II

104TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. 992

To amend title 38, United States Code, to increase, effective as of December

1, 1995, the rates of disability compensation for veterans with serviceconnected disabilities and the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for survivors of such veterans, and for other purposes.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

JUNE 29 (legislative day, JUNE 19), 1995

Mr. SIMPSON (by request) 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 increase, effective

as of December 1, 1995, the rates of disability compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and

the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for

survivors of such 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 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the

5 ‘‘Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act

6 of 1995’’.
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1 SEC. 2. INCREASE IN COMPENSATION RATES AND LIMITA2 TIONS.

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—(1) The Secretary of Veterans Af4 fairs shall, as provided in paragraph (2), increase, effec5 tive December 1, 1995, the rates of and limitations on

6 Department of Veterans Affairs disability compensation

7 and dependency and indemnity compensation.

8 (2)(A) The Secretary shall increase each of the rates

9 and limitations in sections 1114, 1115(1), 1162, 1311,

10 1313, and 1314 of title 38, United States Code, that were

11 increased by the amendments made by the Veterans’ Com12 pensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 1994 (Public

13 Law No. 103–418; 108 Stat. 4336). This increase shall

14 be made in such rates and limitations as in effect on No15 vember 30, 1995, and except as provided in subparagraph

16 (B) shall be by the same percentage that benefit amounts

17 payable under title II of the Social Security Act (42

18 U.S.C. 401 et seq.) are increased effective December 1,

19 1995, as a result of a determination under section 215(I)

20 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 415(I)).

21 (B) For purposes of this subsection, as well as for

22 purposes of any cost-of-living adjustment in rates of de23 pendency and indemnity compensation enacted for fiscal

24 years 1997 through 2000, the amount of any increase in

25 the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation in

26 effect under section 1311(a)(3) of title 38, United States
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1 Code, will be equal to 50 percent of the amount (rounded

2 down, if not an even dollar amount, to the next lower dol3 lar) by which the rate of dependency and indemnity com4 pensation in effect under section 1311(a)(1) increases.

5 (C) In the computation of increased rates and limita6 tions pursuant to subparagraph (A), and for purposes of

7 computing any cost-of-living adjustment in such rates and

8 limitations enacted for fiscal years 1997 through 2000,

9 any amount which as so computed is not an even multiple

10 of $1 shall be rounded down to the next lower whole-dollar

11 amount.

12 (b) SPECIAL RULE.—The Secretary may adjust ad13 ministratively, consistent with the increases made under

14 subsection (a)(2) (A) and (C), the rates of disability com15 pensation payable to persons within the purview of section

16 10 of Public Law 85–857 (72 Stat. 1263) who are not

17 in receipt of compensation payable pursuant to chapter 11

18 of title 38, United States Code.

19 (c) PUBLICATION REQUIREMENT.—At the same time

20 as the matters specified in section 215(i)(2)(D) of the So21 cial Security Act (42 U.S.C. 415(i)(2)(D)) are required

22 to be published by reason of a determination made under

23 section 215(I) of such Act during fiscal year 1995, the

24 Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register the rates
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1 and limitations referred to in subsection (a)(2)(A) as in2 creased under this section.

3 SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF LIMITATION ON PENSION FOR CER4 TAIN RECIPIENTS OF MEDICAID-COVERED

5 NURSING-HOME CARE.

6 Section 5503(f)(7) of title 38, United States Code,

7 is amended by striking out ‘‘September 30, 1998’’ and in8 serting in lieu thereof ‘‘September 30, 2000’’.

9 SEC. 4. EXTENSION OF ‘‘SUNSET’’ LIMITATION.

10 (a) Subsection (g) of section 5317 of title 38, United

11 States Code, is amended by striking out ‘‘1998’’ and in12 serting ‘‘2000’’ in lieu thereof.

13 (b) Subparagraph (D) of section 6103(1)(7) of the

14 Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by deleting

15 ‘‘1998’’ in the penultimate sentence and inserting ‘‘2000’’

16 in lieu thereof.

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