An Act to amend title 38 of the United States Code to increase the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation payable to widows of veterans, and for other purposes
PL 91-96 (S.1471), enacted 10/27/1969

144 
PUBLIC LAW 91-96-OCT. 27, 1969 
[83 STAT . 
Public Law 91-96 
October 27, 1969 
A N A C T 
^^' ^"^^^^ 
To amend title 38 of the United States Code to increase the rates of dependency 
and indemnity compensation payable to widows of veterans, and for other 
purposes. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
Dep"n(?enc 
United States of America In Congress assembled. That section 402 of 
and indemnity 
title 38, LTiiited States Code, is amended to read as follows: 
compensation, 
,^_ . - _ 
T-» . 
.
.
. 
« 
-, 
increase. 
§ 402. Determination of pay grade 
80 Stat. 873. ' 
"(a) With rcspect to a veteran who died in the active military, 
naval, or air service, his pay grade shall be determined as of the date 
of his death. 
"(b) With respect to a veteran who did not die in the active mili-
tary, naval, or air service, his pay grade shall be determined as of— 
(1) the time of his last discharge or release from active duty 
-
V 
under conditions other than dishonorable; or 
(2) the time of his discharge or release from any period of 
active duty for trainiiig or inactive duty training, if his death 
results from service-connected disability incurred during such 
period and if he was not thereafter discharged or released under 
conditions other than dishonorable from active duty. 
79^stat^Vi5V°' 
"(^) '^^^ P^y grade of any veteran described in section 106(b) of 
38 use 106. 
this title shall be that to which he would have been assigned upon 
final acceptance or entry upon active duty. 
"(d) If a veteran has satisfactorily served on active duty for a 
period of six months or more in a pay grade higher than that specified 
in subsection (a) or (b) and any subsequent discharge or release from 
active duty was under conditions other than dishonorable, the higher 
pay grade shall be used if it will result in greater monthly payments 
to his widow under this chapter. The determination as to whether an 
individual has served satisfactorily for the required period in a higher 
pay grade shall be made by the Secretary of the Department in which 
such higher pay grade was held. 
"(e) The pay grade of any person not otherwise described in this 
section, but who had a compensable status on the date of his death 
under laws administered by the Veterans' Administration, shall be de-
termined by the head of the department under which such person per-
formed the services by which he obtained such status (taking into con-
sideration his duties and responsibilities), and certified to the Adminis-
trator. For the purposes of this chapter, such person shall be deemed 
to have been on active duty while performing such services." 
SEC. 2. Section 403 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by 
striking out the last sentence of the section. 
SEC. 3. Section 411 of title 38, United States Code, is amended to 
read as follows: 
83 STAT. ] 
PUBLIC LAW 91-96-OCT. 27, 1969 
145 
"(a) Dependency and indemnity compensation shall be paid to a 
widow, based on the pay grade of her deceased husband, at monthly 
rates set forth in the following table: 
"Pay grad( 
E-1 
E-2 
E-3 __ 
_ — 
E-4 
E-') 
E-6 
E-7 
E-8 
E-9 
_ 
W-1 
W-2 
W-3 
<• 
Monthly rate 
__ 
- 
$167 
__ 
_ 
_ 
172 
-._ 
177 
.__ 
_- 
__ 
187 
193 
_ _ 
_ 
_ 
197 
_ _ 
— 
206 
- 
_ 
218 
—_ 
'228 
- 
211 
- 
219 
- 
-__ 
_ 
__ 
226 
"Pay grade 
W-4 
_ 
0-1 
_ 
__ 
. 
0-2 
_ 
_ 
__ 
0-3 
- 
-_ 
0-4 
0-5 
_ 
0-6 
0-7 
0-8 
- 
- 
_ 
0-9 
— 
0-10 
Monthly rate 
. _ 
__ 
_ 
_ 
$238 
211 
218 
_ 
234 
_ 
_ _ 
_ 
247 
272 
._ 
___ 
306 
332 
. 
