[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2273 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2273

To increase, effective as of December 1, 1998, 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.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              July 8, 1998

  Mr. Specter introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
             referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To increase, effective as of December 1, 1998, 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 1998''.

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, 1998, 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 Rate Amendments of 1997 (Public Law 105-98; 111 
Stat. 2155). This increase shall be made in such rates and limitations 
as in effect on November 30, 1998, 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, 1998, as a 
result of a determination under section 215(i) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
415(i)).
    (3) In the computation of increased dollar amounts pursuant to 
paragraph (2), any amount which as so computed is not an even multiple 
of $1 shall be rounded to the next lower whole dollar amount.
    (b) Special Rule.--The Secretary may adjust administratively, 
consistent with the increases made under subsection (a), 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 1998, the 
Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register the rates and 
limitations referred to in subsection (a)(2) as increased under this 
section.
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