    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1996, Book II)]
    [October 9, 1996]
    [Pages 1795-1796]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on Signing Veterans Legislation
    October 9, 1996

        I have signed into law today three veterans-related bills that will
    ensure that veterans benefits keep pace with inflation, improve the
    veterans health care system, and expand other veterans programs and
    benefits.
        The first bill--H.R. 3458, the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living
    Adjustment Act of 1996--authorizes a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) on
    December 1, 1996, for recipients of veterans' disability compensation,
    Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), and clothing allowances.
    The COLA, identical to the one that Social Security recipients will
    receive on January 1, 1997, will go to about 2.3 million veterans with
    disabilities who receive disability compensation benefits, over 300,000
    individuals who receive DIC as the surviving spouses and children of
    service members who died in service

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    and veterans whose deaths were service-connected, and veterans who
    receive clothing allowances because they wear or use prosthetic or
    orthopedic appliances.
        The second bill--H.R. 3118, the Veterans' Health Care Eligibility
    Reform Act of 1996--includes many elements of the proposal that the
    National Performance Review, led by Vice President Gore, recommended to
    establish a modern, integrated health care system that will improve
    access to, and care for, the Nation's veterans. The bill, for instance,
    authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs to furnish comprehensive
    medical services to all veterans, expanding the array of services that
    it now provides. Eligibility reform has been a high priority of veterans
    for many years, and I am pleased that we finally could enact it.
        Finally, the third bill--S. 1711, the Veterans' Benefits
    Improvements Act of 1996--expands and extends numerous veterans
    education, housing, life insurance, and employment and training
    benefits.

    Note: H.R. 3458, approved October 9, was assigned Public Law No. 104-
    263; H.R. 3118, approved October 9, was assigned Public Law No. 104-262;
    S. 1711, approved October 9, was assigned Public Law No. 104-275.