II

Calendar No. 216

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. 1393

[Report No. 106–108]

To provide a cost-of-living adjustment in rates of compensation for veterans

with service-connected disabilities and dependency and indemnity compensation for survivors of such veterans, to amend title 38, United

States Code, to codify the previous cost-of-living adjustment in such

rates, and for other purposes.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

JULY 19, 1999

Mr. SPECTER, from the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, reported the

following original bill; which was read twice and placed on the calendar

A BILL

To provide a cost-of-living adjustment in rates of compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and

dependency and indemnity compensation for survivors

of such veterans, to amend title 38, United States Code,

to codify the previous cost-of-living adjustment in such

rates, and for other purposes.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans’ Compensa3 tion Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 1999’’.

4 SEC. 2. REFERENCES TO TITLE 38, UNITED STATES CODE.

5 Except as otherwise expressly provided, whenever in

6 this Act an amendment or repeal is expressed in terms

7 of an amendment to, or repeal of, a section or other provi8 sion, the reference shall be considered to be made to a

9 section or other provision of title 38, United States Code.

10 SEC. 3. INCREASE IN RATES OF DISABILITY COMPENSA11 TION AND DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY

12 COMPENSATION.

13 (a) RATE ADJUSTMENT.—The Secretary of Veterans

14 Affairs shall, effective on December 1, 1999, increase the

15 dollar amounts in effect for the payment of disability com16 pensation and dependency and indemnity compensation by

17 the Secretary, as specified in subsection (b).

18 (b) AMOUNTS TO BE INCREASED.—The dollar

19 amounts to be increased pursuant to subsection (a) are

20 the following:

21 (1) COMPENSATION.—Each of the dollar

22 amounts in effect under section 1114 of title 38,

23 United States Code.

24 (2) ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION FOR DEPEND25 ENTS.—Each of the dollar amounts in effect under

26 sections 1115(1) of such title.
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1 (3) CLOTHING ALLOWANCE.—The dollar

2 amount in effect under section 1162 of such title.

3 (4) NEW DIC RATES.—The dollar amounts in

4 effect under paragraphs (1) and (2) of section

5 1311(a) of such title.

6 (5) OLD DIC RATES.—Each of the dollar

7 amounts in effect under section 1311(a)(3) of such

8 title.

9 (6) ADDITIONAL DIC FOR SURVIVING SPOUSES

10 WITH MINOR CHILDREN.—The dollar amount in ef11 fect under section 1311(b) of such title.

12 (7) ADDITIONAL DIC FOR DISABILITY.—The

13 dollar amounts in effect under sections 1311(c) and

14 1311(d) of such title.

15 (8) DIC FOR DEPENDENT CHILDREN.—The

16 dollar amounts in effect under sections 1313(a) and

17 1314 of such title.

18 (c) DETERMINATION OF INCREASE.—(1) The in19 crease under subsection (a) shall be made in the dollar

20 amounts specified in subsection (b) as in effect on Novem21 ber 30, 1999.

22 (2) Except as provided in paragraph (3), each such

23 amount shall be increased by the same percentage as the

24 percentage by which benefit amounts payable under title

25 II of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 401 et seq.) are
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1 increased effective December 1, 1999, as a result of a de2 termination under section 215(i) of such Act (42 U.S.C.

3 415(i)).

4 (3) Each dollar amount increased pursuant to para5 graph (2) shall, if not a whole dollar amount, be rounded

6 down to the next lower whole dollar amount.

7 (d) SPECIAL RULE.—The Secretary of Veterans Af8 fairs may adjust administratively, consistent with the in9 creases made under subsection (a), the rates of disability

10 compensation payable to persons within the purview of

11 section 10 of Public Law 85–857 (72 Stat. 1263) who are

12 not in receipt of compensation payable pursuant to chap13 ter 11 of title 38, United States Code.

