[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3407 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3407

To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements to 
  laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs relating to 
    benefits for severely injured veterans, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 30, 2009

 Mr. Buyer (for himself, Mr. Michaud, and Mr. Brown of South Carolina) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                           Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements to 
  laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs relating to 
    benefits for severely injured 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 ``Severely Injured Veterans Benefit 
Improvement Act of 2009''.

SEC. 2. INCREASE IN RATE OF SPECIAL MONTHLY COMPENSATION FOR SEVERELY 
              INJURED VETERANS.

    Section 1114(r) of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``$1,893'' and inserting 
        ``$2,840''; and
            (2) in paragraph (2), by striking ``$2,820'' and inserting 
        ``4,230''.

SEC. 3. ELIGIBILITY OF DISABLED VETERANS AND MEMBERS OF THE ARMED 
              FORCES WITH SEVERE BURN INJURIES FOR AUTOMOBILES AND 
              ADAPTIVE EQUIPMENT.

    (a) Eligibility.--Paragraph (1) of section 3901 is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (A)--
                    (A) in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking 
                ``or (iii) below'' and inserting ``(iii), or (iv)''; 
                and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following new clause:
                            ``(iv) A severe burn injury (as determined 
                        pursuant to regulations prescribed by the 
                        Secretary).''; and
            (2) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``or (iii)'' and 
        inserting ``(iii), or (iv)''.
    (b) Stylistic Amendments.--Such section is further amended--
            (1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking 
        ``chapter--'' and inserting ``chapter:'';
            (2) in paragraph (1)--
                    (A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by 
                striking ``means--'' and inserting ``means the 
                following:'';
                    (B) in subparagraph (A)--
                            (i) in the matter preceding clause (i), by 
                        striking ``any veteran'' and inserting ``Any 
                        veteran'';
                            (ii) in clauses (i) and (ii), by striking 
                        the semicolon at the end and inserting a 
                        period; and
                            (iii) in clause (iii), by striking ``or'' 
                        and inserting a period; and
                    (C) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``any member'' 
                and inserting ``Any member''.

SEC. 4. INCREASE IN NON-SERVICE-CONNECTED DISABILITY PENSION FOR 
              CERTAIN VETERANS OF A PERIOD OF WAR.

    Section 1521(e) of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by striking ``$4,340'' and inserting ``4,774''; and
            (2) by striking ``$5,441'' and inserting ``$5,985''.

SEC. 5. ELIGIBILITY OF VETERANS WITH TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY FOR AID AND 
              ATTENDANCE BENEFITS.

    Section 1114(o) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by 
inserting after ``prosthetic appliances,'' the following: ``or if the 
veteran has suffered traumatic brain injury,''.

SEC. 6. AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO INCREASE MEDAL OF 
              HONOR SPECIAL PENSION.

    (a) Authority To Increase Rate of Special Pension.--Subsection (a) 
of section 1562 of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``(1)'' after ``(a)''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
    ``(2)(A) Subject to the availability of appropriations for this 
purpose in advance in an appropriations Act, the Secretary may increase 
the rate of the special pension otherwise in effect under paragraph (1) 
by not more than $1,000.
    ``(B) The Secretary may not increase the rate of a special pension 
under subparagraph (A) after the Secretary has expended all the funds 
specifically provided for such purpose in an appropriations Act.
    ``(C) The authority under subparagraph (A) expires on September 30, 
2013.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--Subsection (f)(1) of such section is 
amended by striking ``this section'' and inserting ``subsection 
(a)(1)''.

SEC. 7. EXTENSION OF PROVISIONS RELATING TO PENSIONS FOR CERTAIN 
              HOSPITALIZED VETERANS.

    Section 5503(d)(7) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by 
striking ``September 30, 2011'' and inserting ``September 30, 2021''.

SEC. 8. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The amendments made by this Act shall take effect on September 30, 
2011.
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