I 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1732 

To provide alternative retired pay rates under title 10, United States Code, 

and alternative disability compensation rates under title 38, United 

States Code, for members of the Armed Forces with a combat-related 

disability, with such rates based on the average monthly salary for 

high school graduates in the United States, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 28, 2007 

Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland (for himself, Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania, Mr. 

GOHMERT, Mr. PITTS, Mr. SMITH of Texas, Mrs. EMERSON, Mr. PETERSON of Minnesota, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, and Mr. RENZI) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services, 

and in addition to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, for a period to 

be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 

concerned 

A BILL 

To provide alternative retired pay rates under title 10, 

United States Code, and alternative disability compensation rates under title 38, United States Code, for members of the Armed Forces with a combat-related disability, with such rates based on the average monthly 

salary for high school graduates in the United States, 

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, 

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1 SECTION 1. ALTERNATIVE RETIRED PAY RATES FOR MEM2 BERS OF THE ARMED FORCES WITH A COM3 BAT-RELATED DISABILITY. 

4 (a) ALTERNATIVE RETIRED PAY BASE FOR CHAP5 TER 71 RETIRED PAY.—Section 1401 of title 10, United 

6 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol7 lowing new subsection: 

8 ‘‘(c) ALTERNATIVE RETIRED PAY BASE FOR MEM9 BERS WITH A COMBAT-RELATED DISABILITY.—(1) In the 

10 case of a member of the armed forces with a combat-re11 lated disability who is entitled to monthly retired pay com12 puted using a formula specified in subsection (a), the Sec13 retary concerned shall permit the member to elect to have 

14 used in that formula, in lieu of the retired pay base of 

15 the member computed under section 1406(b) or 1407 of 

16 this title, a retired pay base equal to $2,917, which rep17 resents the average monthly salary for high school grad18 uates in the United States, as determined by the Census 

19 Bureau for 2006. 

20 ‘‘(2) The alternative retired pay base in effect under 

21 paragraph (1) for a calendar year shall be adjusted on 

22 December 1 of that year in the manner provided by section 

23 1401a(b) of this title for use during the next calendar 

24 year. 

25 ‘‘(3) In this subsection, the term ‘combat-related dis26 ability’ means a disability that is compensable under the 

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1 laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 

2 and that— 

3 ‘‘(A) is attributable to an injury for which the 

4 member was awarded the Purple Heart; or 

5 ‘‘(B) was incurred (as determined under criteria 

6 prescribed by the Secretary of Defense for purposes 

7 of section 1413a of this title) as a direct result of 

8 armed conflict.’’. 

9 (b) ALTERNATIVE RETIRED PAY BASE FOR RETIRED

10 PAY FOR NON-REGULAR SERVICE.—Section 12739 of 

11 such title is amended by adding at the end the following 

12 new subsection: 

13 ‘‘(e)(1) In the case of a member of the armed forces 

14 with a combat-related disability who is entitled to monthly 

15 retired pay computed under subsection (a), the Secretary 

16 concerned shall permit the member to elect to have used 

17 in paragraph (1) of such subsection, in lieu of the retired 

18 pay base of the member computed under section 1406(b) 

19 or 1407 of this title, a retired pay base equal to $2,917, 

20 which represents the average monthly salary for high 

21 school graduates in the United States, as determined by 

22 the Census Bureau for 2006. 

23 ‘‘(2) The alternative retired pay base in effect under 

24 paragraph (1) for a calendar year shall be adjusted on 

25 December 1 of that year in the manner provided by section 

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1 1401a(b) of this title for use during the next calendar 

2 year. 

3 ‘‘(3) In this subsection, the term ‘combat-related dis4 ability’ means a disability that is compensable under the 

5 laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 

6 and that— 

7 ‘‘(A) is attributable to an injury for which the 

8 member was awarded the Purple Heart; or 

9 ‘‘(B) was incurred (as determined under criteria 

10 prescribed by the Secretary of Defense for purposes 

11 of section 1413a of this title) as a direct result of 

12 armed conflict.’’. 

13 (c) APPLICATION OF AMENDMENTS.—The amend14 ments made by subsections (a) and (b) shall apply with 

15 respect to members of the Armed Forces who retired or 

16 whose names were placed on the temporary disability re17 tired list after September 11, 2001, except that any re18 computation of the retired pay for a member on account 

19 of such amendments who retired or whose name was 

20 placed on the temporary disability retired list before the 

21 date of the enactment of this Act shall be effective only 

22 for months beginning after the date of the enactment of 

23 this Act. 

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1 SEC. 2. ALTERNATIVE WARTIME DISABILITY COMPENSA2 TION RATES FOR CERTAIN VETERANS. 

3 (a) ALTERNATIVE COMPENSATION BASE FOR CHAP4 TER 11 WARTIME DISABILITY COMPENSATION.—Section 

5 1114 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by add6 ing at the end the following new subsection: 

7 ‘‘(t)(1) In the case of a veteran— 

8 ‘‘(A) having a covered service-connected 

9 disability rated as total, the Secretary shall per10 mit the veteran to elect to receive, in lieu of the 

11 monthly compensation rate in effect under sub12 section (j), a monthly compensation equal to 

13 $2,917, which represents the average monthly 

14 salary for high school graduates in the United 

15 States, as determined by the Census Bureau for 

16 2006; and 

17 ‘‘(B) having a covered service-connected 

18 disability rated at a percentage other than total, 

19 the Secretary shall permit the veteran to elect 

20 to receive, in lieu of the monthly compensation 

21 rate in effect under subsections (a) through (i), 

22 as applicable, a monthly compensation equal to 

23 the amount that is the percentage of $2,917 

24 that corresponds to the percentage of the serv25 ice-connected disability rating of the veteran. 

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1 ‘‘(2) For purposes of this subsection, the term ‘cov2 ered service-connected disability’ means a service-con3 nected disability that— 

4 ‘‘(A) is attributable to an injury for which the 

5 veteran was awarded the Purple Heart; or 

6 ‘‘(B) was incurred (as determined under criteria 

7 prescribed by the Secretary of Defense for purposes 

8 of section 1413a of title 10) as a direct result of 

9 armed conflict.’’. 

10 (b) APPLICATION OF AMENDMENT.—The amendment 

11 made by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to veterans 

12 who became eligible to receive compensation under section 

13 1110 of title 38, United States Code, after September 11, 

14 2001, except that any recomputation of disability com15 pensation for a veteran on account of such an amendment 

16 who so became eligible before the date of the enactment 

17 of this Act shall be effective only for months beginning 

18 after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

Æ 

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