S.Amdt. 2221

SA 2221. Mr. TESTER (for himself and Mr. Boozman) submitted an
amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 4638, to
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2025 for military activities
of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for
defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military
personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which
was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the appropriate place in title X, insert the following:

SEC. ___. INCREASE IN AMOUNT OF DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY
COMPENSATION FOR SURVIVING SPOUSES.

(a) Increase.--Section 1311(a) of title 38, United States
Code, is amended in paragraph (1), by striking ``of $1,154''
and inserting ``equal to 55 percent of the rate of monthly
compensation in effect under section 1114(j) of this title''.
(b) Effective Date.--
(1) In general.--Except as provided by paragraph (2), the
amendments made by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to
compensation paid under chapter 13 of title 38, United States
Code, for months beginning after the date that is six months
after the date of the enactment of this Act.
(2) Special rule for certain individuals.--
(A) In general.--For months beginning after the date that
is six months after the date of the enactment of this Act,
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall pay to an individual
described in subparagraph (B) dependents and survivors income
security benefit under section 1311 of title 38, United
States Code, in the monthly amount that is the greater of the
following:
(i) The amount determined under subsection (a)(3) of such
section 1311, as in effect on the day before the date of the
enactment of this Act.
(ii) The amount determined under subsection (a)(1) of such
section 1311, as amended by subsection (a).
(B) Individuals described.--An individual described in this
subparagraph is an individual eligible for dependents and
survivors income security benefit under section 1311 of title
38, United States Code, that is predicated on the death of a
veteran before January 1, 1993.

SEC. ___. MODIFICATION OF REQUIREMENTS FOR DEPENDENCY AND
INDEMNITY COMPENSATION FOR SURVIVORS OF CERTAIN
VETERANS RATED TOTALLY DISABLED AT TIME OF
DEATH.

Section 1318 of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) by striking ``The Secretary'' and inserting ``(1)
Except as provided in paragraph (2), the Secretary''; and
(B) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(2) In any case in which the Secretary makes a payment
under paragraph (1) of this subsection by reason of
subsection (b)(1) and the period of continuous rating
immediately preceding death is less than 10 years, the

[[Page S4502]]

amount payable under paragraph (1) of this subsection shall
be an amount that bears the same relationship to the amount
otherwise payable under such paragraph as the duration of
such period bears to 10 years.''; and
(2) in subsection (b)(1), by striking ``10 or more years''
and inserting ``five or more years''.
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