[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5444 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5444

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for annual cost-of-
  living adjustments to be made automatically by law each year in 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.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 22, 2006

 Mr. Knollenberg introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
                   the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for annual cost-of-
  living adjustments to be made automatically by law each year in 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.

    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 ``Veterans' Disability Compensation 
Automatic COLA Act ''.

SEC. 2. AUTOMATIC ANNUAL INCREASE IN RATES OF DISABILITY COMPENSATION 
              AND DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY COMPENSATION.

    (a) Indexing to Social Security Increases.--Section 5312 of title 
38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following 
new subsection:
    ``(d) Compensation and DIC Rate Adjustments.--(1) Whenever there is 
an increase in benefit amounts payable under title II of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 401 et seq.) as a result of a determination 
made under section 215(i) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 415(i)), the Secretary 
shall, effective on the date of such increase in benefit amounts, 
increase the dollar amounts in effect for the payment of disability 
compensation and dependency and indemnity compensation by the 
Secretary, as specified in paragraph (2), as such amounts were in 
effect immediately before the date of such increase in benefit amounts 
payable under title II of the Social Security Act, by the same 
percentage as the percentage by which such benefit amounts are 
increased.
    ``(2) The dollar amounts to be increased pursuant to paragraph (1) 
are the following:
            ``(A) Compensation.--Each of the dollar amounts in effect 
        under section 1114 of this title.
            ``(B) Additional compensation for dependents.--Each of the 
        dollar amounts in effect under section 1115(1) of this title.
            ``(C) Clothing allowance.--The dollar amount in effect 
        under section 1162 of this title.
            ``(D) New dic rates.--The dollar amounts in effect under 
        paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 1311(a) of this title.
            ``(E) Old dic rates.--Each of the dollar amounts in effect 
        under section 1311(a)(3) of this title.
            ``(F) Additional dic for surviving spouses with minor 
        children.--The dollar amount in effect under section 1311(b) of 
        this title.
            ``(G) Additional dic for disability.--The dollar amounts in 
        effect under sections 1311(c) and 1311(d) of this title.
            ``(H) Dic for dependent children.--The dollar amounts in 
        effect under sections 1313(a) and 1314 of this title.
    ``(3) Whenever there is an increase under paragraph (1) in amounts 
in effect for the payment of disability compensation and dependency and 
indemnity compensation, the Secretary shall publish such amounts, as 
increased pursuant to such paragraph, in the Federal Register at the 
same time as the material required by section 215(i)(2)(D) of the 
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 415(i)(2)(D)) is published by reason of 
a determination under section 215(i) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 415(i)).''.
    (b) Effective Date.--Subsection (d) of section 5312 of title 38, 
United States Code, as added by subsection (a), shall take effect on 
January 1, 2007.
                                 <all>