ROTC and DEP Benefits Improvement Act

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9035 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9035

To amend titles 10 and 38, United States Code, and the National Defense 
   Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014, to expand eligibility for 
  certain benefits that arise from the death of a member of the Armed 
                    Forces, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 15, 2024

Mr. Carbajal (for himself and Mr. Waltz) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition 
to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, for a period to be subsequently 
   determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
 provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend titles 10 and 38, United States Code, and the National Defense 
   Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014, to expand eligibility for 
  certain benefits that arise from the death of a member of the Armed 
                    Forces, 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 ``ROTC and DEP Benefits Improvement 
Act''.

SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF ELIGIBILITY FOR CERTAIN BENEFITS THAT ARISE FROM 
              THE DEATH OF A MEMBER OF THE ARMED FORCES.

    (a) Death Gratuity.--Section 1475(a)(4) of title 10, United States 
Code, is amended by striking ``for a period of more than 13 days''.
    (b) Recovery, Care, and Disposition of Remains.--Section 1481(a) of 
title 10, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following new paragraph:
            ``(11) Any person not otherwise covered by this section 
        whose death entitles a survivor of such person to a death 
        gratuity under section 1475 of this title.''.
    (c) Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance.--Section 1965 of title 
38, United States Code, is amended, in paragraph (5)--
            (1) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``; and'' and 
        inserting a semicolon;
            (2) in subparagraph (D), by striking ``field training or 
        practice cruises'' and inserting ``advanced training (as such 
        term is defined in section 2101 of title 10)'';
            (3) by redesignating subparagraph (D), as amended, as 
        subparagraph (E); and
            (4) by inserting, after subparagraph (C), the following new 
        subparagraph (D):
                    ``(D) a Reserve--
                            ``(i) not otherwise described in this 
                        paragraph;
                            ``(ii) enlisted under section 513 of title 
                        10; and
                            ``(iii) without regard to duty status; 
                        and''.
    (d) Assistance From a Casualty Assistance Officer.--Section 633 of 
the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 (Public Law 
113-66; 10 U.S.C. 1475 note) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``; 
                        and'' and inserting a semicolon;
                            (ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking the 
                        period at the end and inserting ``; and''; and
                            (iii) by adding at the end the following 
                        new subparagraph:
            ``(C) an individual not described in subparagraph (A) or 
        (B) who is entitled to a death gratuity under section 1475 of 
        title 10, United States Code.''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (2)--
                            (i) by striking ``spouses and dependents'' 
                        each place it appears and inserting 
                        ``survivors''; and
                            (ii) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
                        ``spouses and other dependents of deceased 
                        members'' and inserting ``such survivors''; and
            (2) in subsection (b)(2), by striking ``the spouse and 
        other dependents of a deceased member of the Armed Forces'' and 
        inserting ``such a survivor''.
    (e) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply to a death that occurs on or after the date of the enactment of 
this Act.
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