[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 33 (Wednesday, March 15, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S2204]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. MIKULSKI:
  S. 2415. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to increase 
burial benefits for veterans: and for other purposes; to the Committee 
on Veterans' Affairs.
  Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I rise to introduce the Veterans Burial 
Benefits Improvement Act.
  We must honor our U.S. soldiers who died in the name of their 
country. These service men and women are America's true heroes and on 
this day we pay tribute to their courage and sacrifice. Some have given 
their lives for our country. All have given their time and dedication 
to ensure our country remains the land of the free and the home of the 
brave. We owe a special debt of gratitude to each and every one of 
them.
  Our Nation has a sacred commitment to honor the promises made to 
soldiers when they signed up to serve our country. As a member of the 
Senate Appropriations Committee, I fight hard each year to make sure 
promises made to our service men and women are promises kept. These 
promises include access to quality, affordable health care and a proper 
burial for our veterans.
  I am deeply concerned that burial benefits for the families of our 
wounded or disabled veterans have not kept up with inflation and rising 
funeral costs. We are losing over 1,000 World War II veterans each day, 
but Congress has failed to increase veterans' burial benefits to keep 
up with rising costs and inflation. While these benefits were never 
intended to cover the full costs of burial, they now pay for only a 
fraction of what they covered in 1973, when the Federal Government 
first started paying burial benefits for our veterans.
  I want to thank my colleagues on the Veterans Affairs Committee for 
working with me in the 107th Congress. Together, we were able to 
increase modestly the service-connected benefit from $1,500 to $2,000, 
and the plot allowance from $150 to $300. While I believe these 
increases are a step in the right direction, they are not a substitute 
for the amounts included in my bill.
  That is why I am again introducing the Veterans Burial Benefits 
Improvement Act. This bill will increase burial benefits to cover the 
same percentage of funeral costs as they did in 1973. It will also 
provide for these benefits to be increased annually to keep up with 
inflation.
  In 1973, the service-connected benefit paid for 72 percent of 
veterans' funeral costs. Today, this benefit covers just 39 percent of 
funeral costs. My bill will increase the service-connected benefit from 
$2,000 to $3,713, bringing it back up to the original 72 percent level.
  In 1973, the non-service connected benefit paid for 22 percent of 
funeral costs. It has not been increased since 1978, and today it 
covers just 6 percent of funeral costs. My bill will increase the non-
service connected benefit from $300 to $1,135, bringing it back up to 
the original 22 percent level.
  In 1973, the plot allowance paid for 13 percent of veterans' funeral 
costs. Yet it now covers just 3 percent of funeral costs. My bill will 
increase the plot allowance from $300 to $670, bringing it back up to 
the original 13 percent level.

  Finally, the Veterans Burial Benefits Improvement Act will also 
ensure that these burial benefits are adjusted for inflation annually, 
so veterans will not have to fight this fight again.
  This legislation is just one way to honor our Nation's service men 
and women. I want to thank the millions of veterans, Marylanders, and 
people across the Nation for their patriotism, devotion, and commitment 
to honoring the true meaning of Memorial Day. U.S. soldiers from every 
generation have shared in the duty of defending America and protecting 
our freedom. For these sacrifices, America is eternally grateful.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of this legislation be printed 
in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 2415

       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 Burial Benefits 
     Improvement Act of 2006''.

     SEC. 2. INCREASE IN BURIAL AND FUNERAL BENEFITS FOR VETERANS.

       (a) Increase in Burial and Funeral Expenses and Provision 
     for Annual Cost-of-Living Adjustment.--
       (1) Expenses generally.--Section 2302(a) of title 38, 
     United States Code, is amended by striking ``$300'' and 
     inserting ``$1,135 (as increased from time to time under 
     section 2309 of this title)''.
       (2) Expenses for deaths in department facilities.--Section 
     2303(a)(1)(A) of such title is amended by striking ``$300'' 
     and inserting ``$1,135 (as increased from time to time under 
     section 2309 of this title)''.
       (3) Expenses for deaths from service-connected 
     disabilities.--Section 2307 of such title is amended by 
     striking ``$2,000,'' and inserting ``$3,712 (as increased 
     from time to time under section 2309 of this title),''.
       (b) Plot Allowance.--Section 2303(b) of such title is 
     amended--
       (1) by striking ``$300'' the first place it appears and 
     inserting ``$670 (as increased from time to time under 
     section 2309 of this title)''; and
       (2) by striking ``$300'' the second place it appears and 
     inserting ``$670 (as so increased)''.
       (c) Annual Adjustment.--
       (1) In general.--Chapter 23 of such title is amended by 
     adding at the end the following new section:

     ``Sec. 2309. Annual adjustment of amounts of burial benefits

       ``With respect to any fiscal year, the Secretary shall 
     provide a percentage increase (rounded to the nearest dollar) 
     in the burial and funeral expenses under sections 2302(a), 
     2303(a), and 2307 of this title, and in the plot allowance 
     under section 2303(b) of this title, equal to the percentage 
     by which--
       ``(1) the Consumer Price Index (all items, United States 
     city average) for the 12-month period ending on the June 30 
     preceding the beginning of the fiscal year for which the 
     increase is made, exceeds
       ``(2) the Consumer Price Index for the 12-month period 
     preceding the 12-month period described in paragraph (1).''.
       (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the 
     beginning of such chapter is amended by adding at the end the 
     following new item:

``2309. Annual adjustment of amounts of burial benefits''.

       (d) Effective Date.--
       (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), the 
     amendments made by this section shall apply to deaths 
     occurring on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.
       (2) Prohibition on cost-of-living adjustment for fiscal 
     year 2007.--No adjustments shall be made under section 2309 
     of title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (c), 
     for fiscal year 2007.
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