14 SEC. 4. PUBLICATION OF ADJUSTED RATES.

15 At the same time as the matters specified in section

16 215(i)(2)(D) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.

17 415(i)(2)(D)) are required to be published by reason of

18 a determination made under section 215(i) of such Act

19 during fiscal year 2000, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs

20 shall publish in the Federal Register the amounts specified

21 in subsection (b) of section 3, as increased pursuant to

22 that section.

23 SEC. 5. DISABILITY COMPENSATION RATE AMENDMENTS.

24 Section 1114 is amended—
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1 (1) by striking ‘‘$95’’ in subsection (a) and in2 serting ‘‘$96’’;

3 (2) by striking ‘‘$182’’ in subsection (b) and in4 serting ‘‘$184’’;

5 (3) by striking ‘‘$279’’ in subsection (c) and in6 serting ‘‘$282’’;

7 (4) by striking ‘‘$399’’ in subsection (d) and in8 serting ‘‘$404’’;

9 (5) by striking ‘‘$569’’ in subsection (e) and in10 serting ‘‘$576’’;

11 (6) by striking ‘‘$717’’ in subsection (f) and in12 serting ‘‘$726’’;

13 (7) by striking ‘‘$905’’ in subsection (g) and in14 serting ‘‘$916’’;

15 (8) by striking ‘‘$1,049’’ in subsection (h) and

16 inserting ‘‘$1,062’’;

17 (9) by striking ‘‘$1,181’’ in subsection (i) and

18 inserting ‘‘$1,196’’;

19 (10) by striking ‘‘$1,964’’ in subsection (j) and

20 inserting ‘‘$1,989’’;

21 (11) by striking ‘‘$2,443’’ and ‘‘$3,426’’ in sub22 section (k) and inserting ‘‘$2,474’’ and ‘‘$3,470’’,

23 respectively;

24 (12) by striking ‘‘$2,443’’ in subsection (l) and

25 inserting ‘‘$2,474’’;
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1 (13) by striking ‘‘$2,694’’ in subsection (m)

2 and inserting ‘‘$2,729’’;

3 (14) by striking ‘‘$3,066’’ in subsection (n) and

4 inserting ‘‘$3,105’’;

5 (15) by striking ‘‘$3,426’’ each place it appears

6 in subsections (o) and (p) and inserting ‘‘$3,470’’;

7 (16) by striking ‘‘$1,471’’ and ‘‘$2,190’’ in sub8 section (r) and inserting ‘‘$1,490’’ and ‘‘$2,218’’,

9 respectively; and

10 (17) by striking ‘‘$2,199’’ in subsection (s) and

11 inserting ‘‘$2,227’’.

12 SEC. 6. RATE AMENDMENTS FOR ADDITIONAL COMPENSA13 TION FOR DEPENDENTS.

14 Section 1115(1) is amended—

15 (1) by striking ‘‘$114’’ in clause (A) and insert16 ing ‘‘$115’’;

17 (2) by striking ‘‘$195’’ in clause (B) and insert18 ing ‘‘$197’’;

19 (3) by striking ‘‘$78’’ in clause (C) and insert20 ing ‘‘$79’’;

21 (4) by striking ‘‘$92’’ in clause (D) and insert22 ing ‘‘$93’’;

23 (5) by striking ‘‘$215’’ in clause (E) and insert24 ing ‘‘$217’’; and
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1 (6) by striking ‘‘$180’’ in clause (F) and insert2 ing ‘‘$182’’.

3 SEC. 7. RATE AMENDMENT FOR CLOTHING ALLOWANCE

4 FOR CERTAIN DISABLED VETERANS.

5 Section 1162 is amended by striking ‘‘$528’’ and in6 serting ‘‘$534’’.

7 SEC. 8. RATE AMENDMENTS FOR DEPENDENCY AND IN8 DEMNITY COMPENSATION FOR SURVIVING

9 SPOUSES.

10 (a) NEW LAW RATES.—Section 1311(a) is

11 amended—

12 (1) by striking ‘‘$850’’ in paragraph (1) and in13 serting ‘‘$861’’; and

14 (2) by striking ‘‘$185’’ in paragraph (2) and in15 serting ‘‘$187’’.

