An Act to amend title 38 of the United States Code to liberalize the provisions relating to payment of disability and death pension, and for other purposes
PL 92-198 (H.R.11651), enacted 12/15/1971

85 STAT. ] 
PUBLIC LAW 92-198-DEC. 15, 1971 
663 
Public Law 92-198 
AN ACT 
I'll .•iiiieiid title 3^ of the ruitetl ^^tates Code to liberalize the provisions relatins 
to payment of <lisability and death pension, and for other purposes. 
December IS, 1971 
[H. R. 116S1] 
Bt tt enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
I ii'tted states of Amer'ua in Congress assemhled, That (a) subsection 
(b) of section 521 of title 88, United States Code, is amended to read 
as follows: 
"(b) If the veteran is unmarried (or married but not living with 
.'ind not reasonably contributing to the support of his spouse) and 
has no child, pension shall be paid according to the following formula : 
If annual income is $300 or less, the monthly rate of pension shall be 
$130. For each $1 of amnial income in excess of $300 up to and includ-
ing $1,000. the monthly rate shall be reduced 3 cents; for each $1 of 
amiual income in excess of $1,000 up to and including $1,500, the 
monthly rate shall be reduced 4 cents; for each $1 of annual income 
in excess of $1,500 up to and including $1,800, the monthly rate shall 
be reduced 5 cents; for each $1 of annual income in excess of $1,800 
up to and including $2,200, the monthly rate shall be reduced 6 cents; 
and for each $1 of annual income in excess of $2,200 up to and includ-
ing $2,600. the monthly rate shall be reduced 7 cents. Xo pension shall 
IK? paid if annual income exceeds $2,600," 
(b) Suljsection (c) of such section 521 is amended to read as 
follows: 
*'(c) If the veteran is married and living with or reasonably con-
tributing to the support of his spouse, or has a child or children, 
pension shall be paid according to the following formula: If annual 
income is $500 or less, the monthly rate of pension shall be $140 for 
a veteran and one dependent, $145 for a veteran and two dependents, 
and $150 for three or more dependents. For each $1 of annual income 
in excess of $500 up to and including $900, the particular monthly rate 
shall be reduced 2 cents; for each $1 of annual income in excess of 
$900 up to and including $3,200, the monthly rate shall be reduced 3 
cents; and for each $1 annual income in excess of $3,200 up to and 
including $3,800, the monthly rate shall be reduced 5 cents. No pension 
shall be paid if annual income exceeds $3,800." 
(c) Subsection (b) of section 541 of title 38, L^nited States Code, is 
amended to read as follows: 
"(b) If there is no child, pension shall be paid according to the 
following formula: If annual income is $300 or less, the monthly rate 
of pension shall be $87. For each $1 of annual income in excess of $300 
up to and including $600, the monthly rate shall be reduced 1 cent; 
for each $1 of annual income in excess of $600 up to and including 
$1,900, the monthly rate shall be reduced 3 cents; and for each $1 of 
annual income in excess of $1,900 up to and including $2,600, the 
monthly rate shall be reduced 4 cents. No pension shall be paid if 
annual income exceeds $2,600." 
(d) Subsection (c) of such section 541 is amended to read as 
follows: 
"' (c) If there is a widow and one child, pension shall be paid accord-
ing to the following formula: If annual income is $600 or less, the 
monthly rate of pension shall be $104. For each $1 of annual income 
in excess of $600 up to and including $1,400, the monthly rate shall be 
reduced 1 cent; for each $1 of annual income in excess of $1,400 up to 
and including $2,700, the monthly rate shall be reduced 2 cents; and 
for each $1 of annual income in excess of $2,700 up to and including 
$3,800, the monthly rate shall be reduced 3 cents. Whenever the 
Veterans. 
Disability and 
death pension, 
liberalization. 
73 Stat, 433; 
84 Stat. 1580. 
Veterans with 
dependents. 
Widows. 
Widow with 
one child. 
664 
PUBLIC LAW 92-199-DEC. 15, 1971 
[85 STAT. 
73 Stat. 435. 
81 Stat. 180. 
Children. 
Annual income 
determinations. 
73 Stat. 432; 
84 Stat. 1584. 
76 Stat. 949. 
84 Stat. 1583. 
38 u s e 521 
note. 
73 Stat. 436. 
38 u s e 521 
note, 
84 Stat. 1584. 
81 Stat. 18 2, 
Effective date. 
monthly rate payable to the widow under the foregoing formula is less 
than the amount which would be payable to the child under section 542 
of this title if the widow were not entitled, the widow will be paid at 
the child's rate. Xo pension shall be paid if the annual income exceeds 
$3,800." 
(e) Subsection (d) of such section 541 is amended by striking out 
"$16" and inserting in lieu thereof "$17". 
(f) Subsection (a) of section 542 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by striking out "$40" and "$16" and inserting in lieu thereof 
' ^ 2 " and "$17", respectively. 
SEC. 2. Section 503 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by 
(a) inserting " ( a ) " immediately preceding "In" at the beginning of 
such section, and (b) adding at the end thereof the following new 
subsections: 
"(b) Where a fraction of a dollar is involved, annual income shall 
be fixed at the next lower dollar. 
"(c) The Administrator may provide by regulation for the exclusion 
from income under this chapter of amounts paid by a veteran, widow, 
or child for unusual medical expenses." 
SEC. 3. Paragraph (2) of section 3012(b) of title 38, United States 
Code, is amended by striking out "month" and inserting in lieu thereof 
"calendar year". 
SEC. 4. Section 4 of Public Law 90-275 (82 Stat. 68) is amended 
to read as follows: 
"SEC. 4. The annual income limitations governing payment of pen-
sion under the fii*st sentence of section 9(b) of the Veterans' Pension 
Act of 1959 hereafter shall be $2,200 and $3,500, instead of $1,900 and 
$3,200, respectively." 
SEC. 5. (a) Paragraph (30) of section 101 of title 38, United States 
Code, is amended by striking the phrase "for ninety days or more". 
(b) Paragraph (3) of subsection 521 (g) of such title 38 is amended 
by inserting immediately before "World War I" the phrase "the Mex-
ican border period or". 
SEC. 6. This Act shall take effect on January 1,1972. 
Approved December 15, 1971. 
Public Law 92-199 
December 15, 1971 
A N 
A C i 
[s. 2248] 
To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to engage in certain feasibility 
investigations. 
Water resources 
development proj-
ects. 
Feasibility 
studies. 
Be It enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary 
of the Interior is hereby authorized to engage in feasibility studies of 
the following potential water resources development projects: 
(a) North Side Pumping Division Extension, Minidoka project, 
Jerome and Minidoka Counties, Idaho. 
(b) Dickinson Unit, Pick-Sloan Missouri River Basin program, 
North Dakota. 
(c) Upper John Day project, on the John Day River in Grant and 
Wheeler Counties, Oregon. 
(d) A plan to rehabilitate the distribution system of the Red Bluff 
project, Texas. 
(e) Rogue River Basin project, Grants Pass Division, Josephine 
and Jackson Counties, Oregon.