[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1911 Introduced in House (IH)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1911

   To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of 
     Veterans Affairs to increase certain veteran funeral benefits.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 21, 2015

   Mr. Hunter (for himself, Mr. Israel, Mr. Coffman, and Mr. Joyce) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                           Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of 
     Veterans Affairs to increase certain veteran funeral benefits.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. INCREASE TO CERTAIN FUNERAL BENEFITS UNDER LAWS ADMINISTERED 
              BY THE SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

    (a) Funeral Expenses.--Section 2302(a) of title 38, United States 
Code, is amended--
            (1) by striking ``$300'' and inserting ``$2,000 (as 
        increased from time to time under subsection (c))''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(c) With respect to any fiscal year, the Secretary shall provide 
a percentage increase (rounded to the nearest dollar) in the maximum 
amount of burial and funeral expenses payable under subsection (a) 
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).''.
    (b) Death in Department Facility; Plot Allowance.--Section 2303 of 
such title is amended by striking ``$700'' each place it appears and 
inserting ``$2,000''.
    (c) Death From Service-Connected Disability.--Section 2307 of such 
title is amended--
            (1) by inserting striking ``In any case'' and inserting the 
        following:
    ``(a) In General.--In any case''.
            (2) by striking ``$2,000'' and inserting ``$2,000 (as 
        increased from time to time under subsection (b))''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(b) With respect to any fiscal year, the Secretary shall provide 
a percentage increase (rounded to the nearest dollar) in the maximum 
amount of burial and funeral expenses payable under subsection (a) 
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).''.
    (d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this Act shall apply to 
deaths that occur after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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