I
106TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 4850
To provide a cost-of-living adjustment in rates of compensation paid to vet-
erans with service-connected disabilities, to enhance programs providing
compensation and life insurance benefits for veterans, and for other
purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JULY 13, 2000
Mr. STUMP (for himself, Mr. EVANS, Mr. QUINN, and Mr. FILNER) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
A BILL
To provide a cost-of-living adjustment in rates of compensa-
tion paid to veterans with service-connected disabilities,
to enhance programs providing compensation and life
insurance benefits for veterans, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans Benefits Act
of 2000’’
TITLE I—ANNUAL
COMPENSATION INCREASE
SEC. 101. INCREASE IN RATES OF DISABILITY COMPENSA-
TION AND DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY
COMPENSATION.
(a) RATE ADJUSTMENT.—The Secretary of Veterans
Affairs shall, effective on December 1, 2000, increase the
dollar amounts in effect for the payment of disability com-
pensation and dependency and indemnity compensation by
the Secretary, as specified in subsection (b).
(b) AMOUNTS
TO
BE
INCREASED.—The dollar
amounts to be increased pursuant to subsection (a) are
the following:
(1) 
COMPENSATION.—Each 
of 
the 
dollar
amounts in effect under section 1114 of title 38,
United States Code.
(2) ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION FOR DEPEND-
ENTS.—Each of the dollar amounts in effect under
sections 1115(1) of such title.
(3) 
CLOTHING
ALLOWANCE.—The 
dollar
amount in effect under section 1162 of such title.
(4) NEW DIC RATES.—The dollar amounts in
effect under paragraphs (1) and (2) of section
1311(a) of such title.
(5) OLD
DIC
RATES.—Each of the dollar
amounts in effect under section 1311(a)(3) of such
title.
(6) ADDITIONAL DIC FOR SURVIVING SPOUSES
WITH MINOR CHILDREN.—The dollar amount in ef-
fect under section 1311(b) of such title.
(7) ADDITIONAL
DIC
FOR
DISABILITY.—The
dollar amounts in effect under sections 1311(c) and
1311(d) of such title.
(8) DIC FOR
DEPENDENT
CHILDREN.—The
dollar amounts in effect under sections 1313(a) and
1314 of such title.
(c) DETERMINATION
OF INCREASE.—(1) The in-
crease under subsection (a) shall be made in the dollar
amounts specified in subsection (b) as in effect on Novem-
ber 30, 2000. Each such amount 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, 2000, as a result of a determination under section
215(i) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 415(i)).
(2) In the computation of increased dollar amounts
pursuant to paragraph (1), any amount which as so com-
puted is not a whole dollar amount shall be rounded down
to the next lower whole dollar amount.
(d) SPECIAL RULE.—The Secretary may adjust ad-
ministratively, consistent with the increases made under
subsection (a), the rates of disability compensation pay-
able to persons within the purview of section 10 of Public
Law 85–857 (72 Stat. 1263) who are not in receipt of
compensation payable pursuant to chapter 11 of title 38,
United States Code.
SEC. 102. PUBLICATION OF ADJUSTED RATES.
At the same time as the matters specified in section
215(i)(2)(D) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
415(i)(2)(D)) are required to be published by reason of
a determination made under section 215(i) of such Act
during fiscal year 2000, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
shall publish in the Federal Register the amounts specified
in subsection (b) of section 101, as increased pursuant to
that section.
TITLE II—BENEFITS
IMPROVEMENTS
SEC. 201. STROKES AND HEART ATTACKS INCURRED OR
AGGRAVATED BY MEMBERS OF RESERVE
COMPONENTS IN THE PERFORMANCE OF
DUTY WHILE PERFORMING INACTIVE DUTY
TRAINING TO BE CONSIDERED TO BE SERV-
ICE-CONNECTED.
(a) SCOPE OF TERM ‘‘ACTIVE MILITARY, NAVAL, OR
AIR SERVICE’’.—Section 101(24) of title 38, United
States Code, is amended to read as follows:
‘‘(24) The term ‘‘active military, naval, or air service’’
includes—
‘‘(A) active duty;
‘‘(B) any period of active duty for training dur-
ing which the individual concerned was disabled or
died from a disease or injury incurred or aggravated
in line of duty; and
‘‘(C) any period of inactive duty training during
which the individual concerned was disabled or
died—
‘‘(i) from an injury incurred or aggravated
in line of duty; or
‘‘(ii) from an acute myocardial infarction,
a cardiac arrest, or a cerebrovascular accident
occurring during such training.’’.
(b) TRAVEL TO OR FROM TRAINING DUTY.—Section
106(d) of such title is amended—
(1) by inserting ‘‘(1)’’ after ‘‘(d)’’;
(2) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as
subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively;
(3) by inserting ‘‘or covered disease’’ after ‘‘in-
jury’’ each place it appears;
(4) by designating the second sentence as para-
graph (2);
(5) by designating the third sentence as para-
graph (3); and
(6) by adding at the end the following new
paragraph:
‘‘(4) For purposes of this subsection, the term ‘cov-
ered disease’ means any of the following:
‘‘(A) Acute myocardial infarction.
‘‘(B) A cardiac arrest.
‘‘(C) A cerebrovascular accident.’’.
SEC. 202. COMPENSATION TO BE PAID AT SO-CALLED ‘‘K’’
RATE FOR SERVICE-CONNECTED LOSS OF
ONE OR BOTH BREASTS DUE TO RADICAL
MASTECTOMY.
Section 1114(k) of title 38, United States Code, is
amended by inserting ‘‘or one or both breasts due to a
radical mastectomy or modified radical mastectomy,’’ after
‘‘loss or loss of use of one or more creative organs,’’.
TITLE III—VETERANS LIFE
INSURANCE
SEC. 301. ELIGIBILITY OF CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THE INDI-
VIDUAL 
READY 
RESERVE 
FOR
SERVICEMEMBERS’ GROUP LIFE INSURANCE.
(a) ELIGIBILITY.—Section 1965(5) of title 38,
United States Code, is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of subpara-
graph (B);
(2) by redesignating subparagraph (C) as sub-
paragraph (D); and
(3) by inserting after subparagraph (B) the fol-
lowing new subparagraph (C):
‘‘(C) a person who volunteers for assign-
ment to a mobilization category in the Indi-
vidual Ready Reserve, as defined in section
12304(i)(1) of title 10; and’’.
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Sections 1967(a),
1968(a), and 1969(a)(2)(A) of such title are amended by
striking ‘‘section 1965(5)(B) of this title’’ each place it
appears and inserting ‘‘subparagraphs (B) or (C) of sec-
tion 1965(5) of this title’’.
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by
this section take effect on October 1, 2000.
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