In the Senate of the United States,

October 5, 2004.

Resolved, That the bill from the House of Representatives (H.R. 4175) entitled ‘‘An Act to increase, effective as

of December 1, 2004, 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.’’, do pass with the following

AMENDMENT:

Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert:

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans’ Compensation

3 Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2004’’.
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HR 4175 EAS

1 SEC. 2. INCREASE IN RATES OF DISABILITY COMPENSATION

2 AND DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY COM3 PENSATION.

4 (a) RATE ADJUSTMENT.—The Secretary of Veterans

5 Affairs shall, effective on December 1, 2004, increase the dol6 lar amounts in effect for the payment of disability com7 pensation and dependency and indemnity compensation by

8 the Secretary, as specified in subsection (b).

9 (b) AMOUNTS TO BE INCREASED.—The dollar

10 amounts to be increased pursuant to subsection (a) are the

11 following:

12 (1) COMPENSATION.—Each of the dollar amounts

13 in effect under section 1114 of title 38, United States

14 Code.

15 (2) ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION FOR DEPEND16 ENTS.—Each of the dollar amounts in effect under

17 sections 1115(1) of such title.

18 (3) CLOTHING ALLOWANCE.—The dollar amount

19 in effect under section 1162 of such title.

20 (4) NEW DIC RATES.—The dollar amounts in ef21 fect under paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 1311(a)

22 of such title.

23 (5) OLD DIC RATES.—Each of the dollar

24 amounts in effect under section 1311(a)(3) of such

25 title.
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HR 4175 EAS

1 (6) ADDITIONAL DIC FOR SURVIVING SPOUSES

2 WITH MINOR CHILDREN.—The dollar amount in effect

3 under section 1311(b) of such title.

4 (7) ADDITIONAL DIC FOR DISABILITY.—The dol5 lar amounts in effect under sections 1311(c) and

6 1311(d) of such title.

7 (8) DIC FOR DEPENDENT CHILDREN.—The dol8 lar amounts in effect under sections 1313(a) and

9 1314 of such title.

10 (c) DETERMINATION OF INCREASE.—(1) The increase

11 under subsection (a) shall be made in the dollar amounts

12 specified in subsection (b) as in effect on November 30,

13 2004.

14 (2) Except as provided in paragraph (3), each such

15 amount shall be increased by the same percentage as the

16 percentage by which benefit amounts payable under title II

17 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 401 et seq.) are in18 creased effective December 1, 2004, as a result of a deter19 mination under section 215(i) of such Act (42 U.S.C.

20 415(i)).

21 (3) Each dollar amount increased pursuant to para22 graph (2) shall, if not a whole dollar amount, be rounded

23 down to the next lower whole dollar amount.

24 (d) SPECIAL RULE.—The Secretary may adjust ad25 ministratively, consistent with the increases made under
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HR 4175 EAS

1 subsection (a), the rates of disability compensation payable

2 to persons within the purview of section 10 of Public Law

3 85–857 (72 Stat. 1263) who are not in receipt of compensa4 tion payable pursuant to chapter 11 of title 38, United

5 States Code.

6 SEC. 3. PUBLICATION OF ADJUSTED RATES.

7 At the same time as the matters specified in section

8 215(i)(2)(D) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.

9 415(i)(2)(D)) are required to be published by reason of a

10 determination made under section 215(i) of such Act during

11 fiscal year 2005, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall pub12 lish in the Federal Register the amounts specified in sub13 section (b) of section 2, as increased pursuant to that sec14 tion.

Attest:

Secretary.
108TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 4175

AMENDMENT