[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 502 Introduced in House (IH)]






109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 502

 To increase the amounts payable under the Department of Defense death 
 gratuity program and the Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 1, 2005

   Mr. Smith of New Jersey introduced the following bill; which was 
  referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the 
    Committee on Veterans' Affairs, for a period to be subsequently 
   determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
 provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To increase the amounts payable under the Department of Defense death 
 gratuity program and the Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance program.

    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 ``Honoring Fallen Heroes Act of 
2005''.

SEC. 2. INCREASE IN DEATH GRATUITY PAYABLE WITH RESPECT TO MEMBERS OF 
              THE ARMED FORCES.

    (a) Amount of Death Gratuity.--Section 1478(a) of title 10, United 
States Code, is amended by striking ``$12,000'' and inserting 
``$100,000''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall 
apply with respect to deaths occurring on or after October 1, 2000.

SEC. 3. INCREASE IN COVERAGE UNDER SERVICEMEMBERS' GROUP LIFE INSURANCE 
              PROGRAM.

    (a) Insurance Coverage.--Paragraph (3)(A)(i) of section 1967(a) of 
title 38, United States Code, is amended by striking ``$250,000'' and 
inserting ``$400,000''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 1967(d) of such title is amended 
by striking ``of $250,000'' and inserting ``provided for a member under 
subparagraph (A)(i) of subsection (a)(3)''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall 
take effect on the first day of the first month that begins more than 
120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.
    (d) Retroactive Applicability of Increase in Maximum SGLI Benefit 
for Members Dying in Performance of Duty on or After October 1, 2000.--
Notwithstanding subsection (c), the amendment made by subsection (a) to 
section 1967(a)(3)(A)(i) of title 38, United States Code, shall take 
effect as of October 1, 2000, with respect to any member of the 
uniformed services who died in the performance of duty (as determined 
by the Secretary concerned) during the period beginning on October 1, 
2000, and ending at the date specified in subsection (c) and who on the 
date of death was insured under the Servicemembers' Group Life 
Insurance program under subchapter III of chapter 19 of title 38, 
United States Code, for the maximum coverage available under that 
program on that date.
    (e) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Secretary concerned.--The term ``Secretary concerned'' 
        has the meaning given that term in section 101 of title 38, 
        United States Code.
            (2) Uniformed services.--The term ``uniformed services'' 
        has the meaning given that term in section 1965(6) of title 38, 
        United States Code.
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