To amend title 38, United States Code, to revise the effective date for payment of lump sums to persons awarded the Medal of Honor who are in receipt of special pension pursuant to section 1562 of such title, and for other purposes.

Revises the effective date for payment of lump sums to persons awarded the Medal of Honor who are in receipt of special pensions.

Requires payment of such lump sums to specified family members, in order of preference, if the person eligible for the payment is deceased or was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously.

[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4870 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4870

To amend title 38, United States Code, to revise the effective date for 
 payment of lump sums to persons awarded the Medal of Honor who are in 
receipt of special pension pursuant to section 1562 of such title, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 20, 2004

    Mr. Green of Wisconsin introduced the following bill; which was 
             referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to revise the effective date for 
 payment of lump sums to persons awarded the Medal of Honor who are in 
receipt of special pension pursuant to section 1562 of such title, and 
                          for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. EFFECTIVE DATE FOR PAYMENT OF LUMP SUMS TO PERSONS AWARDED 
              THE MEDAL OF HONOR.

    Section 1562(f) of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1) by inserting ``on or after April 27, 
        1916,'' after ``under this section'';
            (2) in paragraph (2) by inserting ``or (4)'' after 
        ``paragraph (1)''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new paragraphs:
    ``(3) If a person otherwise eligible for payment under paragraph 
(1) is deceased, the Secretary shall make the payment to the living 
person first listed below:
            ``(A) The decedent's spouse.
            ``(B) The decedent's children (in equal shares).
            ``(C) The decedent's dependent parents (in equal shares).
    ``(4) If a person is awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously on or 
after April 27, 1916, the Secretary shall pay, in a lump sum, an amount 
equal to the total amount of special pension that the person would have 
received during the period beginning on the first day of the first 
month beginning after the date of the act for which the person was 
awarded the Medal of Honor and ending on the last day of the month 
preceding the month in which the person died to the living person first 
listed below:
            ``(A) The decedent's spouse.
            ``(B) The decedent's children (in equal shares).
            ``(C) The decedent's dependent parents (in equal 
        shares).''.
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