[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 117 (Thursday, June 25, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S3560]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 2158. Mr. THUNE (for himself and Mr. Schatz) submitted an 
amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 4049, to 
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2021 for military activities 
of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for 
defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military 
personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which 
was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the appropriate place in title X, insert the following:

     SEC. __. AUTOMATIC ANNUAL INCREASE IN RATES OF DISABILITY 
                   COMPENSATION AND DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY 
                   COMPENSATION.

       (a) Indexing to Social Security Increases.--Section 5312 of 
     title 38, United States Code, is amended--
       (1) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (d);
       (2) by inserting after subsection (b) the following new 
     subsection:
       ``(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.
       ``(2) The dollar amounts to be increased pursuant to 
     paragraph (1) are the following:
       ``(A) Disability compensation.--Each of the dollar amounts 
     in effect under section 1114 of this title.
       ``(B) Additional compensation for dependents.--Each of the 
     dollar amounts in effect under section 1115(1) of this title.
       ``(C) Clothing allowance.--The dollar amount in effect 
     under section 1162 of this title.
       ``(D) New dic rates.--Each of the dollar amounts in effect 
     under paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 1311(a) of this 
     title.
       ``(E) Old dic rates.--Each of the dollar amounts in effect 
     under section 1311(a)(3) of this title.
       ``(F) Additional dic for surviving spouses with minor 
     children.--The dollar amount in effect under section 1311(b) 
     of this title.
       ``(G) Additional dic for disability.--Each of the dollar 
     amounts in effect under subsections (c) and (d) of section 
     1311 of this title.
       ``(H) DIC for dependent children.--Each of the dollar 
     amounts in effect under sections 1313(a) and 1314 of this 
     title.''; and
       (3) by adding at the end of subsection (d), as redesignated 
     by paragraph (1), the following new paragraph:
       ``(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)).''.
       (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.
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