___ 
_ 
363 
_ 
390 
"426 
"1 If the veteran served as sergeant major of the Army, senior enlisted advisor of the 
Navy, chief master sergeanit of the Air Fiorce, or sergeant major of the Marine Corps, at 
the applicable time designated by sec. 402 of this title, the widow's rate shall be $245. 
"2 If the veteran served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Chief of Staff of the 
Army, Chief of Naval Operations, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, or Commandant of the 
Marine Corps, at the applicable time designated by see. 402 of this title, the widow's 
rate shall be $457." 
"(b) If there is a widow with one or more children below the age 
of eighteen of a deceased veteran, the dependency and indemnity com-
pensation paid monthly to the widow shall be increased by $20 for 
each such child. 
"(c) The monthly rate of dependency and indemnity compensation 
payable to a widow shall be increased by $50 if she is (1) a patient 
in a nursing home or (2) helpless or blind, or so nearly helpless or 
blind as to need or require the regular aid and attendance of another 
person." 
SEC. 4. Section 421 of title 38, United States Code, is amended to 
read as follows: 
"§ 421. Certifications with respect to pay grade 
"The Secretary concerned shall, at the request of the Administrator, 
certify to him the pay grade of deceased persons with respect to whose 
deaths applications for benefits are filed under this chapter. The 
certification of the Secretary concerned shall be binding upon the 
Administrator." 
SEC. 5. Section 401 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by 
striking out the text thereof beginning with "(1)" and continuing 
through "(2)". 
^ 
s 
w 
s 
SEC 6. The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 13 of title 
38, United States Code, is amended by (1) striking out 
"402. Computation of basic pay." 
and substituting in lieu thereof: 
"402. Determination of pay grade."; 
72 Stat. 1132. 
38 u s e 401-
423. 
146 
PUBLIC LAW 91-97-OCT. 27, 1969 
[83 STAT. 
Helpless or 
blind widow, 
additional 
compensation. 
72 Stat. 1122. 
Effective date. 
and (2) by striking out 
"421. Certifications with respect to basic pay." 
and substituting in lieu thereof: 
"421. Certifications with respect to pay grade." 
SEC. 7. Section 322 of title e38, United States Code, is amended by (1) 
inserting " ( a ) " immediately before "The"; and (2) adding at the 
end thereof the following new subsection: 
"(b) The monthly rate of death compensation payable to a widow 
under subsection (a) of this section shall be increased by $50 if she is 
(1) a patient in a nursing home or (2) helpless or blind, or so nearly 
helpless or blind as to need or require the regular aid and attendance of 
another person." 
SEC. 8. This Act shall take effect on the first day of the second calen-
dar month which begins after the date of enactment. 
Approved October 27, 1969. 
October 27, 1969 
[S. 1242] 
Public Law 91-97 
AN ACT 
To amend the Communications Act of 1934 by extending the provisions thereof 
relating to grants for construction of educational television or radio broad-
casting facilities and the provisions relating to support of the Corporation for 
Public Broadcasting. 
Educational 
Television and 
Radio Amend-
ments of 1969. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That this Act may 
be cited as the "Educational Television and Radio Amendments of 
1969". 
76 Stat. 65; 
81 Stat. 365. 
THREE-YEAR AUTHORIZATION FOR PUBLIC KROADCASTING FACILITIES 
SEC. 2. (a) Section 391 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 
U.S.C. 391) IS amended by inserting after the second sentence the fol-
lowing new sentence: "There are also authorized to be appropriated for 
the fiscal year ending June 30,1971, and for each of the two succeeding 
fiscal years, $15,000,000 per fiscal year." 
(b) The last sentence of such section is amended by striking out 
"July 1,1971" and inserting in lieu thereof "July 1,1974'% 
81 Stat. 372; 
82 Stat. 108. 
ONE-YEAR EXTENSION OF FINANCING OF CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC 
BROADCASTING 
S E C 3. (a) Paragraph *(1) of subsection (k) of section 3^6 of the 
Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 396) is amended by inserting 
", and for the next fiscal year the sum of $20,000,000" after "$9,000,000". 
(b) Paragraph (2) of such subsection is amended by inserting "or 
the next fiscal year" after "June 30,1969,". 
Approved October 27, 1969.