IB 

Union Calendar No. 37 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 570 

[Report No. 113–62] 

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. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 6, 2013 

Mr. RUNYAN (for himself and Ms. TITUS) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

MAY 17, 2013 

Additional sponsors: Mr. LOBIONDO, Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio, Mr. O’ROURKE, 

Mr. TAKANO, Ms. SCHWARTZ, Mr. WALZ, Mrs. NEGRETE MCLEOD, Mr. 

ENYART, Mr. MCGOVERN, Ms. BORDALLO, Mr. WESTMORELAND, Mr. 

GRIJALVA, Mr. GRIFFIN of Arkansas, Mr. RAHALL, Mr. BRIDENSTINE, 

Mr. LANCE, Mr. AMODEI, Mr. POCAN, Mr. ROSS, Mr. NUGENT, Mr. 

STIVERS, Mr. CARTWRIGHT, Mr. MCNERNEY, Mr. COLE, Mr. CRAMER, 

Mr. BARBER, Mr. PETERS of California, Ms. PINGREE of Maine, Mrs. 

KIRKPATRICK, Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. COURTNEY, Mrs. 

ROBY, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. RUIZ, Mr. GALLEGO, Ms. LOFGREN, Mr. 

LOEBSACK, and Mr. BARLETTA

MAY 17, 2013 

Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union 

and ordered to be printed 


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•HR 570 RH

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. 


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•HR 570 RH

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 ‘‘American Heroes 

5 COLA Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. AUTOMATIC ANNUAL INCREASE IN RATES OF DIS7 ABILITY COMPENSATION AND DEPENDENCY 

8 AND INDEMNITY COMPENSATION. 

9 (a) INDEXING TO SOCIAL SECURITY INCREASES.— 

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

11 by adding at the end the following new subsection: 

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

13 amounts payable under title II of the Social Security Act 

14 (42 U.S.C. 401 et seq.) as a result of a determination 

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

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

17 in benefit amounts, increase the dollar amounts in effect 

18 for the payment of disability compensation and depend19 ency and indemnity compensation by the Secretary, as 

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

21 immediately before the date of such increase in benefit 

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

23 by the same percentage as the percentage by which such 

24 benefit amounts are increased. 


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•HR 570 RH

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

2 paragraph (1) are the following: 

3 ‘‘(A) WARTIME DISABILITY COMPENSATION.— 

4 Each of the dollar amounts in effect under section 

5 1114 of this title. 

6 ‘‘(B) ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION FOR DE7 PENDENTS.—Each of the dollar amounts in effect 

8 under section 1115(1) of this title. 

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

10 amount in effect under section 1162 of this title. 

11 ‘‘(D) DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY COM12 PENSATION TO SURVIVING SPOUSE.—Each of the 

13 dollar amounts in effect under subsections (a) 

14 through (d) of section 1311 of such title. 

15 ‘‘(E) DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY COM16 PENSATION TO CHILDREN.—Each of the dollar 

17 amounts in effect under sections 1313(a) and 1314 

18 of such title. 

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

20 (1) in amounts in effect for the payment of disability com21 pensation and dependency and indemnity compensation, 

22 the Secretary shall publish such amounts, as increased 

23 pursuant to such paragraph, in the Federal Register at 

24 the same time as the material required by section 

25 215(i)(2)(D) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 


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•HR 570 RH

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 ‘‘(4) Each dollar amount increased under paragraph 

4 (1), if not a whole dollar amount, shall be rounded to the 

5 next lower whole dollar amount. 

6 ‘‘(5) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may adjust 

7 administratively, consistent with the increases made under 

8 subsection (a), the rates of disability compensation pay9 able to persons under section 10 of Public Law 85–857 

10 (72 Stat. 1263) who have not received compensation 

11 under chapter 11 of this title.’’. 

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

13 5312 of title 38, United States Code, as added by sub14 section (a) of this section, shall take effect on December 

15 1, 2014. 


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Union Calendar No. 37 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 570 

[Report No. 113–62] 

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide 

certain service-connected disabled veterans. ency and indemnity compensation for survivors of connected disabilities and the rates of dependdisability compensation for veterans with serviceautomatically by law each year in the rates of for annual cost-of-living adjustments to be made 

MAY 17, 2013 

Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 

State of the Union and ordered to be printed 


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