[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4994 Introduced in House (IH)]

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114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4994

  To amend title 38, United States Code, to exempt reimbursements of 
certain medical expenses and other payments related to accident, theft, 
   loss, or casualty loss from determinations of annual income with 
respect to pensions for veterans and surviving spouses and children of 
                   veterans, and for other purposes.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 19, 2016

 Mr. Hastings (for himself, Ms. Bordallo, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr. 
   Conyers, Mr. DeSaulnier, Mr. Deutch, Ms. Frankel of Florida, Mr. 
   Grayson, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Gutierrez, Mr. Higgins, Mr. Honda, Ms. 
Jackson Lee, Mr. Jones, Mr. Lipinski, Mr. Lowenthal, Mr. McGovern, Ms. 
 Norton, Mrs. Radewagen, Mr. Rangel, Mr. Rooney of Florida, Mr. Rush, 
 Mr. Sablan, Ms. Schakowsky, and Mr. Serrano) introduced the following 
     bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title 38, United States Code, to exempt reimbursements of 
certain medical expenses and other payments related to accident, theft, 
   loss, or casualty loss from determinations of annual income with 
respect to pensions for veterans and surviving spouses and children of 
                   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 Pensions Protection Act of 
2016''.

SEC. 2. EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN REIMBURSEMENTS OF MEDICAL EXPENSES AND 
              OTHER PAYMENTS FROM DETERMINATION OF ANNUAL INCOME WITH 
              RESPECT TO PENSIONS FOR VETERANS AND SURVIVING SPOUSES 
              AND CHILDREN OF VETERANS.

    (a) In General.--Section 1503(a) of title 38, United States Code, 
is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraphs (6) through (12) as 
        paragraphs (7) through (13), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after paragraph (5) the following new 
        paragraph (6):
            ``(6) payments regarding--
                    ``(A) reimbursements of any kind (including 
                insurance settlement payments) for medical expenses 
                resulting from any accident, theft, loss, or casualty 
                loss (as defined by the Secretary), but the amount 
                excluded under this clause shall not exceed the costs 
                of medical care provided to the victim of the accident, 
                theft, loss, or casualty loss; and
                    ``(B) pain and suffering (including insurance 
                settlement payments and general damages awarded by a 
                court) related to an accident, theft, loss, or casualty 
                loss, but the amount excluded under this subparagraph 
                shall not exceed an amount determined by the Secretary 
                on a case-by-case basis;''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall 
take effect on the date that is 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act.
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