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Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2021

Public Law 117-45 · S. 189 · 117th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Joe Biden (D) on Oct 8, 2021 · Armed Forces and National Security

Sponsor: Sen. John Thune (R-SD)

Cosponsors (9): Sen. Brian Schatz,

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseRecorded vote: 423 yea, 0 nay423–0
  • SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to increase the amounts payable for wartime disability compensation, additional compensation for dependents, the clothing allowance for certain disabled veterans, and dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children. Specifically, the VA must increase the amounts by the same percentage as the cost-of-living increase in benefits for Social Security recipients that is effective on December 1, 2021. The bill requires the VA to publish the amounts payable, as increased, in the Federal Register.

The VA is authorized to make a similar adjustment to the rates of disability compensation payable to persons who have not received compensation for service-connected disability or death.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 117th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 423 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

423 yea0 nay8 present or did not vote

ProEstablishmentAnti
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(216)

Republicans who voted yea(207)

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 261 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

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Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Related bills

3 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • H.R. 3909Related bill

    Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2021

  • H.R. 7846 · became Public Law 117-191Related bill

    Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2022

  • S. 4223Related bill

    Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2022

Data notes

Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 21 actions.

  1. Oct 8, 2021Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 117-45.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Sep 27, 2021FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Sep 20, 2021FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  5. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 423 - 0 (Roll no. 262).House roll call 262
  6. FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
  7. FloorFloor · At 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.
  8. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 189.
  9. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  10. FloorFloor · Mr. Takano moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
  11. Jul 26, 2021FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
  12. FloorFloor · Received in the House.
  13. FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  14. Jul 21, 2021FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment and an amendment to the Title by Unanimous Consent.
  15. Jun 24, 2021CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 84.
  16. CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Reported by Senator Tester with an amendment in the nature of a substitute and an amendment to the title. Without written report.
  17. May 26, 2021CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment favorably.
  18. Apr 28, 2021CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held.
  19. CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee
  20. Feb 3, 2021CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
  21. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes

Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.

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Amendments

No amendments to this bill are on record.

Data notes

Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.