I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6933 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve and to expand eligibility 
for dependency and indemnity compensation paid to certain survivors 
of certain veterans. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 19, 2020 
Mr. COX of California (for himself, Mr. CISNEROS, Mr. YOHO, Mr. VAN 
DREW, and Mrs. HAYES) introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve and 
to expand eligibility for dependency and indemnity com-
pensation paid to certain survivors of certain veterans. 
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 ‘‘Caring for Survivors 
Act of 2020’’. 
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SEC. 2. INCREASE IN AMOUNT OF DEPENDENCY AND IN-
DEMNITY COMPENSATION FOR SURVIVING 
SPOUSES. 
(a) INCREASE.—Section 1311(a) of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘of 
$1,154’’ and inserting ‘‘equal to 55 percent of the rate 
of monthly compensation in effect under section 1114(j) 
of this title’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided by para-
graph (2), the amendments made by subsection (a) 
shall apply with respect to compensation paid under 
chapter 13 of title 38, United States Code, for 
months beginning after the date that is six months 
after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
(2) SPECIAL
RULE
FOR
CERTAIN
INDIVID-
UALS.— 
(A) For months beginning after the date 
that is six months after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Af-
fairs shall pay to an individual described in sub-
paragraph (B) dependents and survivors income 
security benefit under section 1311 of title 38, 
United States Code, in the monthly amount 
that is the greater of the following: 
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(i) The amount determined under sub-
section (a)(3) of such section 1311, as in 
effect on the day before the date of the en-
actment of this Act. 
(ii) The amount determined under 
subsection (a)(1) of such section 1311, as 
amended by subsection (a). 
(B) An individual described in this sub-
paragraph is an individual eligible for depend-
ents and survivors income security benefit 
under section 1311 of title 38, United States 
Code, that is predicated on the death of a vet-
eran before January 1, 1993. 
SEC. 3. MODIFICATION OF REQUIREMENTS FOR DEPEND-
ENCY AND INDEMNITY COMPENSATION FOR 
SURVIVORS OF CERTAIN VETERANS RATED 
TOTALLY DISABLED AT TIME OF DEATH. 
Section 1318 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘The Secretary’’ and in-
serting ‘‘(1) Except as provided in paragraph 
(2), the Secretary’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
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