[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 189 Reported in Senate (RS)]

<DOC>





                                                        Calendar No. 84
117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 189

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for annual cost-of-
  living adjustments to be made automatically by law each year in the 
 rates of disability compensation for veterans with service-connected 
disabilities and the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for 
survivors of certain service-connected disabled veterans, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            February 3, 2021

  Mr. Thune (for himself, Mr. Schatz, Mr. Blumenthal, Ms. Sinema, Ms. 
    Hassan, Mr. Tester, Ms. Hirono, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Brown, and Mr. 
   Sanders) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
             referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

                             June 24, 2021

Reported by Mr. Tester, with an amendment and an amendment to the title
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for annual cost-of-
  living adjustments to be made automatically by law each year in the 
 rates of disability compensation for veterans with service-connected 
disabilities and the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for 
survivors of certain service-connected disabled veterans, and for other 
                               purposes.

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

<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans' Disability 
Compensation Automatic COLA Act of 2021''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 2. AUTOMATIC ANNUAL INCREASE IN RATES OF DISABILITY 
              COMPENSATION AND DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY 
              COMPENSATION.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Indexing to Social Security Increases.--Section 5312 
of title 38, United States Code, is amended--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection 
        (d);</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) by inserting after subsection (b) the 
        following new subsection:</DELETED>
<DELETED>    ``(c)(1) Whenever there is an increase in benefit amounts 
payable under title II of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 401 et 
seq.) as a result of a determination made under section 215(i) of such 
Act (42 U.S.C. 415(i)), the Secretary shall, effective on the date of 
such increase in benefit amounts, increase the dollar amounts in effect 
for the payment of disability compensation and dependency and indemnity 
compensation by the Secretary, as specified in paragraph (2), as such 
amounts were in effect immediately before the date of such increase in 
benefit amounts payable under title II of the Social Security Act, by 
the same percentage as the percentage by which such benefit amounts are 
increased.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    ``(2) The dollar amounts to be increased pursuant to 
paragraph (1) are the following:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(A) Disability compensation.--Each of the dollar 
        amounts in effect under section 1114 of this title.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(B) Additional compensation for dependents.--
        Each of the dollar amounts in effect under section 1115(1) of 
        this title.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(C) Clothing allowance.--The dollar amount in 
        effect under section 1162 of this title.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(D) New dic rates.--Each of the dollar amounts 
        in effect under paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 1311(a) of 
        this title.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(E) Old dic rates.--Each of the dollar amounts 
        in effect under section 1311(a)(3) of this title.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(F) Additional dic for surviving spouses with 
        minor children.--The dollar amount in effect under section 
        1311(b) of this title.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(G) Additional dic for disability.--Each of the 
        dollar amounts in effect under subsections (c) and (d) of 
        section 1311 of this title.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(H) DIC for dependent children.--Each of the 
        dollar amounts in effect under sections 1313(a) and 1314 of 
        this title.''; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) by adding at the end of subsection (d), as 
        redesignated by paragraph (1), the following new 
        paragraph:</DELETED>
<DELETED>    ``(3) Whenever there is an increase under subsection 
(c)(1) in amounts in effect for the payment of disability compensation 
and dependency and indemnity compensation, the Secretary shall publish 
such amounts, as increased pursuant to such subsection, in the Federal 
Register at the same time as the material required by section 
215(i)(2)(D) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 415(i)(2)(D)) is 
published by reason of a determination under section 215(i) of such Act 
(42 U.S.C. 415(i)).''.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Effective Date.--Subsection (c) of section 5312 of 
title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (a) of this 
section, shall take effect on the first day of the first calendar year 
that begins after the date of the enactment of this Act.</DELETED>

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-
Living Adjustment Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. INCREASE IN RATES OF DISABILITY COMPENSATION AND DEPENDENCY AND 
              INDEMNITY COMPENSATION.

    (a) Rate Adjustment.--Effective on December 1, 2021, the Secretary 
of Veterans Affairs shall increase, in accordance with subsection (c), 
the dollar amounts in effect on November 30, 2021, for the payment of 
disability compensation and dependency and indemnity compensation under 
the provisions specified in subsection (b).
    (b) Amounts To Be Increased.--The dollar amounts to be increased 
pursuant to subsection (a) are the following:
            (1) Wartime disability compensation.--Each of the dollar 
        amounts under section 1114 of title 38, United States Code.
            (2) Additional compensation for dependents.--Each of the 
        dollar amounts under section 1115(1) of such title.
            (3) Clothing allowance.--The dollar amount under section 
        1162 of such title.
            (4) Dependency and indemnity compensation to surviving 
        spouse.--Each of the dollar amounts under subsections (a) 
        through (d) of section 1311 of such title.
            (5) Dependency and indemnity compensation to children.--
        Each of the dollar amounts under sections 1313(a) and 1314 of 
        such title.
    (c) Determination of Increase.--Each dollar amount described in 
subsection (b) shall be increased by the same percentage as the 
percentage by which benefit amounts payable under title II of the 
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 401 et seq.) are increased effective 
December 1, 2021, as a result of a determination under section 215(i) 
of such Act (42 U.S.C. 415(i)).
    (d) Special Rule.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may adjust 
administratively, consistent with the increases made under subsection 
(a), the rates of disability compensation payable to persons under 
section 10 of Public Law 85-857 (72 Stat. 1263) who have not received 
compensation under chapter 11 of title 38, United States Code.

SEC. 3. PUBLICATION OF ADJUSTED RATES.

    The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall publish in the Federal 
Register the amounts specified in section 2(b), as increased under that 
section, not later than the date on which the matters specified in 
section 215(i)(2)(D) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
415(i)(2)(D)) are required to be published by reason of a determination 
made under section 215(i) of such Act during fiscal year 2022.
            Amend the title so as to read: ``A bill to increase, 
        effective as of December 1, 2021, the rates of compensation for 
        veterans with service-connected disabilities and the rates of 
        dependency and indemnity compensation for the survivors of 
        certain disabled veterans, and for other purposes.''.
                                                        Calendar No. 84

117th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                                 S. 189

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for annual cost-of-
  living adjustments to be made automatically by law each year in the 
 rates of disability compensation for veterans with service-connected 
disabilities and the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for 
survivors of certain service-connected disabled veterans, and for other 
                               purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                             June 24, 2021

        Reported with an amendment and an amendment to the title