I
118THCONGRESS
2
DSESSION 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
JULY15, 2024
Mr. C
ARBAJAL(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 provi-
sions 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 Representa-1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘ROTC and DEP Bene-4
fits Improvement Act’’. 5
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SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF ELIGIBILITY FOR CERTAIN BENE-1
FITS THAT ARISE FROM THE DEATH OF A 2
MEMBER OF THE ARMED FORCES. 3
(a) D
EATHGRATUITY.—Section 1475(a)(4) of title 4
10, United States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘for a pe-5
riod of more than 13 days’’. 6
(b) R
ECOVERY, CARE, ANDDISPOSITION OFRE-7
MAINS.—Section 1481(a) of title 10, United States Code, 8
is amended by adding at the end the following new para-9
graph: 10
‘‘(11) Any person not otherwise covered by this 11
section whose death entitles a survivor of such per-12
son to a death gratuity under section 1475 of this 13
title.’’. 14
(c) S
ERVICEMEMBERS’ GROUPLIFEINSURANCE.— 15
Section 1965 of title 38, United States Code, is amended, 16
in paragraph (5)— 17
(1) in subparagraph (C), by striking ‘‘; and’’ 18
and inserting a semicolon; 19
(2) in subparagraph (D), by striking ‘‘field 20
training or practice cruises’’ and inserting ‘‘ad-21
vanced training (as such term is defined in section 22
2101 of title 10)’’; 23
(3) by redesignating subparagraph (D), as 24
amended, as subparagraph (E); and 25
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(4) by inserting, after subparagraph (C), the 1
following new subparagraph (D): 2
‘‘(D) a Reserve— 3
‘‘(i) not otherwise described in this 4
paragraph; 5
‘‘(ii) enlisted under section 513 of 6
title 10; and 7
‘‘(iii) without regard to duty status; 8
and’’. 9
(d) A
SSISTANCEFROM ACASUALTYASSISTANCEOF-10
FICER.—Section 633 of the National Defense Authoriza-11
tion Act for Fiscal Year 2014 (Public Law 113–66; 10 12
U.S.C. 1475 note) is amended— 13
(1) in subsection (a)— 14
(A) in paragraph (1)— 15
(i) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘; 16
and’’ and inserting a semicolon; 17
(ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking 18
the period at the end and inserting ‘‘; 19
and’’; and 20
(iii) by adding at the end the fol-21
lowing new subparagraph: 22
‘‘(C) an individual not described in subpara-23
graph (A) or (B) who is entitled to a death gratuity 24
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under section 1475 of title 10, United States 1
Code.’’; and 2
(B) in paragraph (2)— 3
(i) by striking ‘‘spouses and depend-4
ents’’ each place it appears and inserting 5
‘‘survivors’’; and 6
(ii) in subparagraph (A), by striking 7
‘‘spouses and other dependents of deceased 8
members’’ and inserting ‘‘such survivors’’; 9
and 10
(2) in subsection (b)(2), by striking ‘‘the spouse 11
and other dependents of a deceased member of the 12
Armed Forces’’ and inserting ‘‘such a survivor’’. 13
(e) E
FFECTIVEDATE.—The amendments made by 14
this section shall apply to a death that occurs on or after 15
the date of the enactment of this Act. 16
Æ
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