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[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1573 Introduced in House (IH)]

109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1573

To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide that the increase of 
    $250 per month in the rate of monthly dependency and indemnity 
  compensation (DIC) payable to a surviving spouse of a member of the 
   Armed Forces who dies on active duty or as a result of a service-
   connected disability shall be paid for so long as there are minor 
               children, rather than only for two years.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 12, 2005

Mr. Michaud (for himself, Mr. Evans, Ms. Berkley, Mr. Ryan of Ohio, Mr. 
Strickland, and Mr. Udall of New Mexico) introduced the following bill; 
        which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide that the increase of 
    $250 per month in the rate of monthly dependency and indemnity 
  compensation (DIC) payable to a surviving spouse of a member of the 
   Armed Forces who dies on active duty or as a result of a service-
   connected disability shall be paid for so long as there are minor 
               children, rather than only for two years.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. INCREASE IN MONTHLY DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY COMPENSATION 
              PAYABLE TO A SURVIVING SPOUSE FOR SO LONG AS THERE ARE 
              MINOR CHILDREN.

    (a) Increase in DIC.--Subsection (b) of section 1311 of title 38, 
United States Code, is amended by inserting ``$250, plus'' after 
``shall be increased by''.
    (b) Conforming Repeal of Two-Year Limitation.--Subsection (e) of 
such section is repealed.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall 
take effect with respect to payments of dependency and indemnity 
compensation under section 1311 of title 38, United States Code, for 
the first month beginning on or after the date of the enactment of this 
Act.

SEC. 2. COST-OF-LIVING ADJUSTMENT FOR RATE OF INCREASED AMOUNT OF 
              DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY COMPENSATION FOR MINOR CHILDREN.

    (a) Rate Adjustment.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall, 
effective on December 1, 2005, increase the dollar amount for the 
payment of additional dependency and indemnity compensation for 
surviving spouses with minor children that is added by the amendment 
made by section 1(a).
    (b) Determination of Increase.--
            (1) Percentage of increase.--Except as provided in 
        paragraph (2), the amount specified in subsection (a) 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, 
        2005, as a result of a determination under section 215(i) of 
        such Act (42 U.S.C. 415(i)).
            (2) Rounding.--Each dollar amount increased pursuant to 
        paragraph (1) shall, if not a whole dollar amount, be rounded 
        down to the next lower whole dollar amount.
                                 <all>
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