H.R. 5028: Protecting Benefits for Disabled Veterans Act of 2019

116th Congress · introduced 2019-11-08 · Armed Forces and National Security · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2019-11-08 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Waters, Maxine [D-CA-43] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Protecting Benefits for Disabled Veterans Act of 2019

Plain summary

Protecting Benefits for Disabled Veterans Act of 2019 This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to assign, for purposes of the disability compensation program, a disability rating of total to a veteran who meets certain parameters and is unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment due to a service-connected disability. Specifically, the VA may make such a disability determination if a veteran has a service-connected disability rated at least 60%, or has two or more service-connected disabilities with one being at least 40% and a combined total of at least 70%. The VA may also make a determination on the disability rating in circumstances where a veteran meeting the specified parameters maintains marginal employment (income is less than the poverty threshold), or if the veteran maintains substantially gainful employment (exceeds the poverty threshold) and the VA determines that the rating is appropriate. The bill prescribes what disabilities may be considered as one disability (e.g., disabilities incurred or aggravated as a prisoner of war). The VA may not consider the age of a veteran or eligibility for retirement benefits when making any determination related to disability rating.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Protecting Benefits for Disabled Veterans Act of 2019

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Waters, Maxine [D-CA-43] · 19 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Joyce Beatty (D-OH), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Darren Soto (D-FL), Henry Cuellar (D-TX), Gwen Moore (D-WI), Chris Pappas (D-NH), Pete Aguilar (D-CA), Joseph D. Morelle (D-NY), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Rosa L. DeLauro (D-CT), Dina Titus (D-NV), Veronica Escobar (D-TX), Julia Brownley (D-CA)

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Waters, Maxine [D-CA-43] reported raising $1.1 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (2)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-116hr5028.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/116/hr>

Record fed-us-cong116-hr5028 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116