[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2415 Introduced in Senate (IS)]








109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2415

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 15, 2006

 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 2006''.

SEC. 2. INCREASE IN BURIAL AND FUNERAL BENEFITS FOR VETERANS.

    (a) Increase in Burial and Funeral Expenses and Provision for 
Annual Cost-of-Living Adjustment.--
            (1) Expenses generally.--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) Expenses for deaths in department facilities.--Section 
        2303(a)(1)(A) of such title is amended by striking ``$300'' and 
        inserting ``$1,135 (as increased from time to time under 
        section 2309 of this title)''.
            (3) Expenses for deaths from service-connected 
        disabilities.--Section 2307 of such 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 such title is amended--
            (1) by striking ``$300'' the first place it appears 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) In general.--Chapter 23 of such 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) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the 
        beginning of such chapter is amended by adding at the end the 
        following new item:

``2309. Annual adjustment of amounts of burial benefits.''.
    (d) Effective Date.--
            (1) In general.--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) Prohibition on cost-of-living adjustment for fiscal 
        year 2007.--No adjustments shall be made under section 2309 of 
        title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (c), for 
        fiscal year 2007.
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