[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 118 (Tuesday, July 11, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2318-S2319]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 147. Mr. TESTER (for himself and Mr. Boozman) submitted an 
amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 2226, to 
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2024 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. 10__. INCREASE IN AMOUNT OF DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY 
                   COMPENSATION FOR SURVIVING SPOUSES.

       (a) Increase.--Section 1311(a) of title 38, United States 
     Code, is amended in paragraph (1), by striking ``of $1,154'' 
     and inserting ``equal to 55 percent of the rate of monthly 
     compensation in effect under section 1114(j) of this title''.
       (b) Effective Date.--
       (1) In general.--Except as provided by paragraph (2), the 
     amendments made by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to 
     compensation paid under chapter 13 of title 38, United States 
     Code, for months beginning after the date that is six months 
     after the date of the enactment of this Act.
       (2) Special rule for certain individuals.--
       (A) In general.--For months beginning after the date that 
     is six months after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
     the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall pay to an individual 
     described in subparagraph (B) dependents and survivors income 
     security benefit under section 1311 of title 38, United 
     States Code, in the monthly amount that is the greater of the 
     following:
       (i) The amount determined under subsection (a)(3) of such 
     section 1311, as in effect on the day before the date of the 
     enactment of this Act.
       (ii) The amount determined under subsection (a)(1) of such 
     section 1311, as amended by subsection (a).
       (B) Individuals described.--An individual described in this 
     subparagraph is an individual eligible for dependents and 
     survivors income security benefit under section 1311 of title 
     38, United States Code, that is predicated on the death of a 
     veteran before January 1, 1993.

     SEC. 10__. MODIFICATION OF REQUIREMENTS FOR DEPENDENCY AND 
                   INDEMNITY COMPENSATION FOR SURVIVORS OF CERTAIN 
                   VETERANS RATED TOTALLY DISABLED AT TIME OF 
                   DEATH.

       Section 1318 of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a)--
       (A) by striking ``The Secretary'' and inserting ``(1) 
     Except as provided in paragraph (2), the Secretary''; and
       (B) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
       ``(2) In any case in which the Secretary makes a payment 
     under paragraph (1) of this

[[Page S2319]]

     subsection by reason of subsection (b)(1) and the period of 
     continuous rating immediately preceding death is less than 10 
     years, the amount payable under paragraph (1) of this 
     subsection shall be an amount that bears the same 
     relationship to the amount otherwise payable under such 
     paragraph as the duration of such period bears to 10 
     years.''; and
       (2) in subsection (b)(1), by striking ``10 or more years'' 
     and inserting ``five or more years''.
                                 ______