[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 145 (Friday, October 7, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: October 7, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]


                              {time}  1300
 
      VETERANS' COMPENSATION COST-OF-LIVING ADJUSTMENT ACT OF 1994

  Mr. MONTGOMERY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the 
Speaker's table the Senate bill (S. 1927) to increase 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, with a Senate amendment to the House 
amendment thereto, and concur in the Senate amendment to the House 
amendment.
  The Clerk read the title of the Senate bill.
  The Clerk read the Senate amendment to the House amendment, as 
follows:

       Senate amendment to House amendment: In lieu of the matter 
     proposed to be inserted by the House amendment to the text of 
     the bill, insert:

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans' Compensation Cost-
     of-Living Adjustment Act of 1994''.

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

       (a) Rate Adjustment.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
     shall, effective on December 1, 1994, increase the dollar 
     amounts in effect for the payment of disability compensation 
     and dependency and indemnity compensation by the Secretary, 
     as specified in subsection (b)--
       (b) Amounts To Be Increased.--The dollar amounts to be 
     increased pursuant to subsection (a) are the following:
       (1) Compensation.--Each of the dollar amounts in effect 
     under section 1114 of title 38, United States Code.
       (2) Additional compensation for dependents.--Each of the 
     dollar amounts in effect under section 1115(1) of such title.
       (3) Clothing allowance.--The dollar amount in effect under 
     section 1162 of such title.
       (4) New dic rates.--The dollar amounts in effect under 
     paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 1311(a) of such title.
       (5) Old dic rates.--Each of the dollar amounts in effect 
     under section 1311(a)(3) of such title.
       (6) Additional dic for disability.--The dollar amounts in 
     effect under sections 1311(c) and 1311(d) of such title.
       (7) DIC for dependent children.--The dollar amounts in 
     effect under sections 1313(a) and 1314 of such title.
       (c) Determination of Percentage Increase.--(1) The increase 
     under subsection (a) shall be made in the dollar amounts 
     specified in subsection (b) as in effect on November 30, 
     1994. Each such amount 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, 1994, as a result 
     of a determination under section 215(i) of such Act (42 
     U.S.C. 415(i)).
       (2) In the computation of increased dollar amounts pursuant 
     to paragraph (1), any amount which as so computed is not an 
     even multiple of $1 shall be rounded to the next lower whole 
     dollar amount.
       (d) Special Rule.--The Secretary may adjust 
     administratively, consistent with the increases made under 
     subsection (a), the rates of disability compensation payable 
     to persons within the purview of section 10 of Public Law 85-
     857 (72 Stat. 1263) who are not in receipt of compensation 
     payable pursuant to chapter 11 of title 38, United States 
     Code.

     SEC. 3. PUBLICATION OF ADJUSTED RATES.

       At the same time as 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 1994, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
     publish in the Federal Register the amounts specified in 
     section 2(b), as increased pursuant to section 2.

  Mr. MONTGOMERY (during the reading). Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous 
consent that the Senate amendment to the House amendment be considered 
as read and printed in the Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Mazzoli). Is there objection to the 
request of the gentleman from Mississippi?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 1927, as 
amended.
  S. 1927 provides a cost-of-living-adjustment for disabled veterans 
and recipients of dependency and indemnity compensation [DIC]. This 
COLA is effective December 1, 1994.
  S. 1927 is a good bill which will benefit our Nation's veterans, and 
I urge my colleagues to support S. 1927.
  Mr. STUMP. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 1927, as 
amended. I commend Chairman Montgomery for leading the way on this 
legislation to provide a veterans' cost-of-living adjustment [COLA]. 
Also, I commend Mr. Slattery, chairman of the Subcommittee on 
Compensation, Pension and Insurance, and Mr. Bilirakis, the 
subcommittee's ranking minority member, for their commitment in seeing 
to it that veterans receive their COLA.
  This is a clean bill which would assure veterans of a full fiscal 
year 1995 COLA for service-connected disability compensation and for 
dependency and indemnity compensation, effective December 1, 1994. The 
amount of the veterans' COLA will be the same as the Social Security 
COLA. It is noncontroversial and very important to our Nation's 
veterans and their families. It comes to this body from the Senate 
after we reached agreement on the form of the adjustment and the 
content of the bill.
  Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to approve S. 1927, as 
amended.
  Mr. SLATTERY. Mr. Speaker, I simply want to echo the thoughts of 
Chairman Montgomery as to the importance of our favorable action on the 
Compensation and DIC Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act. I am proud to have 
sponsored the House counterpart to this bill, H.R. 4088, which would 
accomplish the same result as S. 1927.
  I thank Chairman Montgomery and the Committee's ranking minority 
member, the gentleman from Arizona [Mr. Stump], for their strong 
leadership on this issue and also wish to express my appreciation to 
the gentleman from Florida [Mr. Bilirakis], for his great cooperation 
on this matter.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the original request 
of the gentleman from Mississippi?
  There was no objection.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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