II
119THCONGRESS
1
STSESSION S. 611
To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve and to expand eligibility
for dependency and indemnity compensation paid to certain survivors
of certain veterans, and for other purposes.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
FEBRUARY18, 2025
Mr. B
LUMENTHAL(for himself and Mr. BOOZMAN) introduced the following
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve and
to expand eligibility for dependency and indemnity com-
pensation paid to certain survivors of certain 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, 2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Caring for Survivors 4
Act of 2025’’. 5
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•S 611 IS
SEC. 2. INCREASE IN AMOUNT OF DEPENDENCY AND IN-1
DEMNITY COMPENSATION FOR SURVIVING 2
SPOUSES. 3
(a) I
NCREASE.—Section 1311(a) of title 38, United 4
States Code, is amended in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘of 5
$1,154’’ and inserting ‘‘equal to 55 percent of the rate 6
of monthly compensation in effect under section 1114(j) 7
of this title’’. 8
(b) E
FFECTIVEDATE.— 9
(1) I
N GENERAL.—Except as provided by para-10
graph (2), the amendments made by subsection (a) 11
shall apply with respect to compensation paid under 12
chapter 13 of title 38, United States Code, for 13
months beginning after the date that is six months 14
after the date of the enactment of this Act. 15
(2) S
PECIAL RULE FOR CERTAIN INDIVID -16
UALS.— 17
(A) I
N GENERAL.—For months beginning 18
after the date that is six months after the date 19
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 20
Veterans Affairs shall pay to an individual de-21
scribed in subparagraph (B) dependents and 22
survivors income security benefit under section 23
1311 of title 38, United States Code, in the 24
monthly amount that is the greater of the fol-25
lowing: 26
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(i) The amount determined under sub-1
section (a)(3) of such section 1311, as in 2
effect on the day before the date of the en-3
actment of this Act. 4
(ii) The amount determined under 5
subsection (a)(1) of such section 1311, as 6
amended by subsection (a). 7
(B) I
NDIVIDUALS DESCRIBED .—An indi-8
vidual described in this subparagraph is an in-9
dividual eligible for dependents and survivors 10
income security benefit under section 1311 of 11
title 38, United States Code, that is predicated 12
on the death of a veteran before January 1, 13
1993. 14
SEC. 3. MODIFICATION OF REQUIREMENTS FOR DEPEND-15
ENCY AND INDEMNITY COMPENSATION FOR 16
SURVIVORS OF CERTAIN VETERANS RATED 17
TOTALLY DISABLED AT TIME OF DEATH. 18
Section 1318 of title 38, United States Code, is 19
amended— 20
(1) in subsection (a)— 21
(A) by striking ‘‘The Secretary’’ and in-22
serting ‘‘(1) Except as provided in paragraph 23
(2), the Secretary’’; and 24
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(B) by adding at the end the following new 1
paragraph: 2
‘‘(2) In any case in which the Secretary makes a pay-3
ment under paragraph (1) of this subsection by reason 4
of subsection (b)(1) and the period of continuous rating 5
immediately preceding death is less than 10 years, the 6
amount payable under paragraph (1) of this subsection 7
shall be an amount that bears the same relationship to 8
the amount otherwise payable under such paragraph as 9
the duration of such period bears to 10 years.’’; and 10
(2) in subsection (b)(1), by striking ‘‘10 or 11
more years’’ and inserting ‘‘five or more years’’. 12
Æ
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