H. R. 2280
One Hundred Sixth Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE FIRST SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Wednesday,
the sixth day of January, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine
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 Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 1999’’.
(b) REFERENCES TO TITLE 38, UNITED STATES CODE.—Except
as otherwise expressly provided, whenever in this Act an amend-
ment or repeal is expressed in terms of an amendment to, or
repeal of, a section or other provision, the reference shall be consid-
ered 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 ‘‘$95’’ in subsection (a) and inserting ‘‘$98’’;
(2) by striking ‘‘$182’’ in subsection (b) and inserting ‘‘$188’’;
(3) by striking ‘‘$279’’ in subsection (c) and inserting ‘‘$288’’;
(4) by striking ‘‘$399’’ in subsection (d) and inserting ‘‘$413’’;
(5) by striking ‘‘$569’’ in subsection (e) and inserting ‘‘$589’’;
(6) by striking ‘‘$717’’ in subsection (f ) and inserting ‘‘$743’’;
(7) by striking ‘‘$905’’ in subsection (g) and inserting ‘‘$937’’;
(8) by striking ‘‘$1,049’’ in subsection (h) and inserting
‘‘$1,087’’;
(9) by striking ‘‘$1,181’’ in subsection (i) and inserting
‘‘$1,224’’;
(10) by striking ‘‘$1,964’’ in subsection ( j) and inserting
‘‘$2,036’’;
(11) in subsection (k)—
(A) by striking ‘‘$75’’ both places it appears and
inserting ‘‘$76’’; and
(B) by striking ‘‘$2,443’’ and ‘‘$3,426’’ and inserting
‘‘$2,533’’ and ‘‘$3,553’’, respectively;
(12) by striking ‘‘$2,443’’ in subsection (l) and inserting
‘‘$2,533’’;
(13) by striking ‘‘$2,694’’ in subsection (m) and inserting
‘‘$2,794’’;
(14) by striking ‘‘$3,066’’ in subsection (n) and inserting
‘‘$3,179’’;
H. R. 2280—2
(15) by striking ‘‘$3,426’’ each place it appears in sub-
sections (o) and (p) and inserting ‘‘$3,553’’;
(16) by striking ‘‘$1,471’’ and ‘‘$2,190’’ in subsection (r)
and inserting ‘‘$1,525’’ and ‘‘$2,271’’, respectively; and
(17) by striking ‘‘$2,199’’ in subsection (s) and inserting
‘‘$2,280’’.
(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 ‘‘$114’’ in clause (A) and inserting ‘‘$117’’;
(2) by striking ‘‘$195’’ and ‘‘$60’’ in clause (B) and inserting
‘‘$201’’ and ‘‘$61’’, respectively;
(3) by striking ‘‘$78’’ and ‘‘$60’’ in clause (C) and inserting
‘‘$80’’ and ‘‘$61’’, respectively;
(4) by striking ‘‘$92’’ in clause (D) and inserting ‘‘$95’’;
(5) by striking ‘‘$215’’ in clause (E) and inserting ‘‘$222’’;
and
(6) by striking ‘‘$180’’ in clause (F) and inserting ‘‘$186’’.
SEC. 4. CLOTHING ALLOWANCE FOR CERTAIN DISABLED VETERANS.
Section 1162 is amended by striking ‘‘$528’’ and inserting
‘‘$546’’.
SEC. 
5. 
DEPENDENCY 
AND 
INDEMNITY 
COMPENSATION 
FOR
SURVIVING SPOUSES.
(a) NEW LAW RATES.—Section 1311(a) is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘$850’’ in paragraph (1) and inserting ‘‘$881’’;
and
(2) by striking ‘‘$185’’ in paragraph (2) and inserting ‘‘$191’’.
(b) OLD LAW RATES.—The table in section 1311(a)(3) is amended
to read as follows:
Monthly
Monthly
‘‘Pay grade
rate
Pay grade
rate
E–1 ....................................
$881
W–4 ...................................
$1,054
E–2 ....................................
881
O–1 ...................................
930
E–3 ....................................
881
O–2 ...................................
962
E–4 ....................................
881
O–3 ...................................
1,028
E–5 ....................................
881
O–4 ...................................
1,087
E–6 ....................................
881
O–5 ...................................
1,198
E–7 ....................................
911
O–6 ...................................
1,349
E–8 ....................................
962
O–7 ...................................
1,458
E–9 ....................................
1,0031
O–8 ...................................
1,598
W–1 ...................................
930
O–9 ...................................
1,712
W–2 ...................................
968
O–10 .................................
1,8782
W–3 ...................................
997
‘‘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 1302 of this title, the surviving spouse’s rate shall be $1,082.
‘‘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 1302 of this title, the surviving spouse’s rate shall be
$2,013.’’.
H. R. 2280—3
(c) ADDITIONAL
DIC 
FOR
CHILDREN.—Section 1311(b) is
amended by striking ‘‘$215’’ and inserting ‘‘$222’’.
(d) AID
AND ATTENDANCE ALLOWANCE.—Section 1311(c) is
amended by striking ‘‘$215’’ and inserting ‘‘$222’’.
(e) HOUSEBOUND RATE.—Section 1311(d) is amended by striking
‘‘$104’’ and inserting ‘‘$107’’.
SEC. 
6. 
DEPENDENCY 
AND 
INDEMNITY 
COMPENSATION 
FOR
CHILDREN.
(a) DIC FOR ORPHAN CHILDREN.—Section 1313(a) is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘$361’’ in paragraph (1) and inserting ‘‘$373’’;
(2) by striking ‘‘$520’’ in paragraph (2) and inserting ‘‘$538’’;
(3) by striking ‘‘$675’’ in paragraph (3) and inserting ‘‘$699’’;
and
(4) by striking ‘‘$675’’ and ‘‘$132’’ in paragraph (4) and
inserting ‘‘$699’’ and ‘‘$136’’, respectively.
(b) SUPPLEMENTAL DIC FOR DISABLED ADULT CHILDREN.—
Section 1314 is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘$215’’ in subsection (a) and inserting ‘‘$222’’;
(2) by striking ‘‘$361’’ in subsection (b) and inserting ‘‘$373’’;
and
(3) by striking ‘‘$182’’ in subsection (c) and inserting ‘‘$188’’.
SEC. 7. EFFECTIVE DATE.
The amendments made by this Act shall take effect on
December 1, 1999.
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.