II 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1836 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for annual cost-of-living 

adjustments to be made automatically by law each year in the rates 

of disability compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities 

and the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for survivors 

of certain service-connected disabled veterans, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 19, 2017 

Mr. THUNE (for himself and Mr. SCHATZ) introduced the following bill; which 

was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for annual 

cost-of-living adjustments to be made automatically by 

law each year in the rates of disability compensation 

for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the 

rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for survivors of certain service-connected disabled 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’ Disability 

5 Compensation Automatic COLA Act’’. 


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•S 1836 IS

1 SEC. 2. AUTOMATIC ANNUAL INCREASE IN RATES OF DIS2 ABILITY COMPENSATION AND DEPENDENCY 

3 AND INDEMNITY COMPENSATION. 

4 (a) INDEXING TO SOCIAL SECURITY INCREASES.— 

5 Section 5312 of title 38, United States Code, is amended 

6 by adding at the end the following new subsection: 

7 ‘‘(d)(1) Whenever there is an increase in benefit 

8 amounts payable under title II of the Social Security Act 

9 (42 U.S.C. 401 et seq.) as a result of a determination 

10 made under section 215(i) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 415(i)), 

11 the Secretary shall, effective on the date of such increase 

12 in benefit amounts, increase the dollar amounts in effect 

13 for the payment of disability compensation and depend14 ency and indemnity compensation by the Secretary, as 

15 specified in paragraph (2), as such amounts were in effect 

16 immediately before the date of such increase in benefit 

17 amounts payable under title II of the Social Security Act, 

18 by the same percentage as the percentage by which such 

19 benefit amounts are increased. 

20 ‘‘(2) The dollar amounts to be increased pursuant to 

21 paragraph (1) are the following: 

22 ‘‘(A) COMPENSATION.—Each of the dollar 

23 amounts in effect under section 1114 of this title. 

24 ‘‘(B) ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION FOR DE25 PENDENTS.—Each of the dollar amounts in effect 

26 under section 1115(1) of this title. 


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•S 1836 IS

1 ‘‘(C) CLOTHING ALLOWANCE.—The dollar 

2 amount in effect under section 1162 of this title. 

3 ‘‘(D) NEW DIC RATES.—Each of the dollar 

4 amounts in effect under paragraphs (1) and (2) of 

5 section 1311(a) of this title. 

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

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

8 title. 

9 ‘‘(F) ADDITIONAL DIC FOR SURVIVING SPOUSES

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

12 ‘‘(G) ADDITIONAL DIC FOR DISABILITY.—Each 

13 of the dollar amounts in effect under subsections (c) 

14 and (d) of section 1311 of this title. 

15 ‘‘(H) DIC FOR DEPENDENT CHILDREN.—Each 

16 of the dollar amounts in effect under sections 

17 1313(a) and 1314 of this title. 

18 ‘‘(3) Whenever there is an increase under paragraph 

19 (1) in amounts in effect for the payment of disability com20 pensation and dependency and indemnity compensation, 

21 the Secretary shall publish such amounts, as increased 

22 pursuant to such paragraph, in the Federal Register at 

23 the same time as the material required by section 

24 215(i)(2)(D) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 


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•S 1836 IS

1 415(i)(2)(D)) is published by reason of a determination 

2 under section 215(i) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 415(i)).’’. 

3 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Subsection (d) of section 

4 5312 of title 38, United States Code, as added by sub5 section (a) of this section, shall take effect on the first 

6 day of the first calendar year that begins after the date 

7 of the enactment of this Act. 

Æ 


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