H.R. 4637 — Veterans’ Surviving Spouse Equity Act of 2025

This section expands eligibility for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) under 38 U.S.C. §1318—which provides such benefits to the surviving spouse and children of veterans who died from non-service-connected causes but were rated totally disabled for service-connected disabilities at the time of death (if continuously rated so for 10 or more years preceding death, for at least five years from discharge, or for at least one year as former prisoners of war)—by adding a new criterion for surviving spouses. Under the new criterion, a surviving spouse qualifies if they lived with the veteran in the same household for at least one year immediately preceding death and held themselves out publicly as the veteran's spouse during that period, regardless of any other legal or religious marriages by either party. (Thus, eligibility no longer requires a one-year legal marriage or a child born of the marriage.)