| 1 | 1 | | I |
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| 2 | 2 | | 119THCONGRESS |
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| 3 | 3 | | 1 |
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| 4 | 4 | | STSESSION H. R. 2138 |
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| 5 | 5 | | To increase, effective as of December 1, 2025, the rates of compensation |
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| 6 | 6 | | for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the rates of depend- |
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| 7 | 7 | | ency and indemnity compensation for the survivors of certain disabled |
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| 8 | 8 | | veterans, and for other purposes. |
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| 9 | 9 | | IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
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| 10 | 10 | | MARCH14, 2025 |
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| 11 | 11 | | Mr. L |
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| 12 | 12 | | UTTRELL(for himself, Mr. MCGARVEY, Mr. WEBERof Texas, and Mr. |
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| 13 | 13 | | P |
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| 14 | 14 | | FLUGER) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com- |
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| 15 | 15 | | mittee on Veterans’ Affairs |
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| 16 | 16 | | A BILL |
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| 17 | 17 | | To increase, effective as of December 1, 2025, the rates |
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| 18 | 18 | | of compensation for veterans with service-connected dis- |
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| 19 | 19 | | abilities and the rates of dependency and indemnity com- |
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| 20 | 20 | | pensation for the survivors of certain disabled veterans, |
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| 21 | 21 | | and for other purposes. |
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| 22 | 22 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1 |
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| 23 | 23 | | tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 |
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| 24 | 24 | | SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 |
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| 25 | 25 | | This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans’ Compensa-4 |
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| 26 | 26 | | tion Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2025’’. 5 |
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| 27 | 27 | | VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:32 Mar 28, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2138.IH H2138 |
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| 28 | 28 | | kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 2 |
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| 29 | 29 | | •HR 2138 IH |
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| 30 | 30 | | SEC. 2. INCREASE IN RATES OF DISABILITY COMPENSA-1 |
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| 31 | 31 | | TION AND DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY 2 |
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| 32 | 32 | | COMPENSATION. 3 |
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| 33 | 33 | | (a) R |
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| 34 | 34 | | ATEADJUSTMENT.—Effective on December 1, 4 |
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| 35 | 35 | | 2025, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall increase, in 5 |
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| 36 | 36 | | accordance with subsection (c), the dollar amounts in ef-6 |
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| 37 | 37 | | fect on November 30, 2025, for the payment of disability 7 |
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| 38 | 38 | | compensation and dependency and indemnity compensa-8 |
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| 39 | 39 | | tion under the provisions specified in subsection (b). 9 |
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| 40 | 40 | | (b) A |
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| 41 | 41 | | MOUNTSTOBEINCREASED.—The dollar 10 |
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| 42 | 42 | | amounts to be increased pursuant to subsection (a) are 11 |
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| 43 | 43 | | the following: 12 |
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| 44 | 44 | | (1) W |
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| 45 | 45 | | ARTIME DISABILITY COMPENSATION .— 13 |
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| 46 | 46 | | Each of the dollar amounts under section 1114 of 14 |
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| 47 | 47 | | title 38, United States Code. 15 |
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| 48 | 48 | | (2) A |
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| 49 | 49 | | DDITIONAL COMPENSATION FOR DEPEND -16 |
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| 50 | 50 | | ENTS.—Each of the dollar amounts under section 17 |
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| 51 | 51 | | 1115(1) of such title. 18 |
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| 52 | 52 | | (3) C |
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| 53 | 53 | | LOTHING ALLOWANCE .—The dollar 19 |
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| 54 | 54 | | amount under section 1162 of such title. 20 |
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| 55 | 55 | | (4) D |
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| 56 | 56 | | EPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY COMPENSA -21 |
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| 57 | 57 | | TION TO SURVIVING SPOUSE .—Each of the dollar 22 |
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| 58 | 58 | | amounts under subsections (a) through (d) of sec-23 |
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| 59 | 59 | | tion 1311 of such title. 24 |
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| 60 | 60 | | VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:32 Mar 28, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2138.IH H2138 |
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| 61 | 61 | | kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 3 |
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| 62 | 62 | | •HR 2138 IH |
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| 63 | 63 | | (5) DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY COMPENSA -1 |
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| 64 | 64 | | TION TO CHILDREN .—Each of the dollar amounts 2 |
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| 65 | 65 | | under sections 1313(a) and 1314 of such title. 3 |
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| 66 | 66 | | (c) D |
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| 67 | 67 | | ETERMINATION OF INCREASE.—Each dollar 4 |
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| 68 | 68 | | amount described in subsection (b) shall be increased by 5 |
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| 69 | 69 | | the same percentage as the percentage by which benefit 6 |
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| 70 | 70 | | amounts payable under title II of the Social Security Act 7 |
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| 71 | 71 | | (42 U.S.C. 401 et seq.) are increased effective December 8 |
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| 72 | 72 | | 1, 2025, as a result of a determination under section 9 |
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| 73 | 73 | | 215(i) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 415(i)). 10 |
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| 74 | 74 | | (d) S |
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| 75 | 75 | | PECIALRULE.—The Secretary of Veterans Af-11 |
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| 76 | 76 | | fairs may adjust administratively, consistent with the in-12 |
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| 77 | 77 | | creases made under subsection (a), the rates of disability 13 |
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| 78 | 78 | | compensation payable to persons under section 10 of Pub-14 |
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| 79 | 79 | | lic Law 85–857 (72 Stat. 1263) who have not received 15 |
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| 80 | 80 | | compensation under chapter 11 of title 38, United States 16 |
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| 81 | 81 | | Code. 17 |
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| 82 | 82 | | SEC. 3. PUBLICATION OF ADJUSTED RATES. 18 |
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| 83 | 83 | | The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall publish in the 19 |
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| 84 | 84 | | Federal Register the amounts specified in section 2(b), as 20 |
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| 85 | 85 | | increased under that section, not later than the date on 21 |
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| 86 | 86 | | which the matters specified in section 215(i)(2)(D) of the 22 |
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| 87 | 87 | | Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 415(i)(2)(D)) are required 23 |
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| 88 | 88 | | VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:32 Mar 28, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2138.IH H2138 |
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| 89 | 89 | | kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 4 |
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| 90 | 90 | | •HR 2138 IH |
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| 91 | 91 | | to be published by reason of a determination made under 1 |
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| 92 | 92 | | section 215(i) of such Act during fiscal year 2026. 2 |
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| 93 | 93 | | Æ |
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| 94 | 94 | | VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:32 Mar 28, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H2138.IH H2138 |
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| 95 | 95 | | kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB |
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