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 ‘‘Veterans’ Compensa-
tion Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2003’’.
SEC. 2. 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, 2003, 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
section 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, 2003.
(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, 2003, 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.
SEC. 3. 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 2004, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
shall publish in the Federal Register the amounts specified
in subsection (b) of section 2, as increased pursuant to
that section.
Passed the House of Representatives May 22, 2003.
Attest:
Clerk.
108TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1683
AN ACT
To increase, effective as of December 1, 2003, the
rates of disablity compensation for veterans with
service-connected disabilities and the rates of de-
pendency and indemnity compensation for sur-
vivors of certain service-connected disabled vet-
erans, and for other purposes.