[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 29 (Thursday, February 15, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2087-S2088]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. AKAKA:
  S. 643. A bill to amend section 1922A of title 38, United States 
Code, to increase the amount of supplemental insurance available for 
totally disabled veterans; to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
  Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, today I introduce the Disabled Veterans 
Insurance Improvement Act of 2007. The legislation would increase the 
amount of supplemental life insurance available to totally disabled 
veterans from $20,000 to $40,000. Many totally disabled veterans find 
it difficult to obtain commercial life insurance. These are the 
veterans we are trying to help with this legislation by providing them 
with a reasonable amount of life insurance coverage.
  VA's Service-Disabled Veterans' Insurance, commonly known as S-DVI, 
was established during the Korean War to provide life insurance for 
veterans with service-connected disabilities. This $10,000 benefit has 
never been increased.
  In comparison, the Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance and Veterans' 
Group Life Insurance benefits, which were $10,000 and $20,000 
respectively at their inception, have been increased over time to 
$400,000. The most recent increases to these programs have been in 
response to public sentiment and the determination by Congress that the 
amount provided to the beneficiaries of servicemembers who die while 
fighting in Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom is 
insufficient.
  In 1992, Congress increased the amount of life insurance available to 
S-DVI policyholders by offering $20,000 worth of supplemental coverage 
to those who are considered totally disabled. Forty percent of the 
veterans enrolled in the S-DVI program are considered totally disabled 
and are eligible for a premium waiver for their basic coverage. In 
fiscal year 2006, thirty-two percent of veterans granted new policy 
waivers also opted to pay for this supplemental coverage. Even with 
$30,000 in coverage, the amount of life insurance available to disabled 
veterans falls well short of the death benefits available to 
servicemembers and veterans enrolled in the Servicemembers' Group Life 
Insurance and Veterans' Group Life Insurance programs.
  The 2001 Congressionally mandated study entitled Program Evaluation 
of Benefits for Survivors of Veterans with

[[Page S2088]]

Service-Connected Disabilities found the lowest area of veteran 
satisfaction to be the maximum amount of coverage that veterans were 
authorized to purchase. My bill would allow totally disabled veterans 
to purchase an additional $20,000 in insurance coverage.
  I ask my colleagues to support the Disabled Veterans Insurance 
Improvement Act of 2007. This is a modest and affordable way of 
increasing the life insurance coverage for those veterans with the 
greatest need. I realize that there are paygo implications associated 
with this legislation and I am actively looking for ways to pay for 
this bill.
  I request unanimous consent that the text of the bill 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. 643

       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 ``Disabled Veterans Insurance 
     Act of 2007''.

     SEC. 2. SUPPLEMENTAL INSURANCE FOR TOTALLY DISABLED VETERANS.

       Section 1922A(a) of title 38, United States Code, is 
     amended by striking ``$20,000'' and inserting ``$40,000''.
                                 ______