Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2019

Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2019

This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to increase, as of December 1, 2019, the rates of veterans' disability compensation, additional compensation for dependents, the clothing allowance for certain disabled veterans, and dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children.

The percentage increase in benefits shall be the same as the cost-of-living increase for Social Security recipients.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2072 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2072

To provide for an increase, effective December 1, 2019, in the rates of 
 compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the 
  rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for the survivors of 
           certain disabled veterans, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 10, 2019

   Mr. Isakson (for himself, Mr. Tester, Mr. Moran, Mr. Boozman, Mr. 
  Cassidy, Mr. Rounds, Mr. Tillis, Mr. Sullivan, Mrs. Blackburn, Mr. 
   Cramer, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Brown, Mr. Blumenthal, Ms. 
  Hirono, Mr. Manchin, and Ms. Sinema) introduced the following bill; 
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To provide for an increase, effective December 1, 2019, in the rates of 
 compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the 
  rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for the survivors of 
           certain disabled veterans, 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. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-
Living Adjustment Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. INCREASE IN RATES OF DISABILITY COMPENSATION AND DEPENDENCY AND 
              INDEMNITY COMPENSATION.

    (a) Rate Adjustment.--Effective on December 1, 2019, the Secretary 
of Veterans Affairs shall increase, in accordance with subsection (c), 
the dollar amounts in effect on November 30, 2019, for the payment of 
disability compensation and dependency and indemnity compensation under 
the provisions specified in subsection (b).
    (b) Amounts To Be Increased.--The dollar amounts to be increased 
pursuant to subsection (a) are the following:
            (1) Wartime disability compensation.--Each of the dollar 
        amounts under section 1114 of title 38, United States Code.
            (2) Additional compensation for dependents.--Each of the 
        dollar amounts under section 1115(1) of such title.
            (3) Clothing allowance.--The dollar amount under section 
        1162 of such title.
            (4) Dependency and indemnity compensation to surviving 
        spouse.--Each of the dollar amounts under subsections (a) 
        through (d) of section 1311 of such title.
            (5) Dependency and indemnity compensation to children.--
        Each of the dollar amounts under sections 1313(a) and 1314 of 
        such title.
    (c) Determination of Increase.--Each dollar amount described in 
subsection (b) shall be increased by the same percentage as the 
percentage by which benefit amounts payable under title II of the 
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 401 et seq.) are increased effective 
December 1, 2019, as a result of a determination under section 215(i) 
of such Act (42 U.S.C. 415(i)).
    (d) Special Rule.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may adjust 
administratively, consistent with the increases made under subsection 
(a), the rates of disability compensation payable to persons under 
section 10 of Public Law 85-857 (72 Stat. 1263) who have not received 
compensation under chapter 11 of title 38, United States Code.
    (e) Publication of Adjusted Rates.--The Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs shall publish in the Federal Register the amounts specified in 
subsection (b), as increased under subsection (a), not later than the 
date on which the matters specified in section 215(i)(2)(D) of the 
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 415(i)(2)(D)) are required to be 
published by reason of a determination made under section 215(i) of 
such Act during fiscal year 2020.
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