[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 89 (Wednesday, July 8, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S7679]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. SPECTER:
  S. 2273. A bill to increase, effective as of December 1, 1998, 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; to the Committee on Veterans Affairs.


      Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 1998

 Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, as Chairman of the Senate 
Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I introduce legislation today to grant 
a Cost-of-Living-Adjustment (COLA) increase, to take effect at the 
beginning of next year, to recipients of certain Department of Veterans 
Affairs (VA) benefits.
  Mr. President, this legislation is simple and straightforward. It 
would grant a COLA increase to recipients of various VA benefits--most 
notably, compensation benefits received by veterans with service-
connected disabilities, and the Dependency and Indemnity Compensation 
or ``DIC'' benefits received by the survivors of veterans who died in 
service or died after service as a result of service-connected injuries 
or illnesses. The COLA to be awarded under this legislation would be, 
as in past years, the same COLA awarded to recipients of Social 
Security benefits.
  It is a matter of great importance that VA compensation checks keep 
pace with inflation. I know this from personal experience; in 
Depression days, all that kept the wolf from the door of the Specter 
household was a small veterans disability check. The Congress has not 
failed to grant cost-of-living adjustments in past years, and I know it 
will not fail now. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text 
of the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 2273

       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' Compensation Cost-
     of-Living Adjustment Act of 1998''.

     SEC. 2. INCREASE IN COMPENSATION RATES AND LIMITATIONS.

       (a) In General.--(1) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
     shall, as provided in paragraph (2), increase, effective 
     December 1, 1998, the rates of and limitations on Department 
     of Veterans Affairs disability compensation and dependency 
     and indemnity compensation.
       (2) The Secretary shall increase each of the rates and 
     limitations in sections 1114, 1115(1), 1162, 1311, 1313, and 
     1314 of title 38, United States Code, that were increased by 
     the amendments made by the Veterans' Compensation Rate 
     Amendments of 1997 (Public Law 105-98; 111 Stat. 2155). This 
     increase shall be made in such rates and limitations as in 
     effect on November 30, 1998, and shall be by the same 
     percentage that benefit amounts payable under title II of the 
     Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 401 et seq.) are increased 
     effective December 1, 1998, as a result of a determination 
     under section 215(i) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 415(i)).
       (3) In the computation of increased dollar amounts pursuant 
     to paragraph (2), any amount which as so computed is not an 
     even multiple of $1 shall be rounded to the next lower whole 
     dollar amount.
       (b) 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.
       (c) Publication Requirement.--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 1998, the Secretary 
     shall publish in the Federal Register the rates and 
     limitations referred to in subsection (a)(2) as increased 
     under this section.
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