Union Calendar No. 116
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2280
[Report No. 106–202]
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide
a cost-of-living adjustment in rates of compensa-
tion paid for service-connected disabilities, to en-
hance the compensation, memorial affairs, and
housing programs of the Department of Veterans
Affairs, to improve retirement authorities appli-
cable to judges of the United States Court of Ap-
peals for Veterans Claims, and for other pur-
poses.
JUNE 25, 1999
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. 116
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2280
[Report No. 106–202]
To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide a cost-of-living adjustment
in rates of compensation paid for service-connected disabilities, to en-
hance the compensation, memorial affairs, and housing programs of
the Department of Veterans Affairs, to improve retirement authorities
applicable to judges of the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans
Claims, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JUNE 18, 1999
Mr. STUMP (for himself, Mr. EVANS, Mr. QUINN, and Mr. FILNER) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
JUNE 25, 1999
Additional sponsors: Mr. RODRIGUEZ, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. BILI-
RAKIS, Mr. SANDLIN, Mr. REYES, Ms. BROWN of Florida, Mr. DOYLE,
Ms. CARSON, Mr. SNYDER, Mr. SHOWS, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Mr.
PASCRELL, Mr. CRAMER, Mr. OLVER, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Mr. HILL of Indi-
ana, Mr. EVERETT, Ms. DEGETTE, and Mr. UDALL of New Mexico
JUNE 25, 1999
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 title 38, United States Code, to provide a cost-
of-living adjustment in rates of compensation paid for
service-connected disabilities, to enhance the compensa-
tion, memorial affairs, and housing programs of the De-
partment of Veterans Affairs, to improve retirement au-
thorities applicable to judges of the United States Court
of Appeals for Veterans Claims, 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; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the
‘‘Veterans Benefits Improvement Act of 1999’’.
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents of
this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. References to title 38, United States Code.
TITLE I—COMPENSATION
Sec. 101. Increase in rates of disability compensation and dependency and in-
demnity compensation.
Sec. 102. Presumption that bronchiolo-alveolar carcinoma is service-connected.
Sec. 103. Dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses of
former prisoners of war.
Sec. 104. Reinstatement of certain benefits for remarried surviving spouses of
veterans upon termination of their remarriage.
TITLE II—MEMORIAL AFFAIRS
Subtitle A—American Battle Monuments Commission
Sec. 201. Codification and expansion of authority for World War II Memorial.
Sec. 202. General authority to solicit and receive contributions.
Sec. 203. Intellectual property and related items.
Sec. 204. Technical amendments.
Subtitle B—National Cemeteries
Sec. 211. Establishment of additional national cemeteries.
Sec. 212. Independent study on improvements to veterans’ cemeteries.
TITLE III—HOUSING
Sec. 301. Permanent eligibility for housing loans for former members of the Se-
lected Reserve.
Sec. 302. Homeless veterans’ reintegration programs.
Sec. 303. Transitional housing loan guarantee program technical amendment.
TITLE IV—COURT OF APPEALS FOR VETERANS CLAIMS
Sec. 401. Authority to prescribe rules and regulations.
Sec. 402. Recall of retired judges.
Sec. 403. Calculation of years of service as a judge.
Sec. 404. Judges’ retired pay.
Sec. 405. Survivor annuities.
Sec. 406. Limitation on activities of retired judges.
Sec. 407. Early retirement authority for current judges in order to provide for
staggered terms of judges.
TITLE V—OTHER MATTERS
Sec. 501. Repeal of certain sunset provisions.
Sec. 502. Enhanced quality assurance program within the Veterans Benefits
Administration.
Sec. 503. Extension of Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans.
Sec. 504. Recognition of Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Sec. 505. 504. Codification of recurring provisions in annual Department of
Veterans Affairs Appropriations Acts.
SEC. 2. REFERENCES TO TITLE 38, UNITED STATES CODE.
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 provi-
sion, the reference shall be considered to be made to a
section or other provision of title 38, United States Code.
TITLE I—COMPENSATION
SEC. 101. INCREASE IN RATES OF DISABILITY COMPENSA-
TION AND DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY
COMPENSATION.
(a) RATE ADJUSTMENT.—The Secretary of Veterans
Affairs shall, effective on December 1, 1999, increase the
dollar amounts in effect for the payment of disability com-
pensation and dependency and indemnity compensation by
the Secretary, as specified in subsection (b).
(b) AMOUNTS
TO
BE
INCREASED.—The dollar
amounts to be increased pursuant to subsection (a) are
the following:
(1) 
COMPENSATION.—Each 
of 
the 
dollar
amounts in effect under section 1114 of title 38,
United States Code.
(2) ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION FOR DEPEND-
ENTS.—Each of the dollar amounts in effect under
sections 1115(1) of such title.
(3) 
CLOTHING
ALLOWANCE.—The 
dollar
amount in effect under section 1162 of such title.
(4) NEW DIC RATES.—The dollar amounts in
effect under paragraphs (1) and (2) of section
1311(a) of such title.
(5) OLD
DIC
RATES.—Each of the dollar
amounts in effect under section 1311(a)(3) of such
title.
(6) ADDITIONAL DIC FOR SURVIVING SPOUSES
WITH MINOR CHILDREN.—The dollar amount in ef-
fect under section 1311(b) of such title.
(7) ADDITIONAL
DIC
FOR
DISABILITY.—The
dollar amounts in effect under sections 1311(c) and
1311(d) of such title.
(8) DIC FOR
DEPENDENT
CHILDREN.—The
dollar amounts in effect under sections 1313(a) and
1314 of such title.
(c) DETERMINATION
OF INCREASE.—(1) The in-
crease under subsection (a) shall be made in the dollar
amounts specified in subsection (b) as in effect on Novem-
ber 30, 1999.
(2) Except as provided in paragraph (3), each such
amount shall be increased by the same percentage as 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, 1999, as a result of a de-
termination under section 215(i) of such Act (42 U.S.C.
415(i)).
(3) Each dollar amount increased pursuant to para-
graph (2) shall, if not a whole dollar amount, be rounded
down to the next lower whole dollar amount.
(d) SPECIAL RULE.—The Secretary may adjust ad-
ministratively, consistent with the increases made under
subsection (a), the rates of disability compensation pay-
able to persons within the purview of section 10 of Public
Law 85–857 (72 Stat. 1263) who are not in receipt of
compensation payable pursuant to chapter 11 of title 38,
United States Code.
(e) PUBLICATION
OF ADJUSTED RATES.—At the
same time as the matters specified in section 215(i)(2)(D)
of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 415(i)(2)(D)) are
required to be published by reason of a determination
made under section 215(i) of such Act during fiscal year
1999, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall publish in
the Federal Register the amounts specified in subsection
(b), as increased pursuant to this section.
SEC. 102. PRESUMPTION THAT BRONCHIOLO-ALVEOLAR
CARCINOMA IS SERVICE-CONNECTED.
Section 1112(c)(2) is amended by adding at the end
the following new subparagraph:
‘‘(P) Bronchiolo-alveolar carcinoma.’’.
SEC. 103. DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY COMPENSATION
FOR SURVIVING SPOUSES OF FORMER PRIS-
ONERS OF WAR.
(a) ELIGIBILITY.—Section 1318(b) is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘that either—’’ in the matter
preceding paragraph (1) and inserting ‘‘rated totally
disabling if—’’; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new
paragraph:
‘‘(3) the veteran was a former prisoner of war
who died after September 30, 1999, and who had