IIB

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 4850

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

JULY 25, 2000

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs

AN ACT

To provide a cost-of-living adjustment in rates of compensation paid to veterans with service-connected disabilities,

to enhance programs providing compensation and life

insurance benefits for veterans, 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 Benefits Act

3 of 2000’’

4 TITLE I—ANNUAL

5 COMPENSATION INCREASE

6 SEC. 101. INCREASE IN RATES OF DISABILITY COMPENSA7 TION AND DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY

8 COMPENSATION.

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

10 Affairs shall, effective on December 1, 2000, increase the

11 dollar amounts in effect for the payment of disability com12 pensation and dependency and indemnity compensation by

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

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

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

16 the following:

17 (1) COMPENSATION.—Each of the dollar

18 amounts in effect under section 1114 of title 38,

19 United States Code.

20 (2) ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION FOR DEPEND21 ENTS.—Each of the dollar amounts in effect under

22 sections 1115(1) of such title.

23 (3) CLOTHING ALLOWANCE.—The dollar

24 amount in effect under section 1162 of such title.
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1 (4) NEW DIC RATES.—The dollar amounts in

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

3 1311(a) of such title.

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

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

6 title.

7 (6) ADDITIONAL DIC FOR SURVIVING SPOUSES

8 WITH MINOR CHILDREN.—The dollar amount in ef9 fect under section 1311(b) of such title.

10 (7) ADDITIONAL DIC FOR DISABILITY.—The

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

12 1311(d) of such title.

13 (8) DIC FOR DEPENDENT CHILDREN.—The

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

15 1314 of such title.

16 (c) DETERMINATION OF INCREASE.—(1) The in17 crease under subsection (a) shall be made in the dollar

18 amounts specified in subsection (b) as in effect on Novem19 ber 30, 2000. Each such amount shall be increased by the

20 same percentage as the percentage by which benefit

21 amounts payable under title II of the Social Security Act

22 (42 U.S.C. 401 et seq.) are increased effective December

23 1, 2000, as a result of a determination under section

24 215(i) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 415(i)).
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1 (2) In the computation of increased dollar amounts

2 pursuant to paragraph (1), any amount which as so com3 puted is not a whole dollar amount shall be rounded down

4 to the next lower whole dollar amount.

5 (d) SPECIAL RULE.—The Secretary may adjust ad6 ministratively, consistent with the increases made under

7 subsection (a), the rates of disability compensation pay8 able to persons within the purview of section 10 of Public

9 Law 85–857 (72 Stat. 1263) who are not in receipt of

10 compensation payable pursuant to chapter 11 of title 38,

11 United States Code.

12 SEC. 102. PUBLICATION OF ADJUSTED RATES.

13 At the same time as the matters specified in section

14 215(i)(2)(D) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.

15 415(i)(2)(D)) are required to be published by reason of

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

17 during fiscal year 2000, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs

18 shall publish in the Federal Register the amounts specified

19 in subsection (b) of section 101, as increased pursuant to

20 that section.
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1 TITLE II—BENEFITS

2 IMPROVEMENTS

3 SEC. 201. STROKES AND HEART ATTACKS INCURRED OR

4 AGGRAVATED BY MEMBERS OF RESERVE

5 COMPONENTS IN THE PERFORMANCE OF

6 DUTY WHILE PERFORMING INACTIVE DUTY

7 TRAINING TO BE CONSIDERED TO BE SERV8 ICE-CONNECTED.

9 (a) SCOPE OF TERM ‘‘ACTIVE MILITARY, NAVAL, OR

10 AIR SERVICE’’.—Section 101(24) of title 38, United

11 States Code, is amended to read as follows:

12 ‘‘(24) The term ‘active military, naval, or air service’

13 includes—

14 ‘‘(A) active duty;

15 ‘‘(B) any period of active duty for training dur16 ing which the individual concerned was disabled or

17 died from a disease or injury incurred or aggravated

18 in line of duty; and

19 ‘‘(C) any period of inactive duty training during

20 which the individual concerned was disabled or

21 died—

22 ‘‘(i) from an injury incurred or aggravated

23 in line of duty; or
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1 ‘‘(ii) from an acute myocardial infarction,

2 a cardiac arrest, or a cerebrovascular accident

3 occurring during such training.’’.

4 (b) TRAVEL TO OR FROM TRAINING DUTY.—Section

5 106(d) of such title is amended—

6 (1) by inserting ‘‘(1)’’ after ‘‘(d)’’;

7 (2) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as

8 subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively;

9 (3) by inserting ‘‘or covered disease’’ after ‘‘in10 jury’’ each place it appears;

11 (4) by designating the second sentence as para12 graph (2);

13 (5) by designating the third sentence as para14 graph (3); and

15 (6) by adding at the end the following new

16 paragraph:

17 ‘‘(4) For purposes of this subsection, the term ‘cov18 ered disease’ means any of the following:

19 ‘‘(A) Acute myocardial infarction.

20 ‘‘(B) A cardiac arrest.

21 ‘‘(C) A cerebrovascular accident.’’.
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1 SEC. 202. COMPENSATION TO BE PAID AT SO-CALLED ‘‘K’’

2 RATE FOR SERVICE-CONNECTED LOSS OF

3 ONE OR BOTH BREASTS DUE TO RADICAL

4 MASTECTOMY.

5 Section 1114(k) of title 38, United States Code, is

6 amended by inserting ‘‘or one or both breasts due to a

7 radical mastectomy or modified radical mastectomy,’’ after

8 ‘‘loss or loss of use of one or more creative organs,’’.

9 TITLE III—VETERANS LIFE

10 INSURANCE

11 SEC. 301. ELIGIBILITY OF CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THE INDI12 VIDUAL READY RESERVE FOR

13 SERVICEMEMBERS’ GROUP LIFE INSURANCE.

14 (a) ELIGIBILITY.—Section 1965(5) of title 38,

15 United States Code, is amended—

16 (1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of subpara17 graph (B);

18 (2) by redesignating subparagraph (C) as sub19 paragraph (D); and

20 (3) by inserting after subparagraph (B) the fol21 lowing new subparagraph (C):

22 ‘‘(C) a person who volunteers for assign23 ment to a mobilization category in the Indi24 vidual Ready Reserve, as defined in section

25 12304(i)(1) of title 10; and’’.
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1 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Sections 1967(a),

2 1968(a), and 1969(a)(2)(A) of such title are amended by

3 striking ‘‘section 1965(5)(B) of this title’’ each place it

4 appears and inserting ‘‘subparagraphs (B) or (C) of sec5 tion 1965(5) of this title’’.

6 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by

7 this section take effect on October 1, 2000.

Passed the House of Representatives July 25, 2000.

Attest: JEFF TRANDAHL,

Clerk.