I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3407 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements to 
laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs relating to bene-
fits for severely injured veterans, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 30, 2009 
Mr. BUYER (for himself, Mr. MICHAUD, and Mr. BROWN of South Carolina) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain 
improvements to laws administered by the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs relating to benefits for severely injured 
veterans, 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 ‘‘Severely Injured Vet-
erans Benefit Improvement Act of 2009’’. 
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SEC. 2. INCREASE IN RATE OF SPECIAL MONTHLY COM-
PENSATION FOR SEVERELY INJURED VET-
ERANS. 
Section 1114(r) of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘$1,893’’ and 
inserting ‘‘$2,840’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘$2,820’’ and 
inserting ‘‘4,230’’. 
SEC. 3. ELIGIBILITY OF DISABLED VETERANS AND MEM-
BERS OF THE ARMED FORCES WITH SEVERE 
BURN INJURIES FOR AUTOMOBILES AND 
ADAPTIVE EQUIPMENT. 
(a) ELIGIBILITY.—Paragraph (1) of section 3901 is 
amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (A)— 
(A) in the matter preceding clause (i), by 
striking ‘‘or (iii) below’’ and inserting ‘‘(iii), or 
(iv)’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following new 
clause: 
‘‘(iv) A severe burn injury (as deter-
mined pursuant to regulations prescribed 
by the Secretary).’’; and 
(2) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘or (iii)’’ 
and inserting ‘‘(iii), or (iv)’’. 
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(1) by striking ‘‘$4,340’’ and inserting ‘‘4,774’’; 
and 
(2) 
by 
striking 
‘‘$5,441’’ 
and 
inserting 
‘‘$5,985’’. 
SEC. 5. ELIGIBILITY OF VETERANS WITH TRAUMATIC 
BRAIN INJURY FOR AID AND ATTENDANCE 
BENEFITS. 
Section 1114(o) of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by inserting after ‘‘prosthetic appliances,’’ the 
following: ‘‘or if the veteran has suffered traumatic brain 
injury,’’. 
SEC. 6. AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 
TO INCREASE MEDAL OF HONOR SPECIAL 
PENSION. 
(a) AUTHORITY TO INCREASE RATE OF SPECIAL 
PENSION.—Subsection (a) of section 1562 of title 38, 
United States Code, is amended— 
(1) by inserting ‘‘(1)’’ after ‘‘(a)’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(2)(A) Subject to the availability of appropriations 
for this purpose in advance in an appropriations Act, the 
Secretary may increase the rate of the special pension oth-
erwise in effect under paragraph (1) by not more than 
$1,000. 
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‘‘(B) The Secretary may not increase the rate of a 
special pension under subparagraph (A) after the Sec-
retary has expended all the funds specifically provided for 
such purpose in an appropriations Act. 
‘‘(C) The authority under subparagraph (A) expires 
on September 30, 2013.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Subsection (f)(1) 
of such section is amended by striking ‘‘this section’’ and 
inserting ‘‘subsection (a)(1)’’. 
SEC. 7. EXTENSION OF PROVISIONS RELATING TO PEN-
SIONS FOR CERTAIN HOSPITALIZED VET-
ERANS. 
Section 5503(d)(7) of title 38, United States Code, 
is amended by striking ‘‘September 30, 2011’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘September 30, 2021’’. 
SEC. 8. EFFECTIVE DATE. 
The amendments made by this Act shall take effect 
on September 30, 2011. 
Æ 
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