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[114th Congress Public Law 197]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

[[Page 130 STAT. 693]]

Public Law 114-197
114th Congress

                                 An Act

 
To increase, effective as of December 1, 2016, the rates of compensation 
   for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the rates of 
   dependency and indemnity compensation for the survivors of certain 
      disabled veterans, and for other purposes. <<NOTE: July 22, 
                         2016 -  [H.R. 5588]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: Veterans' 
Compensation COLA Act of 2016. 38 USC 101 note.>> 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans' Compensation COLA Act of 
2016''.
SEC. 2. <<NOTE: 38 USC 1114 note.>>  INCREASE IN RATES OF 
                    DISABILITY COMPENSATION AND DEPENDENCY AND 
                    INDEMNITY COMPENSATION.

    (a) Rate Adjustment.--Effective on December 1, 2016, the Secretary 
of Veterans Affairs shall increase, in accordance with subsection (c), 
the dollar amounts in effect on November 30, 2016, for the payment of 
disability compensation and dependency and indemnity compensation under 
the provisions specified in subsection (b).
    (b) Amounts To Be Increased.--The dollar amounts to be increased 
pursuant to subsection (a) are the following:
            (1) Wartime disability compensation.--Each of the dollar 
        amounts under section 1114 of title 38, United States Code.
            (2) Additional compensation for dependents.--Each of the 
        dollar amounts under section 1115(1) of such title.
            (3) Clothing allowance.--The dollar amount under section 
        1162 of such title.
            (4) Dependency and indemnity compensation to surviving 
        spouse.--Each of the dollar amounts under subsections (a) 
        through (d) of section 1311 of such title.
            (5) Dependency and indemnity compensation to children.--Each 
        of the dollar amounts under sections 1313(a) and 1314 of such 
        title.

    (c) Determination of Increase.--Each dollar amount described in 
subsection (b) shall be increased by the same percentage as the 
percentage by which benefit amounts payable under title II of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 401 et seq.) are increased effective December 1, 
2016, as a result of a determination under section 215(i) of such Act 
(42 U.S.C. 415(i)).
    (d) Special Rule.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may adjust 
administratively, consistent with the increases made under subsection 
(a), the rates of disability compensation payable to persons under 
section 10 of Public Law 85-857 (72 Stat. 1263) who have not received 
compensation under chapter 11 of title 38, United States Code.

[[Page 130 STAT. 694]]

SEC. 3. <<NOTE: Federal Register, publication. Deadline. 38 USC 
                    1114 note.>>  PUBLICATION OF ADJUSTED RATES.

    The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall publish in the Federal 
Register the amounts specified in section 2(b), as increased under that 
section, not later than the date on which the matters specified in 
section 215(i)(2)(D) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 415(i)(2)(D)) 
are required to be published by reason of a determination made under 
section 215(i) of such Act during fiscal year 2017.

    Approved July 22, 2016.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 5588 (S. 1493):
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

SENATE REPORTS: No. 114-122 (Comm. on Veterans' Affairs) accompanying 
S. 1493.
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 162 (2016):
            July 11, considered and passed House.
            July 13, considered and passed Senate.

                                  <all>
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