H. R. 2367
One Hundred Fifth Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE FIRST SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,
the seventh day of January, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-seven
An Act
To amend title 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.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; REFERENCES TO TITLE 38, UNITED STATES
CODE.
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans’
Compensation Rate Amendments of 1997’’.
(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 considered to be made to a section or other
provision of title 38, United States Code.
SEC. 2. DISABILITY COMPENSATION.
(a) INCREASE IN RATES.—Section 1114 is amended—
(1) by striking out ‘‘$87’’ in subsection (a) and inserting
in lieu thereof ‘‘$95’’;
(2) by striking out ‘‘$166’’ in subsection (b) and inserting
in lieu thereof ‘‘$182’’;
(3) by striking out ‘‘$253’’ in subsection (c) and inserting
in lieu thereof ‘‘$279’’;
(4) by striking out ‘‘$361’’ in subsection (d) and inserting
in lieu thereof ‘‘$399’’;
(5) by striking out ‘‘$515’’ in subsection (e) and inserting
in lieu thereof ‘‘$569’’;
(6) by striking out ‘‘$648’’ in subsection (f) and inserting
in lieu thereof ‘‘$717’’;
(7) by striking out ‘‘$819’’ in subsection (g) and inserting
in lieu thereof ‘‘$905’’;
(8) by striking out ‘‘$948’’ in subsection (h) and inserting
in lieu thereof ‘‘$1,049’’;
(9) by striking out ‘‘$1,067’’ in subsection (i) and inserting
in lieu thereof ‘‘$1,181’’;
(10) by striking out ‘‘$1,774’’ in subsection (j) and inserting
in lieu thereof ‘‘$1,964’’;
(11) in subsection (k)—
(A) by striking out ‘‘$70’’ both places it appears and
inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘$75’’; and
(B) by striking out ‘‘$2,207’’ and ‘‘$3,093’’ and inserting
in lieu thereof ‘‘$2,443’’ and ‘‘$3,426’’, respectively;
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(12) by striking out ‘‘$2,207’’ in subsection (l) and inserting
in lieu thereof ‘‘$2,443’’;
(13) by striking out ‘‘$2,432’’ in subsection (m) and inserting
in lieu thereof ‘‘$2,694’’;
(14) by striking out ‘‘$2,768’’ in subsection (n) and inserting
in lieu thereof ‘‘$3,066’’;
(15) by striking out ‘‘$3,093’’ each place it appears in sub-
sections (o) and (p) and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘$3,426’’;
(16) by striking out ‘‘$1,328’’ and ‘‘$1,978’’ in subsection
(r) and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘$1,471’’ and ‘‘$2,190’’, respec-
tively; and
(17) by striking out ‘‘$1,985’’ in subsection (s) and inserting
in lieu thereof ‘‘$2,199’’.
(b) SPECIAL RULE.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may
authorize administratively, consistent with the increases authorized
by this section, the rates of disability compensation payable to
persons within the purview of section 10 of Public Law 85–857
who are not in receipt of compensation payable pursuant to chapter
11 of title 38, United States Code.
SEC. 3. ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION FOR DEPENDENTS.
Section 1115(1) is amended—
(1) by striking out ‘‘$105’’ in clause (A) and inserting in
lieu thereof ‘‘$114’’;
(2) by striking out ‘‘$178’’ and ‘‘$55’’ in clause (B) and
inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘$195’’ and ‘‘$60’’, respectively;
(3) by striking out ‘‘$72’’ and ‘‘$55’’ in clause (C) and insert-
ing in lieu thereof ‘‘$78’’ and ‘‘$60’’, respectively;
(4) by striking out ‘‘$84’’ in clause (D) and inserting in
lieu thereof ‘‘$92’’;
(5) by striking out ‘‘$195’’ in clause (E) and inserting in
lieu thereof ‘‘$215’’; and
(6) by striking out ‘‘$164’’ in clause (F) and inserting in
lieu thereof ‘‘$180’’.
SEC. 4. CLOTHING ALLOWANCE FOR CERTAIN DISABLED VETERANS.
Section 1162 is amended by striking out ‘‘$478’’ and inserting
in lieu thereof ‘‘$528’’.
SEC. 5. DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY COMPENSATION FOR SURVIV-
ING SPOUSES.
(a) NEW LAW RATES.—Section 1311(a) is amended—
(1) by striking out ‘‘$769’’ in paragraph (1) and inserting
in lieu thereof ‘‘$850’’; and
(2) by striking out ‘‘$169’’ in paragraph (2) and inserting
in lieu thereof ‘‘$185’’.
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(b) OLD LAW RATES.—The table in subsection (a)(3) is amended
to read as follows:
Monthly
Monthly
‘‘Pay grade
rate
Pay grade
rate
E–1 ....................................
$850
W–4 ...................................
$1,017
E–2 ....................................
850
O–1 ...................................
898
E–3 ....................................
850
O–2 ...................................
928
E–4 ....................................
850
O–3 ...................................
992
E–5 ....................................
850
O–4 ...................................
1,049
E–6 ....................................
850
O–5 ...................................
1,155
E–7 ....................................
879
O–6 ...................................
1,302
E–8 ....................................
928
O–7 ...................................
1,406
E–9 ....................................
1968
O–8 ...................................
1,541
W–1 ...................................
898
O–9 ...................................
1,651
W–2 ...................................
934
O–10 .................................
21,811
W–3 ...................................
962
‘‘1If 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 $1,044.
‘‘2If 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 appli-
cable time designated by section 402 of this title, the surviving spouse’s rate shall be
$1,941.’’.
(c) ADDITIONAL
DIC 
FOR
CHILDREN.—Section 1311(b) is
amended by striking out ‘‘$100’’ and all that follows and inserting
in lieu thereof ‘‘$215 for each such child.’’.
(d) AID
AND ATTENDANCE ALLOWANCE.—Section 1311(c) is
amended by striking out ‘‘$195’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘$215’’.
(e) HOUSEBOUND RATE.—Section 1311(d) is amended by striking
out ‘‘$95’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘$104’’.
SEC. 
6. 
DEPENDENCY 
AND 
INDEMNITY 
COMPENSATION 
FOR
CHILDREN.
(a) DIC FOR ORPHAN CHILDREN.—Section 1313(a) is amended—
(1) by striking out ‘‘$327’’ in paragraph (1) and inserting
in lieu thereof ‘‘$361’’;
(2) by striking out ‘‘$471’’ in paragraph (2) and inserting
in lieu thereof ‘‘$520’’;
(3) by striking out ‘‘$610’’ in paragraph (3) and inserting
in lieu thereof ‘‘$675’’; and
(4) by striking out ‘‘$610’’ and ‘‘$120’’ in paragraph (4)
and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘$675’’ and ‘‘$132’’, respectively.
(b) SUPPLEMENTAL DIC FOR DISABLED ADULT CHILDREN.—
Section 1314 is amended—
(1) by striking out ‘‘$195’’ in subsection (a) and inserting
in lieu thereof ‘‘$215’’;
(2) by striking out ‘‘$327’’ in subsection (b) and inserting
in lieu thereof ‘‘$361’’; and
(3) by striking out ‘‘$166’’ in subsection (c) and inserting
in lieu thereof ‘‘$182’’.
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SEC. 7. EFFECTIVE DATE.
The amendments made by this Act shall take effect on
December 1, 1997.
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.