| 1 | 1 | | I |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | 119THCONGRESS |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | 1 |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | STSESSION H. R. 3123 |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements to |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | laws relating to the payment of certain benefits administered by the |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | Secretary of Veterans Affairs that are affected by death, and for other |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | purposes. |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | APRIL30, 2025 |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | Ms. S |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | TEFANIK(for herself and Mr. KHANNA) introduced the following bill; |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | A BILL |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | improvements to laws relating to the payment of certain |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | benefits administered by the Secretary of Veterans Af- |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | fairs that are affected by death, and for other purposes. |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1 |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Ernest Peltz Accrued 4 |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | Veterans Benefits Act’’. 5 |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:00 May 08, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3123.IH H3123 |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 2 |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | •HR 3123 IH |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | SEC. 2. PAYMENT BY SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 1 |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | OF PENSION AFTER DEATH OF A VETERAN IN 2 |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES. 3 |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | (a) I |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | NGENERAL.—Chapter 51 of title 38, United 4 |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | States Code, is amended by inserting, after section 5121A, 5 |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | the following new section: 6 |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | ‘‘§ 5121B. Payment of pension after death of a veteran 7 |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | in certain circumstances 8 |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | ‘‘(a) I |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | NGENERAL.—Subject to subsection (b), if the 9 |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | Secretary issues a decision awarding entitlement to a pen-10 |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | sion to a veteran before the death of such veteran, and 11 |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | the Secretary issues payment of such pension after the 12 |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | veteran dies, such pension that was due and unpaid at 13 |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | the time of the veteran’s death shall be paid to the first 14 |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | living person or entity listed below: 15 |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | ‘‘(1) The veteran’s spouse. 16 |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | ‘‘(2) The veteran’s children (in equal shares). 17 |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | ‘‘(3) The veteran’s dependent parents (in equal 18 |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | shares). 19 |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | ‘‘(4) The estate of the deceased veteran unless 20 |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | the estate will escheat. 21 |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | ‘‘(b) L |
|---|
| 51 | 51 | | IMITATION.—In a case described in subsection 22 |
|---|
| 52 | 52 | | (a), if no application is filed under section 5121 of this 23 |
|---|
| 53 | 53 | | title during the one-year period following the death of the 24 |
|---|
| 54 | 54 | | veteran, the pension described in such subsection shall be 25 |
|---|
| 55 | 55 | | VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:00 May 08, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3123.IH H3123 |
|---|
| 56 | 56 | | ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 3 |
|---|
| 57 | 57 | | •HR 3123 IH |
|---|
| 58 | 58 | | paid to the estate of the deceased veteran unless the estate 1 |
|---|
| 59 | 59 | | will escheat.’’. 2 |
|---|
| 60 | 60 | | (b) T |
|---|
| 61 | 61 | | ECHNICAL ANDCONFORMINGAMENDMENTS.— 3 |
|---|
| 62 | 62 | | (1) C |
|---|
| 63 | 63 | | ONFORMING AMENDMENT .—Section 4 |
|---|
| 64 | 64 | | 5121(a) of such title is amended, in the matter pre-5 |
|---|
| 65 | 65 | | ceding paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘section 5121B 6 |
|---|
| 66 | 66 | | of this title, or’’ before ‘‘sections 3329 and 3330’’. 7 |
|---|
| 67 | 67 | | (2) C |
|---|
| 68 | 68 | | LERICAL AMENDMENT .—The table of sec-8 |
|---|
| 69 | 69 | | tions at the beginning of such chapter is amended 9 |
|---|
| 70 | 70 | | by inserting, after the item relating to section 10 |
|---|
| 71 | 71 | | 5121A, the following new item: 11 |
|---|
| 72 | 72 | | ‘‘5121B. Payment of pension after death of a veteran in certain circumstances.’’. |
|---|
| 73 | 73 | | (c) EFFECTIVEDATE.—The amendments made by 12 |
|---|
| 74 | 74 | | this section shall apply with respect to the death of a vet-13 |
|---|
| 75 | 75 | | eran that occurs on or after the date of the enactment 14 |
|---|
| 76 | 76 | | of this Act. 15 |
|---|
| 77 | 77 | | Æ |
|---|
| 78 | 78 | | VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:00 May 08, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H3123.IH H3123 |
|---|
| 79 | 79 | | ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS |
|---|