I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4106 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for an increase in the 
amount of monthly dependents and survivors income security benefit 
payable to surviving spouses by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 24, 2017 
Ms. SHEA-PORTER (for herself and Ms. ROSEN) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for an 
increase in the amount of monthly dependents and sur-
vivors income security benefit payable to surviving 
spouses by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, 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 ‘‘Surviving Spouses In-
come Security Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. INCREASE IN AMOUNT OF DEPENDENTS AND SUR-
VIVORS INCOME SECURITY BENEFIT PAY-
ABLE TO SURVIVING SPOUSES BY THE SEC-
RETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 
(a) INCREASE.—Section 1311(a) of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended— 
(1) 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’’; and 
(2) by striking paragraph (3). 
(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, 
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United States Code, in the monthly amount 
that is the greater of the following: 
(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-
ENTS AND SURVIVORS INCOME SECURITY 
BENEFIT PAYABLE BY DEPARTMENT OF VET-
ERANS AFFAIRS 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)— 
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(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: 
‘‘(2) In any case in which the Secretary makes a pay-
ment under paragraph (1) of this subsection by reason 
of subsection (b)(1) and the period of continuous rating 
immediately preceding death is less than 10 years, the 
amount payable under paragraph (1) of this subsection 
shall be an amount which bears the same relationship to 
the amount otherwise payable under such paragraph as 
the duration of such period bears to 10 years.’’; and 
(2) in subsection (b)(1), by striking ‘‘10 or 
more years’’ and inserting ‘‘five or more years’’. 
SEC. 4. ELIGIBILITY FOR DEPENDENTS AND SURVIVORS IN-
COME SECURITY BENEFIT PAYABLE BY DE-
PARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS FOR SUR-
VIVING SPOUSES WHO REMARRY AFTER AGE 
55. 
Section 103(d)(2)(B) of title 38, United States Code, 
is amended in the second sentence by inserting ‘‘chapter 
13 or’’ after ‘‘benefits under’’. 
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SEC. 5. RENAMING OF DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY COM-
PENSATION 
TO 
DEPENDENTS 
AND 
SUR-
VIVORS INCOME SECURITY BENEFIT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 13 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘dependency and indemnity 
compensation’’ each place it appears, including the 
table of sections, and inserting ‘‘dependents and sur-
vivors income security benefit’’; and 
(2) by conforming the typeface and typestyle, 
including capitalization, of such inserted matter to 
the typeface and typestyle as used in such stricken 
matter. 
(b) REFERENCES.—Any reference in law to depend-
ency and indemnity compensation paid by the Secretary 
of Veterans Affairs pursuant to chapter 13 of such title 
shall be deemed to be a reference to dependents and sur-
vivors income security benefit. 
Æ 
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