[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1990 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1990

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to increase amounts payable by 
    the Department of Veterans Affairs for dependency and indemnity 
 compensation, to modify the requirements for dependency and indemnity 
 compensation for survivors of certain veterans rated totally disabled 
             at the time of death, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            October 19, 2017

Mr. Tester (for himself, Mr. Blumenthal, and Ms. Hirono) 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 amounts payable by 
    the Department of Veterans Affairs for dependency and indemnity 
 compensation, to modify the requirements for dependency and indemnity 
 compensation for survivors of certain veterans rated totally disabled 
             at the time of death, 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 ``Dependency and Indemnity 
Compensation Improvement Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. INCREASE IN AMOUNT OF DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY COMPENSATION 
              PAYABLE TO SURVIVING SPOUSES BY THE SECRETARY OF VETERANS 
              AFFAIRS.

    (a) Increase.--Section 1311(a) of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``of $1,154'' and 
        inserting ``equal to 55 percent of the rate of monthly 
        compensation in effect under section 1114(j) of this title''; 
        and
            (2) by striking paragraph (3).
    (b) Effective Date.--
            (1) In general.--Except as provided by paragraph (2), the 
        amendments made by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to 
        compensation paid under chapter 13 of title 38, United States 
        Code, for months beginning after the date that is six months 
        after the date of the enactment of this Act.
            (2) Special rule for certain individuals.--
                    (A) In general.--For months beginning after the 
                date that is six months after the date of the enactment 
                of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
                pay to an individual described in subparagraph (B) 
                dependency and indemnity compensation under section 
                1311 of title 38, United States Code, in the monthly 
                amount that is the greater of the following:
                            (i) The amount determined under subsection 
                        (a)(3) of such section 1311, as in effect on 
                        the day before the date of the enactment of 
                        this Act.
                            (ii) The amount determined under subsection 
                        (a)(1) of such section 1311, as amended by 
                        subsection (a).
                    (B) Individuals described.--An individual described 
                in this subparagraph is an individual eligible for 
                dependency and indemnity compensation under section 
                1311 of title 38, United States Code, that is 
                predicated on the death of a veteran before January 1, 
                1993.

SEC. 3. MODIFICATION OF REQUIREMENTS FOR DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY 
              COMPENSATION PAYABLE BY DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 
              FOR SURVIVORS OF CERTAIN VETERANS RATED TOTALLY DISABLED 
              AT TIME OF DEATH.

    (a) In General.--Section 1318 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) by striking ``The Secretary'' and inserting 
                ``(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), the 
                Secretary''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following new 
                paragraph:
    ``(2) In any case in which the Secretary makes a payment under 
paragraph (1) of this subsection by reason of subsection (b)(1) and the 
period of continuous rating immediately preceding death is less than 10 
years, the amount payable under paragraph (1) of this subsection shall 
be an amount which bears the same relationship to the amount otherwise 
payable under such paragraph as the duration of such period bears to 10 
years.''; and
            (2) in subsection (b)(1), by striking ``10 or more years'' 
        and inserting ``five or more years''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall 
apply with respect to compensation paid under chapter 13 of title 38, 
United States Code, for months beginning after the date that is six 
months after the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 4. ELIGIBILITY FOR DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY COMPENSATION PAYABLE 
              BY DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS FOR SURVIVING SPOUSES 
              WHO REMARRY AFTER AGE 55.

    Section 103(d)(2)(B) of title 38, United States Code, is amended in 
the second sentence by inserting ``chapter 13 or'' after ``benefits 
under''.
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