[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 5545 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 5545

To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements to 
 laws relating to the payment of certain benefits administered by the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs that are affected by death, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

            December 17 (legislative day, December 16), 2024

  Mr. Daines (for himself and Mr. Kim) 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 make certain improvements to 
 laws relating to the payment of certain benefits administered by the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs that are affected by death, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. PAYMENT BY SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS OF CERTAIN BENEFITS 
              AFFECTED BY DEATH.

    (a) Effective Date of Certain Reductions and Discontinuances of 
Compensation, Dependency and Indemnity Compensation, and Pension Under 
Laws Administered by Secretary of Veterans Affairs.--
            (1) In general.--Section 5112(b) of title 38, United States 
        Code, is amended--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``(except in the 
                case of a pension under an existing rating or 
                decision),'' after ``death of a payee'';
                    (B) by redesignating paragraphs (3) through (10) as 
                paragraphs (4) through (11), respectively; and
                    (C) by inserting, after paragraph (2), the 
                following new paragraph (3):
            ``(3) by reason of death of a payee in the case of a 
        pension under an existing rating or decision, shall be the last 
        day of the month in which such death occurs;''.
            (2) Conforming amendment.--Section 1832(b)(4) of such title 
        is amended by striking ``paragraphs (1), (6), (9), and (10)'' 
        and inserting ``paragraphs (1), (7), (10), and (11)''.
    (b) Payment of Benefits for Month of Death.--Section 5310(b) of 
title 38, United States Code, is amended by inserting ``, or in the 
case of a payment for the month of the death of a payee under section 
5112(b)(2) of this title,'' before ``an amount equal''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments to title 38, United States 
Code, made by this section shall apply with respect to a payment of a 
benefit affected by a death that occurs on or after the date of the 
enactment of this Act.
                                 <all>