What This Bill Does
This bill increases payment amounts for veterans with service-connected disabilities (illnesses or injuries from military service) and for survivors of certain disabled veterans. The increases take effect on December 1, 2023.
Who It Affects
- Veterans receiving disability compensation
- Survivors of disabled veterans receiving dependency and indemnity compensation (survivor benefits)
- The Secretary of Veterans Affairs (the federal official leading the Veterans Affairs department)
Key Provisions
- The Secretary of Veterans Affairs must increase disability compensation payment amounts effective December 1, 2023 (Sec. 2(a))
- The increases apply to wartime disability compensation, additional compensation for dependents, clothing allowances, and dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children (Sec. 2(b))
- Each payment amount receives the same percentage increase used for Social Security benefits effective December 1, 2023 (Sec. 2(c))
- The Secretary must publish the new payment amounts in the Federal Register (the official government publication) at a specific time during fiscal year 2024 (Sec. 3)
What Changes
The dollar amounts veterans and survivors receive in disability and survivor benefits increase by the same percentage as Social Security benefit increases for 2023.
Important Definitions
None defined in the bill text.
Effective Date
December 1, 2023.
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. R. 1529
To increase, effective as of December 1, 2023, the rates of compensation
for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the rates of depend-
ency and indemnity compensation for the survivors of certain disabled
veterans, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 10, 2023
Mr. LUTTRELL (for himself and Mr. PAPPAS) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
A BILL
To increase, effective as of December 1, 2023, the rates
of compensation for veterans with service-connected dis-
abilities and the rates of dependency and indemnity com-
pensation for the survivors of certain disabled veterans,
and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans’ Compensa-
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tion Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2023’’.
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SEC. 2. INCREASE IN RATES OF DISABILITY COMPENSA-
1
TION AND DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY
2
COMPENSATION.
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(a) RATE ADJUSTMENT.—Effective on December 1,
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2023, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall increase, in
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accordance with subsection (c), the dollar amounts in ef-
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fect on November 30, 2023, for the payment of disability
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compensation and dependency and indemnity compensa-
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tion under the provisions specified in subsection (b).
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(b) AMOUNTS
TO
BE
INCREASED.—The dollar
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amounts to be increased pursuant to subsection (a) are
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the following:
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(1) WARTIME
DISABILITY
COMPENSATION.—
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Each of the dollar amounts under section 1114 of
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title 38, United States Code.
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(2) ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION FOR DEPEND-
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ENTS.—Each of the dollar amounts under section
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1115(1) of such title.
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(3)
CLOTHING
ALLOWANCE.—The
dollar
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amount under section 1162 of such title.
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(4) DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY COMPENSA-
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TION TO SURVIVING SPOUSE.—Each of the dollar
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amounts under subsections (a) through (d) of sec-
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tion 1311 of such title.
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•HR 1529 IH
(5) DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY COMPENSA-
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TION TO CHILDREN.—Each of the dollar amounts
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under sections 1313(a) and 1314 of such title.
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(c) DETERMINATION
OF INCREASE.—Each dollar
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amount described in subsection (b) shall be increased by
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the same percentage as the percentage by which benefit
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amounts payable under title II of the Social Security Act
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(42 U.S.C. 401 et seq.) are increased effective December
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1, 2023, as a result of a determination under section
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215(i) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 415(i)).
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(d) SPECIAL RULE.—The Secretary of Veterans Af-
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fairs may adjust administratively, consistent with the in-
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creases made under subsection (a), the rates of disability
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compensation payable to persons under section 10 of Pub-
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lic Law 85–857 (72 Stat. 1263) who have not received
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compensation under chapter 11 of title 38, United States
16
Code.
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SEC. 3. PUBLICATION OF ADJUSTED RATES.
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The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall publish in the
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Federal Register the amounts specified in section 2(b), as
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increased under that section, not later than the date on
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which the matters specified in section 215(i)(2)(D) of the
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Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 415(i)(2)(D)) are required
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•HR 1529 IH
to be published by reason of a determination made under
1
section 215(i) of such Act during fiscal year 2024.
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Æ
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