Congress·In Committee·H.R. 7932

Rep. Van Epps Introduces HONOR Gold Star Families Act to Double Military Death Benefits

HONOR Gold Star Families Act

2 days ago·View on Congress.gov

Legislative Progress

House

Senate

President

Law

Key Points

This bill doubles the one-time cash payment given to families when a service member dies while serving in the military, raising it from $100,000 to $200,000. This "death gratuity" helps families cover immediate expenses like funeral costs, relocation, and lost income.
From policy text
“Section 1478(a) of title 10, United States Code, is amended by striking ``$100,000'' and inserting ``$200,000''.”
View in full text
The higher $200,000 payment would be backdated to cover any military deaths that occurred on or after January 1, 2026, ensuring families who recently lost a loved one receive the updated amount.
From policy text
“The amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to deaths occurring on or after January 1, 2026.”
View in full text
Starting January 1, 2027, the death gratuity would automatically increase each year based on inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index. This prevents the benefit from losing its purchasing power over time as prices rise.
From policy text
“On January 1 of each year, the amount of the death gratuity payable under subsection (a) shall be increased by the percentage (if any) by which the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, during the preceding calendar year exceeds such Consumer Price Index for the calendar year before such preceding calendar year, rounded to the nearest $100.”
View in full text
The Secretary of Defense would be required to publish the updated death gratuity amount in the Federal Register each year, making the current benefit level publicly transparent.
From policy text
“The Secretary of Defense shall annually publish the amount of the death gratuity payable under subsection (a), as adjusted by paragraph (1), in the Federal Register.”
View in full text

Veterans

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

Who is affectedScoreImpactCertaintyScopeDurationSentiment

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions

Mar 12, 2026House

Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.

Mar 12, 2026

Introduced in House

What Happens Next

Projected impacts based on AI analysis

Upon enactment

Higher $200,000 death gratuity takes effect, backdated to January 1, 2026

If enacted, families of service members who died on or after January 1, 2026 would receive the doubled payment — including retroactive payments for any deaths that already occurred.

Related News

2 articles

Clarksville Now·2 days ago

Rep. Van Epps sponsors bill to double military death survivor benefit to $200,000

Rep. Matt Van Epps has introduced his first piece of legislation, the HONOR Gold Star Families Act, which doubles the military death benefit from $100,000 to $200,000. The bill aims to provide immediate financial support to families of fallen service members and includes inflation protection.

C+

The Beaver FM·2 days ago

Reps. Van Epps, Kiggans, Tokuda Introduce Legislation to Double Gold Star Family Bridge Payment

A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced the HONOR Gold Star Families Act to double the military bridge payment to $200,000. The legislation is retroactive to the start of 2026 to support families of seven service members recently killed in the Middle East during Operation Epic Fury.