[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1124 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1124

To amend title 38, United States Code, to increase burial benefits for 
                   veterans, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 22, 2003

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to increase burial benefits for 
                   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 Burial Benefits Improvement 
Act of 2003''.

SEC. 2. INCREASE IN BURIAL BENEFITS FOR VETERANS.

    (a) Burial and Funeral Expenses.--(1) Section 2302(a) of title 38, 
United States Code, is amended by striking ``$300'' and inserting 
``$1,135 (as increased from time to time under section 2309 of this 
title)''.
    (2) Section 2303(a)(1)(A) of that title is amended by striking 
``$300'' and inserting ``$1,135 (as increased from time to time under 
section 2309 of this title)''.
    (3) Section 2307 of that title is amended by striking ``$2,000,'' 
and inserting ``$3,712 (as increased from time to time under section 
2309 of this title),''.
    (b) Plot Allowance.--Section 2303(b) of that title is amended--
            (1) by striking ``$300'' the first place it and inserting 
        ``$670 (as increased from time to time under section 2309 of 
        this title)''; and
            (2) by striking ``$300'' the second place it appears and 
        inserting ``$670 (as so increased)''.
    (c) Annual Adjustment.--(1) Chapter 23 of that title is amended by 
adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 2309. Annual adjustment of amounts of burial benefits
    ``With respect to any fiscal year, the Secretary shall provide a 
percentage increase (rounded to the nearest dollar) in the burial and 
funeral expenses under sections 2302(a), 2303(a), and 2307 of this 
title, and in the plot allowance under section 2303(b) of this title, 
equal to the percentage by which--
            ``(1) the Consumer Price Index (all items, United States 
        city average) for the 12-month period ending on the June 30 
        preceding the beginning of the fiscal year for which the 
        increase is made, exceeds
            ``(2) the Consumer Price Index for the 12-month period 
        preceding the 12-month period described in paragraph (1).''.
    (2) The table of sections at the beginning of that chapter is 
amended by adding at the end the following new item:

``2309. Annual adjustment of amounts of burial benefits.''.
    (d) Effective Date.--(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), the 
amendments made by this section shall apply to deaths occurring on or 
after the date of the enactment of this Act.
    (2) No adjustments shall be made under section 2309 of title 38, 
United States Code, as added by subsection (c), for fiscal year 2004.
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