{"format":1,"id":"119-hr-3123","congress":119,"number":"H.R. 3123","kind":"bill","group":"bills","title":"Ernest Peltz Accrued Veterans Benefits Act","title_source":"Short Title(s) as Passed House","official_title":"To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements to laws relating to the payment of certain benefits administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs that are affected by death, and for other purposes.","titles":[{"type":"Official Title as Introduced","title":"To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements to laws relating to the payment of certain benefits administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs that are affected by death, and for other purposes."},{"type":"Short Titles from RFS (Referred to Senate) bill text","title":"Ernest Peltz Accrued Veterans Benefits Act"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Passed House","title":"Ernest Peltz Accrued Veterans Benefits Act"},{"type":"Official Title from EH (Engrossed in House) bill text","title":"To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements to laws relating to the payment of certain benefits administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs that are affected by death, and for other purposes."},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Reported to House","title":"Ernest Peltz Accrued Veterans Benefits Act"},{"type":"Display Title","title":"Ernest Peltz Accrued Veterans Benefits Act"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Introduced","title":"Ernest Peltz Accrued Veterans Benefits Act"}],"outcome":"passed_house","law_number":null,"introduced":"2025-04-30","chambers":{"house":{"status":"roll_call","date":"2026-02-02","vote":{"id":"119-2026-h50","question":"On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended","title":"Ernest Peltz Accrued Veterans Benefits Act","result":"Passed","yea":405,"nay":1,"present":0,"not_voting":26,"source":"https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2026/roll050.xml"}},"senate":{"status":"pending","date":null,"vote":null}},"president":{"status":"not_yet","date":null},"vice_president_tie_breaker":null,"latest_action":{"text":"Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.","date":"2026-02-03"},"nominees":null,"amendments":[],"other_votes":[],"crs_summary":{"date":"2025-04-30","stage":"Introduced in House","blocks":[{"k":"h","t":"Ernest Peltz Accrued Veterans Benefits Act"},{"k":"p","t":"This bill establishes procedures for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to issue a pension that was due but unpaid at the time of a veteran’s death. Specifically, if the VA issues a decision awarding entitlement to a pension to a veteran prior to the veteran’s death but issues the payment after the veteran dies, the pension must be paid to the first available recipient on the following list: (1) the veteran’s living spouse; (2) the veteran’s living children; (3) the veteran’s living dependent parents; or (4) the estate of the veteran, unless the estate will escheat (i.e., transfer to the state). To be eligible for such pension payments, a claimant of accrued benefits must file an application within one year after the veteran's death."},{"k":"p","t":"If no application for accrued benefits is filed within one year following the death of the veteran, the pension must be paid to the veteran’s estate unless the estate will escheat."}],"words":162},"summary":{"main_subject":{"text":"Adds a section to title 38, United States Code, that directs who is paid a veterans pension that was awarded but not yet paid when the veteran dies.","cites":[{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/3123/text/eh#H802CC08257F6409DBA752B6C5C3538AD"}]},"core_areas":["Payment of awarded but unpaid veterans pension after the veteran's death"],"what_it_does":[{"text":"Adds section 5121B to title 38, United States Code, covering a pension the Secretary of Veterans Affairs awarded before a veteran's death but paid after the veteran died.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/3123/text/eh#H802CC08257F6409DBA752B6C5C3538AD"}},{"text":"Requires the pension due and unpaid at the veteran's death to be paid to the first living person or entity on a list: the spouse, the children in equal shares, the dependent parents in equal shares, then the veteran's estate unless the estate will escheat.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/3123/text/eh#H802CC08257F6409DBA752B6C5C3538AD"}},{"text":"Requires the pension to be paid to the veteran's estate, unless the estate will escheat, if no application is filed under section 5121 of title 38 within the one-year period after the veteran's death.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/3123/text/eh#H802CC08257F6409DBA752B6C5C3538AD"}},{"text":"Amends section 5121(a) of title 38 to add a reference to section 5121B, and adds the new section to the table of sections of chapter 51.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/3123/text/eh#H802CC08257F6409DBA752B6C5C3538AD"}},{"text":"Applies the new section to the death of a veteran that occurs on or after the date of enactment.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/3123/text/eh#H802CC08257F6409DBA752B6C5C3538AD"}},{"text":"Amends section 5503(d)(7) of title 38 by replacing the date \"January 31, 2033\" with \"February 28, 2033\".","cite":{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/3123/text/eh#HECDF0E401C444A77AD3073967F9735AF"}}],"unexpected":[],"version":{"type":"Engrossed in House","date":"2026-02-02","rule":"passed","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/3123/text/eh"},"current":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","approved":"2026-10-03","approved_by":"checks"},"sources":{"congress_gov":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/3123","text":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/3123/text"},"card":{"image":"card/item/119-hr-3123.png","v":"2ce135741df7","alt":"Votes on Record. H.R. 3123, 119th Congress: Ernest Peltz Accrued Veterans Benefits Act. House: 405 Yea, 1 Nay. Senate: not yet considered. Outcome: Passed House, 2 Feb 2026."}}