To amend title 10, United States Code, to expand eligibility for concurrent receipt of military retired pay and veterans' disability compensation to include additional chapter 61 disability retirees, to coordinate eligibility for combat-related special compensation and concurrent receipt, to eliminate the reduction of SBP survivor annuities by dependency and indemnity compensation, and to enhance the ability of members of the reserve components who serve on active duty or perform active service to receive credit for such service in determining eligibility for early receipt of non-regular service retired pay.

Bill: 112-hr-1979
Sponsor: Rep. Andrews, Robert E. [D-NJ-1]
Introduced: 2011-05-25 in the House
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Disability assistance
Veterans' pensions and compensation

Summary:
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: 
Allows the receipt of both military retired pay and veterans' disability compensation with respect to any service-connected disability (under current law, only a disability rated at 50% or more). Repeals provisions phasing in the full concurrent receipt of such pay through December 31, 2013.
 
Makes eligible for the full concurrent receipt of both veterans' disability compensation and either military retired pay or combat-related special pay those individuals who were retired or separated from military service due to a service-connected disability.
 
Repeals certain provisions which require the offset of amounts paid in dependency and indemnity compensation from Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuities for the surviving spouses of former military personnel who are entitled to military retired pay or who would be entitled to retired pay except for being under 60 years of age. 
 
Prohibits requiring repayment of certain amounts previously paid to SBP recipients in the form of a retired pay refund. 
 
Repeals the optional authority of (and instead requires) the Secretary of the military department concerned to pay an annuity to a member's dependent children when there is no eligible surviving spouse. 
 
Directs the Secretary concerned to restore annuity eligibility to a surviving spouse who earlier agreed to transfer such eligibility to a surviving child or children of a member. 
 
Removes the requirement that days of active duty or active service used to reduce the minimum age at which a member of the reserves may retire for non-regular (reserve) service must occur in the same fiscal year.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-06-24
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.
action_date: 2011-06-03
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: Referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: Referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: Introduced in House