I 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1438 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to exempt reimbursements of certain 
medical expenses and other payments related to accident, theft, loss, 
or casualty loss from determinations of annual income with respect 
to pensions for veterans and surviving spouses and children of veterans, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 9, 2013 
Mr. HASTINGS of Florida (for himself, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. MICA, Mr. 
COHEN, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. BASS, Ms. WILSON of Florida, Mrs. 
CHRISTENSEN, Mr. WELCH, Mr. GRAYSON, Mrs. MCCARTHY of New 
York, Mrs. BEATTY, Mr. DEUTCH, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA, 
Ms. JACKSON LEE, Ms. MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM of New Mexico, Mr. 
CUMMINGS, Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California, Mr. GARCIA, Mr. 
GUTIERREZ, Ms. GABBARD, and Ms. BROWN of Florida) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to exempt reimburse-
ments of certain medical expenses and other payments 
related to accident, theft, loss, or casualty loss from 
determinations of annual income with respect to pensions 
for veterans and surviving spouses and children of vet-
erans, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans Pensions 
Protection Act of 2013’’. 
SEC. 2. EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN REIMBURSEMENTS OF 
MEDICAL EXPENSES AND OTHER PAYMENTS 
FROM DETERMINATION OF ANNUAL INCOME 
WITH RESPECT TO PENSIONS FOR VETERANS 
AND SURVIVING SPOUSES AND CHILDREN OF 
VETERANS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Paragraph (5) of section 1503(a) 
of title 38, United States Code, is amended to read as 
follows: 
‘‘(5) payments regarding— 
‘‘(A) reimbursements of any kind (includ-
ing insurance settlement payments) for— 
‘‘(i) expenses related to the repay-
ment, replacement, or repair of equipment, 
vehicles, items, money, or property result-
ing from— 
‘‘(I) any accident (as defined by 
the Secretary), but the amount ex-
cluded under this subclause shall not 
exceed the greater of the fair market 
value or reasonable replacement value 
of the equipment or vehicle involved at 
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the time immediately preceding the 
accident; 
‘‘(II) any theft or loss (as defined 
by the Secretary), but the amount ex-
cluded under this subclause shall not 
exceed the greater of the fair market 
value or reasonable replacement value 
of the item or the amount of the 
money (including legal tender of the 
United States or of a foreign country) 
involved at the time immediately pre-
ceding the theft or loss; or 
‘‘(III) any casualty loss (as de-
fined by the Secretary), but the 
amount excluded under this subclause 
shall not exceed the greater of the fair 
market value or reasonable replace-
ment value of the property involved at 
the time immediately preceding the 
casualty loss; and 
‘‘(ii) medical expenses resulting from 
any accident, theft, loss, or casualty loss 
(as defined by the Secretary), but the 
amount excluded under this clause shall 
not exceed the costs of medical care pro-
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vided to the victim of the accident, theft, 
loss, or casualty loss; and 
‘‘(B) pain and suffering (including insur-
ance settlement payments and general damages 
awarded by a court) related to an accident, 
theft, loss, or casualty loss, but the amount ex-
cluded under this subparagraph shall not exceed 
an amount determined by the Secretary on a 
case-by-case basis;’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 
subsection (a) shall take effect on the date that is 180 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
Æ 
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