US Congress House Bill 675 (Prior Session Legislation)

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Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: Engrossed on July 29 2015 - 50% progression, died in committee
Action: 2015-07-29 - Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Pending: Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee
Text: Latest bill text (Engrossed) [PDF]

Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2015 TITLE I--COMPENSATION COST-OF-LIVING ADJUSTMENT (Sec. 101) This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to increase, as of November 30, 2015, the rates of: veterans' disability compensation, additional compensation for dependents, wartime disability compensation, the clothing allowance for certain disabled veterans, and dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children. Each such increase shall be the same percentage as the benefits increase provided under title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act, as of December 1, 2015. (Sec. 102) The VA shall publish such adjusted rates in the Federal Register. TITLE II--UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR VETERANS CLAIMS (Sec. 201) The temporary expansion of the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims is extended till January 1, 2020. (Sec. 202) Specified recall requirements for retired judges are amended. A recall-eligible judge may request a recall for a period of service of at least 90 days (or the equivalent). (Sec. 203) A regular active service judge or a retired judge shall be treated as an employee for government life insurance purposes. (Sec. 204) Regular service judges, retired recall-eligible judges, and certain retired but not recall-eligible judges may purchase in three-month increments up to an additional year of service credit for each year of federal judicial service completed. (Sec. 205) The salary of Court judges is set at the rate applicable to federal appellate court judges. (Their salary is currently set at the rate applicable to federal district court judges.) (Sec. 206) The chief judge of the Court, in addition to existing qualifications, must not be older than 64 and have at least 3 years remaining in term of office as a judge of the Court in regular active service. TITLE III--IMPROVEMENT OF CLAIMS PROCESSING (Sec. 301) In the case of a disability compensation claim for two or more disabilities for which the VA, before completing the full adjudication, makes a decision with respect to a disability that would result in the payment of monetary benefits to the claimant, the VA shall make interim payments to the claimant based on such disability. Upon completion of the adjudication of all the disability claims the VA will pay the full amount of accrued benefits, less the amount of the interim payments that the claimant has already received. (Sec. 302) The VA shall: (1) establish a minimum two-year training program for newly hired claims processors, and (2) identify successful claims processors to assist in such training. (Sec. 303) The VA shall: (1) inform each person who submits a claim for benefits that he or she is eligible to receive up to an extra year of benefits payments upon the filing of a fully developed claim; and (2) post at each VA Regional Office, claims-intake facility, and on its website information regarding the average processing time of claims and the percentage of submitted claims for which benefits are awarded. TITLE IV--OTHER MATTERS (Sec. 401) The VA shall pay any accrued benefits due and unpaid, as of a veteran's date of death, to the veteran's estate unless the estate will escheat. (Sec. 402) The President shall issue an annual proclamation calling on the people of the United States to observe two minutes of silence on Veterans Day in honor of the service and sacrifice of veterans throughout the history of the nation.

Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2015

Rep. Ralph Abraham [R-LA]	Rep. Dina Titus [D-NV]	Rep. Chellie Pingree [D-ME]	Rep. Stevan Pearce [R-NM]
Rep. Joyce Beatty [D-OH]	Rep. Walter Jones [R-NC]

2015-07-28 - House - On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended (Y: 409 N: 0 NV: 24 Abs: 0) [PASS]

Date	Chamber	Action
2015-07-29	Senate	Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
2015-07-28	House	The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
2015-07-28	House	On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 409 - 0 (Roll no. 472). (text: CR 7/27/2015 H5513-5515)
2015-07-28	House	Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
2015-07-28	House	Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H5545)
2015-07-27	House	At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
2015-07-27	House	DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 675.
2015-07-27	House	Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H5513-5517)
2015-07-27	House	Mr. Miller (FL) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
2015-07-16	House	Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 155.
2015-07-16	House	Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. H. Rept. 114-206.
2015-05-21	House	Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by Voice Vote.
2015-05-21	House	Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
2015-05-14	House	Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote .
2015-05-14	House	Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
2015-04-14	House	Subcommittee Hearings Held.
2015-02-13	House	Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.
2015-02-03	House	Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
2015-02-03	House	Introduced in House

SB1493 (Related) 2015-10-26 - Held at the desk.
HB4782 (Related) 2016-09-12 - Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 574.
SB3032 (Related) 2016-06-29 - Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held.

Type	Source
Summary	https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/675/all-info
Text	https://www.congress.gov/114/bills/hr675/BILLS-114hr675ih.pdf
Text	https://www.congress.gov/114/bills/hr675/BILLS-114hr675rh.pdf
Text	https://www.congress.gov/114/bills/hr675/BILLS-114hr675eh.pdf
Roll Call	https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2015472