[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2626 Introduced in House (IH)]


104th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2626

   To amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure that payments of 
   compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and 
payments of dependency and indemnity compensation for survivors of such 
    veterans are made regardless of Government financial shortfalls.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 13, 1995

  Mr. Hutchinson (for himself and Mr. Stump) introduced the following 
     bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure that payments of 
   compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and 
payments of dependency and indemnity compensation for survivors of such 
    veterans are made regardless of Government financial shortfalls.

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

SECTION 1. ENSURED PAYMENT OF COMPENSATION AND DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY 
              COMPENSATION.

    (a) In General.--(1) Chapter 1 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 116. Ensured payment of compensation and dependency and 
              indemnity compensation
    ``(a) In any case in which appropriations are not otherwise 
available for payment of compensation and dependency and indemnity 
compensation, the Secretary shall nevertheless ensure that payments of 
compensation and dependency and indemnity compensation are made in 
accordance with regular procedures and schedules, and there is hereby 
appropriated such sums as may be necessary for that purpose.
    ``(b) In any case in which certain functions of the Government are 
delayed, deferred, or canceled due to a limitation on the ability of 
the Government to borrow funds, the Secretary shall nevertheless ensure 
that payments of compensation and dependency and indemnity compensation 
are made in accordance with regular procedures and schedules, and 
receipts and disbursements of the Government shall be managed so as to 
ensure that the requirement imposed by this subsection on the Secretary 
is complied with.
    ``(c) In any case in which the Secretary uses the authority of 
subsection (a) to make payments of compensation and dependency and 
indemnity compensation, applicable accounts shall be charged for 
amounts so paid when regular appropriations become available for that 
purpose.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
such chapter is amended by adding at the end the following new item:

``116. Ensured payment of compensation and dependency and indemnity 
                            compensation.''.
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