Union Calendar No. 164
103D CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 3340
[Report No. 103–312]
A BILL
To amend 38, United States Code, to provide a
cost-of-living adjustment in the rates of disability
compensation for veterans with service-connected
disabilities and the rates of dependency and in-
demnity compensation for survivors of such vet-
erans, and for other purposes.
OCTOBER 28, 1993
Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee
of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and or-
dered to be printed
IB
Union Calendar No. 164
103D CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 3340
[Report No. 103–312]
To amend 38, United States Code, to provide a cost-of-living adjustment
in the rates of disability compensation for veterans with service-connected
disabilities and the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation
for survivors of such veterans, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
OCTOBER 21, 1993
Mr. SLATTERY (for himself, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. MONTGOMERY, Mr. STUMP,
Mr. APPLEGATE, Mr. EVERETT, Mr. EVANS, Mr. STEARNS, Mr.
SANGMEISTER, Mr. KING, Mr. EDWARDS of Texas, Mr. TEJEDA, and Mr.
SPENCE) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Commit-
tee on Veterans’ Affairs
OCTOBER 28, 1993
Additional sponsors: Ms. BROWN of Florida, Mr. RIDGE, Mr. HEFNER, Mr.
RICHARDSON, Mr. STENHOLM, Mr. PAYNE of Virginia, Mr. PARKER, and
Mr. ORTIZ
OCTOBER 28, 1993
Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee of the Whole House
on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
[Omit the part struck through and insert the part printed in italic]
A BILL
To amend 38, United States Code, to provide a cost-of-
living adjustment in the rates of disability compensation
for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the
rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for sur-
vivors of such 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; REFERENCES TO TITLE 38, UNIT-
ED STATES CODE.
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the
‘‘Veterans’ Benefits Compensation Rates Amendments of
1993’’.
(b) REFERENCES.—Except as otherwise expressly
provided, whenever in this Act an amendment or repeal
is expressed in terms of an amendment to, or repeal of,
a section or other provision, the reference shall be consid-
ered to be made to a section or other provision of title
38, United States Code.
TITLE I—COMPENSATION AND DIC RATE
INCREASES
SEC. 101.2. DISABILITY COMPENSATION.
Section 1114 is amended—
(1) by striking out ‘‘$85’’ in subsection (a) and
inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘$87’’;
(2) by striking out ‘‘$162’’ in subsection (b)
and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘$166’’;
(3) by striking out ‘‘$247’’ in subsection (c)
and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘$253’’;
(4) by striking out ‘‘$352’’ in subsection (d)
and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘$361’’;
(5) by striking out ‘‘$502’’ in subsection (e)
and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘$515’’;
(6) by striking out ‘‘$632’’ in subsection (f)
and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘$639’’ $648’’;
(7) by striking out ‘‘$799’’ in subsection (g)
and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘$819’’;
(8) by striking out ‘‘$924’’ in subsection (h)
and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘$948’’;
(9) by striking out ‘‘$1,040’’ in subsection (i)
and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘$1,067’’;
(10) by striking out ‘‘$1,730’’ in subsection (j)
and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘$1,774’’;
(11) by striking out ‘‘$2,152’’ and ‘‘$3,015’’ in
subsection (k) and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘$2,207’’
and ‘‘$3,093’’, respectively;
(12) by striking out ‘‘$2,152’’ in subsection (l)
and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘$2,207’’;
(13) by striking out ‘‘$2,371’’ in subsection (m)
and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘$2,432’’;
(14) by striking out ‘‘$2,698’’ in subsection (n)
and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘$2,768’’;
(15) by striking out ‘‘$3,015’’ each place it ap-
pears in subsections (o) and (p) and inserting in lieu
thereof ‘‘$3,093’’;
(16) by striking out ‘‘$1,295’’ and ‘‘$1,928’’ in
subsection (r) and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘$1,328’’
and ‘‘$1,978’’, respectively; and
(17) by striking out $1,935’’ in subsection (s)
and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘$1,985’’.
SEC. 102. 3. ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION FOR DEPEND-
ENTS.
Section 1115(1) is amended—
(1) by striking out ‘‘$103’’ in clause (A) and
inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘$105’’;
(2) by striking out ‘‘$174’’ and ‘‘$54’’ in clause
(B) and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘$178’’ and ‘‘$55’’,
respectively;
(3) by striking out ‘‘$71’’ and ‘‘$54’’ in clause
(C) and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘$72’’ and ‘‘$55’’,
respectively;
(4) by striking out ‘‘$82’’ in clause (D) and in-
serting in lieu thereof ‘‘$84’’;
(5) by striking out ‘‘$191’’ in clause (E) and
inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘$195’’; and
(6) by striking out ‘‘$160’’ in clause (F) and
inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘$164’’.
SEC. 103. 4. CLOTHING ALLOWANCE FOR CERTAIN DIS-
ABLED VETERANS.
Section 1162 is amended by striking out ‘‘$466’’ and
inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘$478’’.
SEC. 104. 5. DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY COMPENSATION
FOR SURVIVING SPOUSES.
Section 1311 is amended—
(1) in subsection (a)(1), by striking out ‘‘$750’’
and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘$769’’;
(2) in subsection (a)(2), by striking out ‘‘$165’’
and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘$169’’;
(3) in subsection (a)(3), by striking out the
table therein and inserting in lieu thereof the follow-
ing:
Monthly
Monthly
‘‘Pay grade
rate
Pay grade ......................
rate
E–7 ........................
$794
O–3 ........................
$897
E–8 ........................
