IIB 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 570 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
MAY 22, 2013 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
AN ACT 
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 sur-
vivors of certain service-connected disabled veterans, and 
for other purposes. 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
23:48 May 22, 2013
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6652
E:\BILLS\H570.RFS
H570
rfrederick on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
HR 570 RFS 
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 ‘‘American Heroes 
COLA Act’’. 
SEC. 2. AUTOMATIC ANNUAL INCREASE IN RATES OF DIS-
ABILITY COMPENSATION AND DEPENDENCY 
AND INDEMNITY COMPENSATION. 
(a) INDEXING TO SOCIAL SECURITY INCREASES.— 
Section 5312 of title 38, United States Code, is amended 
by adding at the end the following new subsection: 
‘‘(d)(1) Whenever there is an increase in benefit 
amounts payable under title II of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 401 et seq.) as a result of a determination 
made under section 215(i) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 415(i)), 
the Secretary shall, effective on the date of such increase 
in benefit amounts, increase the dollar amounts in effect 
for the payment of disability compensation and depend-
ency and indemnity compensation by the Secretary, as 
specified in paragraph (2), as such amounts were in effect 
immediately before the date of such increase in benefit 
amounts payable under title II of the Social Security Act, 
by the same percentage as the percentage by which such 
benefit amounts are increased, but only if such percentage 
increase is calculated using the Bureau of Labor Statistics 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
23:48 May 22, 2013
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H570.RFS
H570
rfrederick on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
HR 570 RFS 
Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Cler-
ical Workers. 
‘‘(2) The dollar amounts to be increased pursuant to 
paragraph (1) are the following: 
‘‘(A) WARTIME DISABILITY COMPENSATION.— 
Each of the dollar amounts in effect under section 
1114 of this title. 
‘‘(B) ADDITIONAL
COMPENSATION
FOR
DE-
PENDENTS.—Each of the dollar amounts in effect 
under section 1115(1) of this title. 
‘‘(C) 
CLOTHING
ALLOWANCE.—The 
dollar 
amount in effect under section 1162 of this title. 
‘‘(D) DEPENDENCY
AND
INDEMNITY
COM-
PENSATION
TO
SURVIVING
SPOUSE.—Each of the 
dollar amounts in effect under subsections (a) 
through (d) of section 1311 of such title. 
‘‘(E) DEPENDENCY
AND
INDEMNITY
COM-
PENSATION
TO
CHILDREN.—Each of the dollar 
amounts in effect under sections 1313(a) and 1314 
of such title. 
‘‘(3) Whenever there is an increase under paragraph 
(1) in amounts in effect for the payment of disability com-
pensation and dependency and indemnity compensation, 
the Secretary shall publish such amounts, as increased 
pursuant to such paragraph, in the Federal Register at 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
23:48 May 22, 2013
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H570.RFS
H570
rfrederick on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
HR 570 RFS 
the same time as the material required by section 
215(i)(2)(D) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
415(i)(2)(D)) is published by reason of a determination 
under section 215(i) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 415(i)). 
‘‘(4) During the period beginning on the date of the 
enactment of this subsection and ending on September 30, 
2018, each dollar amount increased under paragraph (1), 
if not a whole dollar amount, shall be rounded to the next 
lower whole dollar amount. 
‘‘(5) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may adjust 
administratively, consistent with the increases made under 
subsection (a), the rates of disability compensation pay-
able to persons under section 10 of Public Law 85–857 
(72 Stat. 1263) who have not received compensation 
under chapter 11 of this title.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Subsection (d) of section 
5312 of title 38, United States Code, as added by sub-
section (a) of this section, shall take effect on December 
1, 2014. 
SEC. 3. INCREASE IN RATE OF SPECIAL MONTHLY COM-
PENSATION FOR SEVERELY INJURED VET-
ERANS. 
(a) INCREASE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 1114(r) of title 38, 
United States Code, is amended— 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
23:48 May 22, 2013
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H570.RFS
H570
rfrederick on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
HR 570 RFS 
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘$2,002’’ 
and inserting ‘‘$3,163’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘$2,983’’ 
and inserting ‘‘$4,713’’. 
(2) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made 
by paragraph (1) shall take effect on December 1, 
2014. 
(b) TEMPORARY RATES.—During the period begin-
ning on December 1, 2014, and ending on September 30, 
2018, section 1114(r) of title 38, United States Code, as 
amended by subsection (a), shall be applied— 
(1) in paragraph (1), by substituting ‘‘$2,742’’ 
for ‘‘$3,163’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (2), by substituting ‘‘$4085’’ 
for ‘‘$4,713’’. 
Passed the House of Representatives May 21, 2013. 
Attest: 
KAREN L. HAAS, 
Clerk. 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
23:48 May 22, 2013
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H570.RFS
H570
rfrederick on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with BILLS