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H.R. 970

U.S. House•Passed

Summary

H.R. 970, the Fairness for Servicemembers and their Families Act of 2025, was introduced in the House on Feb 4, 2025 by Rep. Marilyn Strickland (D) with 2 co-sponsors. It last saw action on Dec 12, 2025: Became Public Law No: 119-54. It is now Public Law 119-54.

Record

Text

H.R. 970 has 2 co-sponsors.

hb970/engrossed-in-house.txt
119 HR 970 EH: Fairness for Servicemembers and their Families Act of 2025
 U.S. House of Representatives
 text/xml
 EN
 Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
 I
 119th CONGRESS  1st Session
 H. R. 970
 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 AN ACT
To amend title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to periodically review the automatic maximum coverage under the Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance program and the Veterans' Group Life Insurance program, and for other purposes.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the   Fairness for Servicemembers and their Families Act of 2025  .
2.
Periodic review of automatic maximum coverage under Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance and Veterans’ Group Life insurance
(a)
In general
Subchapter III of  chapter 19  of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
1980B.
Periodic review of automatic maximum coverage
(a)
In general
On January 1, 2026, and every five years thereafter, the Secretary shall—
(1)
complete a review of how the amount specified in section 1967(a)(3)(A)(i) compares to the amount described in subsection (b); and
(2)
submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Senate the results of the review, which may serve as a guide for coverage increases within the existing administrative incremental structure.
(b)
Amount described
The amount described in this subsection is the amount equal to—
(1)
$500,000; multiplied by
(2)
the average percentage by which the Consumer Price Index changed during the five fiscal years preceding the review under subsection (a).
(c)
Consumer Price Index defined
In this section, the term  Consumer Price Index  means the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of Labor.
 .
(b)
Clerical amendment
The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 19 of such title is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 1980A the following new item:
1980B. Periodic review of automatic maximum coverage.
  .
    Passed the House of Representatives April 7, 2025.  Kevin F. McCumber,  Clerk.

Tracker

The tracker indicates the progress of this legislation as it moves through the legislative process.

  1. Introduced2025-02-04
  2. Passed House2025-04-07
  3. Passed Senate2025-11-20
  4. Conference
  5. To President2025-12-03
  6. Became Law2025-12-12

CRS Summary

The summaries are the Congressional Research Service’s, one per stage. Read them in full.

Public Law Dec 12, 2025

hb970/public-law.md

Shown Here:
Public Law (12/12/2025)

Fairness for Servicemembers and their Families Act of 2025

This act requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to periodically review and report on the maximum coverage available under the Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance and Veterans' Group Life Insurance programs. Specifically, the VA must review such coverage amount every five years, taking into account the average percentage by which the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased in the five fiscal years preceding the review.

Introduced in House Feb 4, 2025

hb970/introduced-in-house.md

Shown Here:
Introduced in House (02/04/2025)

Fairness for Servicemembers and their Families Act of 2025

This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to periodically review and report on the maximum coverage available under the Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance and Veterans' Group Life Insurance programs. Specifically, the VA must review such coverage amount every five years, taking into account the average percentage by which the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased in the five fiscal years preceding the review.

Sponsors

Rep. Marilyn Strickland (D) sponsors H.R. 970, and 2 members have co-sponsored it, 1 of them from the day it was introduced.

Committees

H.R. 970 went before 3 committees: Veterans' Affairs, Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee and Veterans' Affairs.

Veterans' Affairs
Veterans' Affairs
Discharged From · Nov 20, 2025
Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee
Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee
Referred to · Mar 6, 2025 · 62 Bills
Veterans' Affairs
Veterans' Affairs
Referred To · Feb 4, 2025 · 285 Bills

Actions

H.R. 970 has taken 17 actions since Feb 4, 2025, the latest on Dec 12, 2025.

ChamberAction
Dec 12, 2025
House
Signed by President.
Dec 12, 2025
House
Became Public Law No: 119-54.
Dec 3, 2025
House
Presented to President.
Nov 20, 2025
Senate
Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs discharged by Unanimous Consent.Veterans' Affairs Committee
Nov 20, 2025
Senate
Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S8399-8400)

Votes

H.R. 970 has not gone to a roll call.

1 bill is related to H.R. 970, as Identical bill.

Titles

H.R. 970 goes by 7 titles, 4 of them short titles.

