[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3458 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        H.R.3458

                       One Hundred Fourth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE SECOND SESSION

         Begun and held at the City of Washington on Wednesday,
   the third day of January, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-six


                                 An Act


 
 To increase, effective as of December 1, 1996, the rates of disability 
 compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the 
rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for survivors of certain 
      service-connected disabled veterans, 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 ``Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-
Living Adjustment Act of 1996''.

SEC. 2. INCREASE IN COMPENSATION RATES AND LIMITATIONS.

    (a) In General.--(1) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall, as 
provided in paragraph (2), increase, effective December 1, 1996, the 
rates of and limitations on Department of Veterans Affairs disability 
compensation and dependency and indemnity compensation.
    (2) The Secretary shall increase each of the rates and limitations 
in sections 1114, 1115(1), 1162, 1311, 1313, and 1314 of title 38, 
United States Code, that were increased by the amendments made by the 
Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 1995 (Public 
Law 104-57; 109 Stat. 555). This increase shall be made in such rates 
and limitations as in effect on November 30, 1996, and shall be by the 
same percentage that benefit amounts payable under title II of the 
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 401 et seq.) are increased effective 
December 1, 1996, as a result of a determination under section 215(i) 
of such Act (42 U.S.C. 415(i)).
    (b) Special Rule.--The Secretary may adjust administratively, 
consistent with the increases made under subsection (a)(2), the rates 
of disability compensation payable to persons within the purview of 
section 10 of Public Law 85-857 (72 Stat. 1263) who are not in receipt 
of compensation payable pursuant to chapter 11 of title 38, United 
States Code.
    (c) Publication Requirement.--At the same time as the matters 
specified in section 215(i)(2)(D) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
415(i)(2)(D)) are required to be published by reason of a determination 
made under section 215(i) of such Act during fiscal year 1996, the 
Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register the rates and 
limitations referred to in subsection (a)(2) as increased under this 
section.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.