838
O–4 ........................
948
E–9 ........................
1 875
O–5 ........................
1,044
W–1 .......................
812
O–6 ........................
1,177
W–2 .......................
844
O–7 ........................
1,271
W–3 .......................
869
O–8 ........................
1,392
W–4 .......................
920
O–9 ........................
1,492
O–1 ........................
812
O–10 ......................
2 1,636
O–2 ........................
838
........................................
................
‘‘1 If the veteran served as sergeant major of the Army, senior enlisted advisor of the Navy, chief
master sergeant of the Air Force, sergeant major of the Marine Corps, or master chief petty officer
of the Coast Guard, at the applicable time designated by section 402 of this title, the surviving
spouse’s rate shall be $943.
‘‘2 If the veteran served as Chairman or Vice-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Chief of Staff
of the Army, Chief of Naval Operations, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Commandant of the Marine
Corps, or Commandant of the Coast Guard, at the applicable time designated by section 402 of
this title, the surviving spouse’s rate shall be $1,743 $1,753.’’;
(4) in subsection (c), by striking out ‘‘$191’’
and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘$195’’; and
(5) in subsection (d), by striking out ‘‘$93’’ and
inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘$95’’.
SEC. 105. 6. DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY COMPENSATION
FOR CHILDREN.
(a) DIC FOR ORPHAN CHILDREN.—Section 1313(a)
is amended—
(1) by striking out ‘‘$319’’ in clause (1) and in-
serting in lieu thereof ‘‘$327’’;
(2) by striking out ‘‘$460’’ in clause (2) and in-
serting in lieu thereof ‘‘$471’’;
(3) by striking out ‘‘$595’’ in clause (3) and in-
serting in lieu thereof ‘‘$610’’; and
(4) by striking out ‘‘$595’’ and ‘‘$117’’ in
clause (4) and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘$610’’ and
‘‘$120’’, respectively.
(b) SUPPLEMENTAL DIC FOR DISABLED ADULT
CHILDREN.—Section 1314 is amended—
(1) by striking out ‘‘$191’’ in subsection (a)
and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘$195’’;
(2) by striking out ‘‘$319’’ in subsection (b)
and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘$327’’; and
(3) by striking out ‘‘$162’’ in subsection (c)
and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘$166’’.
SEC. 106.7. EFFECTIVE DATE.
The amendments made by this titleActshall take ef-
fect on December 1, 1993.
TITLE
II—BENEFITS
FOR
UNREMARRIED
SURVIVING
SPOUSES
SEC. 201. SPECIAL DEATH GRATUITY FOR UNREMARRIED
SURVIVING SPOUSES.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 13 is amended by adding
at the end of subchapter II the following new section:
‘‘§ 1319. Special death gratuity
‘‘In any case in which benefits under this chapter
have been terminated or denied as the result of a marriage
by a surviving spouse and in which such marriage has sub-
sequently been terminated by death or divorce, a special
monthly death gratuity shall be payable to an unremarried
surviving spouse in an amount equal to the amount pay-
able under section 1311(a)(1) of this title, subject to a
reduction of $1 for each $1 of income countable under
section 1315(f)(1) of this title.’’.
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections
at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting
after the item relating to section 1318 the following new
item:
‘‘1319. Special death gratuity.’’.
SEC.
202.
RESTORATION
OF
PENSION
ELIGIBILITY
FOR
UNREMARRIED SPOUSES.
Section 1501 is amended by adding at the end the
following new paragraph:
‘‘(5) The term ‘surviving spouse’ includes the spouse
of a deceased veteran whose eligibility for benefits under
this chapter as a surviving spouse was terminated or de-
nied by reason of a subsequent remarriage if such subse-
quent remarriage is terminated by death or divorce.’’.
SEC.
203.
RESTORATION
OF
BURIAL
ELIGIBILITY
FOR
UNREMARRIED SPOUSES.
Section 2402(5) is amended by inserting ‘‘(which for
purposes of this chapter includes an unremarried surviving
spouse who had a subsequent remarriage which was termi-
nated by death or divorce)’’ after ‘‘surviving spouse’’.
SEC. 204. EFFECTIVE DATE.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subsection (b), the
amendments made by sections 201 and 202 shall take ef-
fect on December 1, 1994.
(b) CONTINGENCY.—The amendments made by sec-
tions 201 and 202 shall not take effect if there has not
been enacted as of December 1, 1994, a law providing a
cost of living adjustment in the rates of compensation pay-
able under chapter 11 or dependency and indemnity com-
pensation payable under chapter 13 of title 38, United
States Code, for fiscal year 1995.
TITLE III—COST SAVINGS
PROVISION
SEC. 301. POLICY REGARDING COST OF LIVING ADJUST-
MENT IN COMPENSATION RATES FOR FISCAL
YEAR 1995.
The fiscal year 1995 cost of living adjustments in the
rates of and limitations for compensation payable under
chapter 11 of title 38, United States Code, and of depend-
ency and indemnity compensation payable under chapter
13 of such title will be no more than a percentage equal
to 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, 1994, as a result of
a determination under section 215(i) of such Act (42
U.S.C. 415(i)), with all increased monthly rates and limi-
tations (other than increased rates or limitations equal to
a whole dollar amount) rounded down to the next lower
dollar.
Amend the title so as to read: ‘‘A bill to amend title
38, United States Code, to provide a cost-of-living adjust-
ment in the rates of disability compensation for veterans
with service-connected disabilities and the rates of de-
pendency and indemnity compensation for survivors of
such veterans.’’.