  • To amend title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to periodically review the automatic maximum coverage under the Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance program and the Veterans' Group Life Insurance program, and for other purposes. — Official Titles from EH (Engrossed in House) bill text
  • Fairness for Servicemembers and their Families Act of 2025 — Short Titles from ENR (Enrolled) bill text
  • Fairness for Servicemembers and their Families Act of 2025 — Short Titles from RFS (Referred to Senate) bill text
  • Fairness for Servicemembers and their Families Act of 2025 — Short Title(s) as Passed House
  • Fairness for Servicemembers and their Families Act of 2025 — Display Title
  • Fairness for Servicemembers and their Families Act of 2025 — Short Title(s) as Introduced
  • To amend title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to periodically review the automatic maximum coverage under the Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance program and the Veterans' Group Life Insurance program, and for other purposes. — Official Title as Introduced

Lobbying

3 clients hired 3 firms and 23 registered lobbyists who named H.R. 970 in 7 quarterly filings, 2025 to 2026. Reported under the Lobbying Disclosure Act; a filing’s income covers everything its registrant worked that quarter, so the amounts below are the filings’, not this bill’s.

Filed under Veterans, Defense, Taxation/Internal Revenue Code, Banking, Budget/Appropriations, Copyright/Patent/Trademark, Consumer Issues/Safety/Products, Disaster Planning/Emergencies.

Clients

Who paid to be heard, by how many filings named the bill.

ClientBusinessStateFirmsFilingsReported
UNITED SERVICES AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION—District of Columbia13—
DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS—District of Columbia12—
MILITARY OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICASteven Strobridge, Col, Delisted for 04/26/2013 Rene Campos, CDR, Delisted for 06/17/2013Virginia12—

Firms

Registrants who filed on the bill, by filings.

RegistrantClientsFilingsReported
UNITED SERVICES AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION13—
DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS12—
MILITARY OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA12—

Lobbyists

Named on the filings that cite the bill. The 20 named most often, of 23.

LobbyistFirmsClientsFilings
EMILY CABANATUAN113
ERIN MARTINKO113
LARICKE BLANCHARD113
SARAH NICHOLSON113
APRIL VOGEL112
BRENDEN MCMAHON112
BRIAN KELLY112
JAMES O'BRIEN112
JENNIFER GOODALE112
JON RETZER112
KAREN RUEDISUELI112
KEVIN MILLER112
NAOMI MATHIS112
PETER DICKINSON112
RENE CAMPOS112
SHAMALA CAPIZZI112
TERRY WATERS112
CORY TITUS111
JEFFREY GOLDBERG111
JIMMY SANTOS111

Filings

The documents themselves, on the Senate’s Lobbying Disclosure site, largest reported first.

ClientRegistrantPeriodReportedDocument
MILITARY OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAMILITARY OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA2025 second_quarter$865.3K2nd Quarter - Report
UNITED SERVICES AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATIONUNITED SERVICES AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION2025 fourth_quarter$550K4th Quarter - Report
MILITARY OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAMILITARY OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA2026 first_quarter$481.6K1st Quarter - Report
UNITED SERVICES AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATIONUNITED SERVICES AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION2025 second_quarter$460K2nd Quarter - Report
UNITED SERVICES AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATIONUNITED SERVICES AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION2025 third_quarter$380K3rd Quarter - Report
DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANSDISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS2026 first_quarter$175.9K1st Quarter - Report
DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANSDISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS2026 second_quarter$149.2K2nd Quarter - Report

Classification

The Congressional Research Service files H.R. 970 under Armed Forces and National Security, one of its 31 policy areas, and gives it 3 legislative subjects.

CRS Subjects

CRS assigns every bill one policy area from its 31; H.R. 970’s is Armed Forces and National Security.

hr970/policy-areas.txt
Armed Forces and National SecurityAgriculture and FoodAnimalsArts, Culture, ReligionCivil Rights and Liberties, Minority IssuesCommerceCongressCrime and Law EnforcementEconomics and Public FinanceEducationEmergency ManagementEnergyEnvironmental ProtectionFamiliesFinance and Financial SectorForeign Trade and International FinanceGovernment Operations and PoliticsHealthHousing and Community DevelopmentImmigrationInternational AffairsLabor and EmploymentLawNative AmericansPublic Lands and Natural ResourcesScience, Technology, CommunicationsSocial WelfareSports and RecreationTaxationTransportation and Public WorksWater Resources Development

Legislative Subjects

H.R. 970 carries 3 of CRS’s legislative subjects, from Government studies and investigations to Veterans' pensions and compensation.

hr970/subjects.txt
Government studies and investigationsLife, casualty, property insuranceVeterans' pensions and compensation

Constitutional authority

The clause the sponsor cites as Congress’s power to enact H.R. 970, as entered in the Congressional Record.

[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 23 (Tuesday, February 4, 2025)][House]From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]By Ms. STRICKLAND:H.R. 970.Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuantto the following:Article I, Section 8[Page H461]

Source: congress.gov · legiscan.com