,,ii  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #aiij  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,october #ai1  
#bjag ,mr4 ,tester 7for himself1 ,mr4   
,blumenthal1 and ,ms4 ,hirono7          
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 increase amounts      
payable by the ,department of ,veterans 
,affairs for dependency and indemnity   
compensation1 to modify the requirements
 for dependency and indemnity           
compensation for survivors of certain   
veterans rated totally disabled at the  
time of death1 and for other purposes4  
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,dependency and ,indemnity      
,compensation ,improvement ,act of      
#bjag4  #b4 ,increase in amount of      
dependency and indemnity compensation   
payable to surviving spouses by the     
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs  7a7   
,increase ,section #acaa7;a7 of title   

#ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended--
  7#a7 in paragraph 7#a71 by striking of
 #a1aed and inserting equal to #ee      
percent of the rate of monthly          
compensation in effect under section    
#aaad7;j7 of this title2 and  7#b7 by   
striking paragraph 7#c74  7b7 ,effective
 date  7#a7 ,in general ,except as      
provided by paragraph 7#b71 the         
amendments made by subsection 7a7 shall 
apply with respect to compensation paid 
under chapter #ac of title #ch1 ,united 
,states ,code1 for months beginning     
after the date that is six months after 
the date of the enactment of this ,act4 
7#b7 ,special rule for certain          
individuals  7,a7 ,in general ,for      
months beginning after the date that is 
six months after the date of the        
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
of ,veterans ,affairs shall pay to an   
individual described in subparagraph    
7,b7 dependency and indemnity           
compensation under section #acaa of     
title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 in the

 monthly amount that is the greater of  
the following3  7i7 ,the amount         
determined under subsection 7a77#c7 of  
such section #acaa1 as in effect on the 
day before the date of the enactment of 
this ,act4  7ii7 ,the amount determined 
under subsection 7a77#a7 of such section
 #acaa1 as amended by subsection 7a74   
7,b7 ,individuals described ,an         
individual described in this            
subparagraph is an individual eligible  
for dependency and indemnity            
compensation under section #acaa of     
title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 that  
is predicated on the death of a veteran 
before ,january #a1 #aiic4  #c4         
,modification of requirements for       
dependency and indemnity compensation   
payable by ,department of ,veterans     
,affairs for survivors of certain       
veterans rated totally disabled at time 
of death  7a7 ,in general ,section #acah
 of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is
 amended-- 7#a7 in subsection 7a7--     
7,a7 by striking ,the ,secretary and    

inserting 7#a7 ,except as provided in   
paragraph 7#b71 the ,secretary2 and     
7,b7 by adding at the end the following 
new paragraph3  7#b7 ,in any case in    
which the ,secretary makes a payment    
under paragraph 7#a7 of this subsection 
by reason of subsection 7b77#a7 and the 
period of continuous rating immediately 
preceding death is less than #aj years1 
the amount payable under paragraph 7#a7 
of this subsection shall be an amount   
which bears the same relationship to the
 amount otherwise payable under such    
paragraph as the duration of such period
 bears to #aj years4  2 and  7#b7 in    
subsection 7b77#a71 by striking #aj or  
more years and inserting five or more   
years4  7b7 ,effective date ,the        
amendments made by subsection 7a7 shall 
apply with respect to compensation paid 
under chapter #ac of title #ch1 ,united 
,states ,code1 for months beginning     
after the date that is six months after 
the date of the enactment of this ,act4 
#d4 ,eligibility for dependency and     

indemnity compensation payable by       
,department of ,veterans ,affairs for   
surviving spouses who remarry after age 
#ee ,section #ajc7;d77#b77;,b7 of title 
#ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended  
in the second sentence by inserting     
chapter #ac or after benefits under4