March 12, 2026
Mr. Van Epps (for himself, Mrs. Kiggans of Virginia, Ms. Tokuda, Mr. Davis of North Carolina, Mr. Ellzey, Mr. Harrigan, Mr. Timmons, Mr. Bishop, Mr. Van Orden, Mr. Rose, Mr. James, and Mr. Burchett) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services
To increase the death gratuity payable upon the death of a member of the Armed Forces and to provide for annual cost-of-living adjustments to such death gratuity, and for other purposes.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Honoring Our Nation’s Obligation to Remember Gold Star Families Act
or the HONOR Gold Star Families Act
.
Sec. 2. Increase in death gratuity
(a) Increase
Section 1478(a) of title 10, United States Code, is amended by striking $100,000
and inserting $200,000
.
(b) Applicability
The amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to deaths occurring on or after January 1, 2026.
Sec. 3. Cost-of-living adjustment of death gratuity
(a) Adjustment
Section 1478 of title 10, United States Code, as amended by section 2 of this Act, is amended by inserting after subsection (b) the following new subsection:
(c) Annual adjustment to death gratuity
(1)
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.
(2)
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.
(b) Applicability
The amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply beginning on January 1, 2027.