I

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 4850

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.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JULY 13, 2000

Mr. STUMP (for himself, Mr. EVANS, Mr. QUINN, and Mr. FILNER) introduced

the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs

A BILL

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,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans Benefits Act

5 of 2000’’
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1 TITLE I—ANNUAL

2 COMPENSATION INCREASE

3 SEC. 101. INCREASE IN RATES OF DISABILITY COMPENSA4 TION AND DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY

5 COMPENSATION.

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

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

8 dollar amounts in effect for the payment of disability com9 pensation and dependency and indemnity compensation by

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

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

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

13 the following:

14 (1) COMPENSATION.—Each of the dollar

15 amounts in effect under section 1114 of title 38,

16 United States Code.

17 (2) ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION FOR DEPEND18 ENTS.—Each of the dollar amounts in effect under

19 sections 1115(1) of such title.

20 (3) CLOTHING ALLOWANCE.—The dollar

21 amount in effect under section 1162 of such title.

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

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

24 1311(a) of such title.
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1 (5) OLD DIC RATES.—Each of the dollar

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

3 title.

4 (6) ADDITIONAL DIC FOR SURVIVING SPOUSES

5 WITH MINOR CHILDREN.—The dollar amount in ef6 fect under section 1311(b) of such title.

7 (7) ADDITIONAL DIC FOR DISABILITY.—The

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

9 1311(d) of such title.

10 (8) DIC FOR DEPENDENT CHILDREN.—The

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

12 1314 of such title.

13 (c) DETERMINATION OF INCREASE.—(1) The in14 crease under subsection (a) shall be made in the dollar

15 amounts specified in subsection (b) as in effect on Novem16 ber 30, 2000. Each such amount shall be increased by the

17 same percentage as the percentage by which benefit

18 amounts payable under title II of the Social Security Act

19 (42 U.S.C. 401 et seq.) are increased effective December

20 1, 2000, as a result of a determination under section

21 215(i) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 415(i)).

22 (2) In the computation of increased dollar amounts

23 pursuant to paragraph (1), any amount which as so com24 puted is not a whole dollar amount shall be rounded down

25 to the next lower whole dollar amount.
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1 (d) SPECIAL RULE.—The Secretary may adjust ad2 ministratively, consistent with the increases made under

3 subsection (a), the rates of disability compensation pay4 able to persons within the purview of section 10 of Public

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

6 compensation payable pursuant to chapter 11 of title 38,

7 United States Code.

8 SEC. 102. PUBLICATION OF ADJUSTED RATES.

9 At the same time as the matters specified in section

10 215(i)(2)(D) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.

11 415(i)(2)(D)) are required to be published by reason of

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

13 during fiscal year 2000, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs

14 shall publish in the Federal Register the amounts specified

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

16 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.

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