16 (b) OLD LAW RATES.—The table in section

17 1311(a)(3) is amended to read as follows:

Monthly Monthly

‘‘Pay grade rate Pay grade rate

E–1 ........... $861 W–4 .......... $1,030

E–2 ........... 861 O–1 ........... 909

E–3 ........... 861 O–2 ........... 940

E–4 ........... 861 O–3 ........... 1,004

E–5 ........... 861 O–4 ........... 1,062

E–6 ........... 861 O–5 ........... 1,170

E–7 ........... 890 O–6 ........... 1,318

E–8 ........... 940 O–7 ........... 1,424

E–9 ........... 1980 O–8 ........... 1,561

W–1 .......... 909 O–9 ........... 1,672

W–2 .......... 946 O–10 ......... 21,834

W–3 .......... 974

‘‘1If the veteran served as sergeant major of the

Army, senior enlisted advisor of the Navy, chief

master sergeant of the Air Force, sergeant major

of the Marine Corps, or master chief petty officer

of the Coast Guard, at the applicable time designated by section 1302 of this title, the surviving

spouse’s rate shall be $1,057.
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‘‘2If the veteran served as Chairman or Vice

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Chief of

Staff of the Army, Chief of Naval Operations,

Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Commandant of

the Marine Corps, or Commandant of the Coast

Guard, at the applicable time designated by section 1302 of this title, the surviving spouse’s rate

shall be $1,966.’’.

1 (c) ADDITIONAL DIC FOR CHILDREN.—Section

2 1311(b) is amended by striking ‘‘$215’’ and inserting

3 ‘‘$217’’.

4 (d) AID AND ATTENDANCE ALLOWANCE.—Section

5 1311(c) is amended by striking ‘‘$215’’ and inserting

6 ‘‘$217’’.

7 (e) HOUSEBOUND RATE.—Section 1311(d) is amend8 ed by striking ‘‘$104’’ and inserting ‘‘$105’’.

9 SEC. 9. RATE AMENDMENTS FOR DEPENDENCY AND IN10 DEMNITY COMPENSATION FOR CHILDREN.

11 (a) DIC FOR ORPHAN CHILDREN.—Section 1313(a)

12 is amended—

13 (1) by striking ‘‘$361’’ in paragraph (1) and in14 serting ‘‘$365’’;

15 (2) by striking ‘‘$520’’ in paragraph (2) and in16 serting ‘‘$526’’;

17 (3) by striking ‘‘$675’’ in paragraph (3) and in18 serting ‘‘$683’’; and

19 (4) by striking ‘‘$675’’ and ‘‘$132’’ in para20 graph (4) and inserting ‘‘$683’’ and ‘‘$133’’, respec21 tively.
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1 (b) SUPPLEMENTAL DIC FOR DISABLED ADULT

2 CHILDREN.—Section 1314 is amended—

3 (1) by striking ‘‘$215’’ in subsection (a) and in4 serting ‘‘$217’’;

5 (2) by striking ‘‘$361’’ in subsection (b) and in6 serting ‘‘$365’’; and

7 (3) by striking ‘‘$182’’ in subsection (c) and in8 serting ‘‘$184’’.

9 SEC. 10. EFFECTIVE DATE.

10 The amendments made by this Act shall take effect

11 on November 30, 1999.

Calendar No. 216

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. 1393

[Report No. 106–108]

A BILL

To provide a cost-of-living adjustment in rates of

and for other purposes.previous cost-of-living adjustment in such rates,amend title 38, United States Code, to codify thepensation for survivors of such veterans, todisabilities and dependency and indemnity comcompensation for veterans with service-connected

JULY 19, 1999

Read twice and placed on the calendar