,,ii  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #gce  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,april #af1 #bjac   
,mr4 ,sanders introduced the following  
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs
  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend title #ch1       
,united ,states ,code1 to improve       
benefits and assistance provided to     
surviving spouses of veterans under laws
 administered by the ,secretary of      
,veterans ,affairs1 and for other       
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,survivor ,benefits 
,improvement ,act of #bjac4  #b4        
,extension of initial period for        
increased dependency and indemnity      
compensation for surviving spouses with 
children ,section #acaa7;f77#b7 of title
 #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended 
by striking two-year and inserting      
five-year4  #c4 ,eligibility for        
dependency and indemnity compensation1  
health care1 and housing loans for      
surviving spouses who remarry after age 

#ee ,subparagraph 7,b7 of section       
#ajc7;d77#b7 of title #ch1 ,united      
,states ,code1 is amended to read as    
follows3  7,b7 ,the remarriage after age
 #ee of the surviving spouse of a       
veteran shall not bar the furnishing of 
benefits specified in paragraph 7#e7 to 
such person as the surviving spouse of  
the veteran4  4  #d4 ,benefits for      
children of certain ,thailand service   
veterans born with spina bifida  7a7 ,in
 general ,subchapter ,,iii of chapter   
#ah of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1
 is amended by adding at the end the    
following new section3  #ahbb4 ,benefits
 for children of certain ,thailand      
service veterans born with spina bifida 
7a7 ,benefits authorized ,the ,secretary
 may provide to any child of a veteran  
of covered service in ,thailand who is  
suffering from spina bifida the health  
care1 vocational training and           
rehabilitation1 and monetary allowance  
required to be paid to a child of a     
,vietnam veteran who is suffering from  

spina bifida under subchapter ,i of this
 chapter as if such child of a veteran  
of covered service in ,thailand were a  
child of a ,vietnam veteran who is      
suffering from spina bifida under such  
subchapter4  7b7 ,spina bifida          
conditions covered ,this section applies
 with respect to all forms and          
manifestations of spina bifida1 except  
spina bifida occulta4  7c7 ,veteran of  
covered service in ,thailand ,for       
purposes of this section1 a veteran of  
covered service in ,thailand is any     
individual1 without regard to the       
characterization of that individual's   
service1 who--  7#a7 served in the      
active military1 naval1 or air service  
in ,thailand1 as determined by the      
,secretary in consultation with the     
,secretary of ,defense1 during the      
period beginning on ,january #i1 #aifb1 
and ending on ,may #g1 #aige2 and  7#b7 
is determined by the ,secretary1 in     
consultation with the ,secretary of     
,defense1 to have been exposed to a     

herbicide agent during such service in  
,thailand4  7d7 ,herbicide agent ,for   
purposes of this section1 the term      
herbicide agent means a chemical in a   
herbicide used in support of ,united    
,states and allied military operations  
in ,thailand1 as determined by the      
,secretary in consultation with the     
,secretary of ,defense1 during the      
period beginning on ,january #i1 #aifb1 
and ending on ,may #g1 #aige4  4  7b7   
,clerical amendments  7#a7 ,subchapter  
heading ,the heading for subchapter     
,,iii of chapter #ah of such title is   
amended by inserting and ,thailand after
 ,korea4  7#b7 ,table of sections ,the  
table of sections at the beginning of   
chapter #ah of such title is amended--  
7,a7 by striking the item relating to   
subchapter ,,iii and inserting the      
following new item3  ,subchapter        
,,iii--,children of certain ,korea and  
,thailand service veterans born with    
spina bifida  2  and  7,b7 by inserting 
after the item relating to section #ahba

 the following new item3  #ahbb4        
,benefits for children of certain       
,thailand service veterans born with    
spina bifida4  4  #e4 ,pilot program on 
grief counseling in retreat settings for
 surviving spouses of veterans who die  
while serving on active duty in the     
,armed ,forces  7a7 ,pilot program      
required  7#a7 ,in general ,commencing  
not later than #ahj days after the date 
of the enactment of this ,act1 the      
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  
carry out1 through the ,readjustment    
,counseling ,service of the ,veterans   
,health ,administration1 a pilot program
 to assess the feasibility and          
advisability of providing grief         
counseling services described in        
subsection 7b7 in group retreat settings
 to surviving spouses of veterans who   
die while serving on active duty in the 
,armed ,forces4  7#b7 ,participation at 
election of surviving spouse ,the       
participation of a surviving spouse in  
the pilot program under this section    

shall be at the election of the         
surviving spouse4  7b7 ,covered services
 ,the services provided to a surviving  
spouse under the pilot program shall    
include the following3  7#a7            
,information and counseling on coping   
with grief4  7#b7 ,information about    
benefits and services available to      
surviving spouses under laws            
administered by the ,secretary4  7#c7   
,such other information and counseling  
as the ,secretary considers appropriate 
to assist a surviving spouse under the  
pilot program with adjusting to the     
death of a spouse4  7c7 ,locations ,the 
,secretary shall carry out the pilot    
program at not fewer than six locations 
as follows3  7#a7 ,three locations at   
which surviving spouses with dependent  
children are encouraged to bring their  
children4  7#b7 ,three locations at     
which surviving spouses with dependent  
children are not encouraged to bring    
their children4  7d7 ,duration ,the     
pilot program shall be carried out      

during the two-year period beginning on 
the date of the commencement of the     
pilot program4  7e7 ,reports  7#a7 ,in  
general ,not later than #ahj days after 
the completion of the first year of the 
pilot program and not later than #ahj   
days after the completion of the pilot  
program1 the ,secretary shall submit to 
,congress a report on the pilot program4
  7#b7 ,contents ,each report submitted 
under paragraph 7#a7 shall contain the  
findings and conclusions of the         
,secretary as a result of the pilot     
program1 and shall include such         
recommendations for the continuation or 
expansion of the pilot program as the   
,secretary considers appropriate4  7f7  
,definitions ,in this section1 the terms
 active duty1 surviving spouse1 and     
veteran have the meanings given such    
terms in section #aja of title #ch1     
,united ,states ,code4