Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2013

Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2013
Great Seal of the United States
Full title To provide for an increase, effective December 1, 2013, in the rates of compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for the survivors of certain disabled veterans, and for other purposes.
Introduced in 113th United States Congress
Introduced on May 8, 2013
Sponsored by Sen. Bernard Sanders (I, VT)
Number of Co-Sponsors 13
Effects and Codifications
Act(s) affected Social Security Act
U.S.C. section(s) affected 42 U.S.C. § 415, 38 U.S.C. § 1313, 42 U.S.C. § 401 et seq., 38 U.S.C. § 1115, 38 U.S.C. ch. 11, and others.
Agencies affected United States Department of Veterans Affairs
Legislative history

The Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2013 (S. 893) is a bill that would increase the disability compensation rate for American veterans and their families.[1] The rate would increase by the same amount as the cost of living increase that is applied to Social Security. The bill passed the United States Senate during the 113th United States Congress.[2]

Background

A similar bill (H.R. 569) was introduced in the House.[3] There was no cost of living adjustment in 2010 or 2011.[3]

Provisions of the bill

This summary is based largely on the summary provided by the Congressional Research Service, a public domain source.[4]

The Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2013 would direct the United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to increase, as of December 1, 2013, the rates of veterans' disability compensation, additional compensation for dependents, the clothing allowance for certain disabled veterans, and dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children.[4]

The bill would require each such increase to be the same percentage as the increase in benefits provided under title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act, on the same effective date.[4]

Congressional Budget Office report

This summary is based largely on the summary provided by the Congressional Budget Office, as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs on July 24, 2013. This is a public domain source.[5]

S. 893 would increase the amounts paid to veterans for disability compensation and to their survivors for dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) by the same cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) payable to Social Security recipients.[5] The increase would take effect on December 1, 2013.

The COLA that would be authorized by this bill is assumed in the Congressional Budget Office's (CBO) baseline, consistent with section 257 of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act. Because the COLA is assumed in the CBO’s baseline, the COLA provision would have no budgetary effect relative to the baseline. Relative to current law, the CBO estimated that enacting this bill would increase spending for those programs by $0.9 million in fiscal year 2014.[5] This estimate assumes that the COLA effective on December 1, 2013, would be 1.5 percent. (The annualized cost would be about $1.2 billion in subsequent years. The CBO previously estimated that the COLA change relative to current law would be about $2.6 billion on an annualized basis in contrast to that corrected figure of about $1.2 billion.)[5]

Procedural history

The Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2013 was introduced on May 8, 2013 by Sen. Bernard Sanders (I, VT).[6] It was referred to the United States Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs. It was released from the Committee alongside Senate Report 113-87.[6] On October 28, 2013, the Senate voted by Unanimous consent to pass the bill.

The Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2013 was received in the United States House of Representatives.[6] It was referred to the United States House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. On November 8, 2013, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor announced that H.R. 2871 would be considered under a suspension of the rules on the House floor on November 12, 2013.[7] The bill would be considered along with five other bills, starting after the House opened for the day at 2pm.[8]

Debate and discussion

The Hill reported that the bill "passed easily in the Senate at the end of October, and is expected to pass just as easily in the House."[1]

See also

Notes/References

  1. 1 2 Kasperowicz, Pete (7 November 2013). "House to boost disability pay for veterans". The Hill. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
  2. ↑ Cox, Ramsey (28 October 2013). "Senate passes bill to increase disability payments to veterans". The Hill. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
  3. 1 2 "CBO Estimates COLA Increase". Military.com. 19 August 2013. Retrieved 12 November 2013. |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help)
  4. 1 2 3 "S. 893 - Summary". United States Congress. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "CBO - S. 893". Congressional Budget Office. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
  6. 1 2 3 "S. 893 - All Actions". United States Congress. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
  7. ↑ "Leader's Weekly Schedule - Week of November 11, 2013" (PDF). House Majority Leader's Office. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  8. ↑ Kasperowicz, Pete (8 November 2013). "A closer look at next week". The Hill. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
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