Bills
| 3.23.22

Raising the Cost-of-Living Compensation Rates for Veterans and Their Survivors (H.R. 1329)

Do you support or oppose this bill?

What is H.R. 1329?

(Updated August 9, 2019)

This bill was enacted on November 2, 2017

This bill would direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to increase the rates of compensation for several areas of veterans’ living expenses. As of December 1, 2017 -- 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 would be increased. Each of these increases would be based on the percentage used to raise Social Security benefits.

Argument in favor

While it doesn’t establish automatic cost-of-living increases, this bill does provide a boost the benefits received by veterans and their families for another year.

Argument opposed

Rather than having to approve this cost-of-living adjustment each year, the benefits provided to veterans and their survivors should just be indexed to inflation or increases in Social Security benefits so the increases are automatic.

Impact

Veterans and their survivors, the VA.

Cost of H.R. 1329

A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.

Additional Info

In-Depth: Sponsoring Rep. Mike Bost (R-IL) introduced this bill (along with another) to provide a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to veterans:

"I am proud to introduce these bills to provide important cost-of-living adjustments to our nation's veterans and their dependents. These measures have received bipartisan support in the past, and I look forward to leading my colleagues to ensure the men and women who have served receive the benefits they have earned."
This legislation passed the House Veterans' Affairs Committee and has the support of 12 cosponsors in the House, including nine Democrats and three Republicans.

Of Note: While the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) would prefer to see automatic cost-of-living adjustments for the benefits provided to veterans and their survivors, the VFW is supportive of this year’s increase.


Disabled American Veterans (DAV) also expressed support for the cost-of-living increase -- but qualified that support by pointing out that this legislation contains a round-down provision which they oppose. The round-down provision results in benefits being reduced to the nearest whole dollar. Over time, this has reduced monthly benefits by about $10 per month.

The 2015 cost-of-living adjustment was about 1.7 percent based off of the increase in Social Security benefits.


Media:

Summary by Eric Revell
(Photo Credit: The U.S. Army)