II 111th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 347 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES January 29, 2009 Mr. Ensign (for himself and Mr. Rockefeller) 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 allow the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to distinguish between the severity of a qualifying loss of a dominant hand and a qualifying loss of a non-dominant hand for purposes of traumatic injury protection under Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance, and for other purposes.

1.

Consideration of loss of dominant hand in prescription of schedule of severity of traumatic injury under Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance

(a)

In general

Section 1980A(d) of title 38, United States Code, is amended— (1)by striking Payments under and inserting (1) Payments under; and (2)by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (2)As the Secretary considers appropriate, the schedule required by paragraph (1) may distinguish in specifying payments for qualifying losses between the severity of a qualifying loss of a dominant hand and a qualifying loss of a non-dominant hand. . (b)

Payments for qualifying losses incurred before date of enactment

(1)

In general

The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall prescribe in regulations mechanisms for payments under section 1980A of title 38, United States Code, for qualifying losses incurred before the date of the enactment of this Act by reason of the requirements of paragraph (2) of subsection (d) of such section (as amended by subsection (a)(2) of this section). (2)

Qualifying loss defined

In this subsection, the term qualifying loss means— (A)a loss specified in the second sentence of subsection (b)(1) of section 1980A of title 38, United States Code; and (B)any other loss specified by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs pursuant to the first sentence of that subsection.