sources: Congress.gov (bill record, sponsors, actions, amendments, CRS summary) and GovInfo (official text). Days are calendar days.