Title: Surviving Spouses Income Security Act
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Surviving Spouses Income Security Act
This bill increases monthly rates for veterans' dependency and indemnity compensation payable to surviving spouses through the Department of Veterans Affairs.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4106 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4106

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for an increase in 
the amount of monthly dependents and survivors income security benefit 
payable to surviving spouses by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 24, 2017

 Ms. Shea-Porter (for herself and Ms. Rosen) introduced the following 
     bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for an increase in 
the amount of monthly dependents and survivors income security benefit 
payable to surviving spouses by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and 
                          for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Surviving Spouses Income Security 
Act''.

SEC. 2. INCREASE IN AMOUNT OF DEPENDENTS AND SURVIVORS INCOME SECURITY 
              BENEFIT PAYABLE TO SURVIVING SPOUSES BY THE SECRETARY OF 
              VETERANS AFFAIRS.

    (a) Increase.--Section 1311(a) of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``of $1,154'' and 
        inserting ``equal to 55 percent of the rate of monthly 
        compensation in effect under section 1114(j) of this title''; 
        and
            (2) by striking paragraph (3).
    (b) Effective Date.--
            (1) In general.--Except as provided by paragraph (2), the 
        amendments made by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to 
        compensation paid under chapter 13 of title 38, United States 
        Code, for months beginning after the date that is six months 
        after the date of the enactment of this Act.
            (2) Special rule for certain individuals.--
                    (A) For months beginning after the date that is six 
                months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
                Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall pay to an 
                individual described in subparagraph (B) dependents and 
                survivors income security benefit under section 1311 of 
                title 38, United States Code, in the monthly amount 
                that is the greater of the following:
                            (i) The amount determined under subsection 
                        (a)(3) of such section 1311, as in effect on 
                        the day before the date of the enactment of 
                        this Act.
                            (ii) The amount determined under subsection 
                        (a)(1) of such section 1311, as amended by 
                        subsection (a).
                    (B) An individual described in this subparagraph is 
                an individual eligible for dependents and survivors 
                income security benefit under section 1311 of title 38, 
                United States Code, that is predicated on the death of 
                a veteran before January 1, 1993.

SEC. 3. MODIFICATION OF REQUIREMENTS FOR DEPENDENTS AND SURVIVORS 
              INCOME SECURITY BENEFIT PAYABLE BY DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
              AFFAIRS FOR SURVIVORS OF CERTAIN VETERANS RATED TOTALLY 
              DISABLED AT TIME OF DEATH.

    Section 1318 of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) by striking ``The Secretary'' and inserting 
                ``(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), the 
                Secretary''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following new 
                paragraph:
    ``(2) In any case in which the Secretary makes a payment under 
paragraph (1) of this subsection by reason of subsection (b)(1) and the 
period of continuous rating immediately preceding death is less than 10 
years, the amount payable under paragraph (1) of this subsection shall 
be an amount which bears the same relationship to the amount otherwise 
payable under such paragraph as the duration of such period bears to 10 
years.''; and
            (2) in subsection (b)(1), by striking ``10 or more years'' 
        and inserting ``five or more years''.

SEC. 4. ELIGIBILITY FOR DEPENDENTS AND SURVIVORS INCOME SECURITY 
              BENEFIT PAYABLE BY DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS FOR 
              SURVIVING SPOUSES WHO REMARRY AFTER AGE 55.

    Section 103(d)(2)(B) of title 38, United States Code, is amended in 
the second sentence by inserting ``chapter 13 or'' after ``benefits 
under''.

SEC. 5. RENAMING OF DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY COMPENSATION TO DEPENDENTS 
              AND SURVIVORS INCOME SECURITY BENEFIT.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 13 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended--
            (1) by striking ``dependency and indemnity compensation'' 
        each place it appears, including the table of sections, and 
        inserting ``dependents and survivors income security benefit''; 
        and
            (2) by conforming the typeface and typestyle, including 
        capitalization, of such inserted matter to the typeface and 
        typestyle as used in such stricken matter.
    (b) References.--Any reference in law to dependency and indemnity 
compensation paid by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs pursuant to 
chapter 13 of such title shall be deemed to be a reference to 
dependents and survivors income security benefit.
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