HERMAN E. TALMADGE, Georgia, Chairman JENNINGS RANDOLPH, West Virginia CLIFFORD P. HANSEN, Wyoming RICHARD (DICK) STONE, Florida VANCE HARTKE, Indiana STROM THURMOND, South Carolina (II) CONTENTS Opening statement of Hon. Herman E. Talmadge, chairman of the Sub- committee on Compensation and Pensions of the Committee on Veterans' Bill S. 3596, as referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Introductory statement of author, Chairman Vance Hartke, excerpt from the Congressional Record, June 21, 1976--- Congressional Budget Office (No. 137, September 9, 1976 and No. Veterans' Administration (No. 124, July 28, 1976) – Bill S. 2331, as referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.. Bill H.R. 14299, as referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Agency report of Veterans' Administration (No. 123, July 27, 1976) – House of Representatives Report No. 94-1270, to accompany H.R. A. J. Bochicchio, Deputy Chief Benefits Director, Veterans' Adminis- tration, accompanied by J. Charles Peckarsky, Director, Compensa- tion and Pension Service, Department of Veterans Benefits; and Norman C. Paulson, Deputy Assistant General Counsel.... William B. Gardiner, assistant national director of legislation, Dis- Mylio S. Kraja, director, national legislative commission, accompanied by Edward H. Golembieski, director, national veterans affairs and Response submitted by the Veterans' Administration to questions sub- mitted by Hon. Herman E. Talmadge, chairman of the Subcom- mittee on Compensation and Pensions of the Committee on Veterans' Hon. Vance Hartke, chairman of Committee on Veterans' Affairs, from Rufus H. Wilson, Chief Benefits Director, Veterans' Adminis- Dated June 8, 1976, with enclosures-- Miscellaneous Study of dependency and indemnity compensation denials, submitted by the VA, dated: January 31, 1975 (Committee Print No. 2). September 28, 1976 (Committee Print No. 57) – Resolutions of the Veterans of Foreign Wars__ Service Connected Death Benefits to Survivors of Female Veterans supplied by the Veterans' Administration. Page 73 129 218 234 Analysis of dependency and indemnity compensation program, by the 235 The Veterans' Administration dependency and indemnity compensation program, by the Congressional Research Service (August 11, 1976 245 The Disabled Puerto Rican Veteran: A Study, May 1976_._. 270 301 APPENDIXES Appendix A.-An act, H.R. 14299, as referred to the Committee on 413 Appendix B.-Senate Report No. 94-1226, to accompany H.R. 14299, 437 Appendix C.-Public Law 94-433 (94th Congress, H.R. 14299, September 30, 1976) 507 VETERANS DISABILITY COMPENSATION AND FRIDAY, JULY 23, 1976 U.S. SENATE, SUBCOMMITTEE ON COMPENSATION AND PENSIONS Washington, D.C. The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 8 a.m., in room 414, Russell Office Building, Hon. Herman E. Talmadge (chairman of the Subcommittee on Compensation and Pensions) presiding. Present: Senator Herman E. Talmadge, chairman and Senator Clifford P. Hansen. Also present: Frank J. Brizzi, staff director and Guy H. McMichael III, general counsel. OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. HERMAN E. TALMADGE, CHAIRMAN OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON COMPENSATION AND PENSIONS OF THE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS Senator TALMADGE. The committee will please come to order. Today we will receive testimony from the Veterans' Administration and interested witnesses concerning S. 3596, the Veterans Disability Compensation and Survivors Benefit Act of 1976. S. 3596 is sponsored by every member of this committee. We will also consider H.R. 14299, the companion bill recently passed the House of Representatives. The continued high inflation requires that the committee review the compensational DIC programs and consider cost-of-living adjustments for our Nation's disabled veterans and widows of those who died in the service of this country. S. 3596 would provide 8 percent increases in benefits for nearly 2.6 million disabled veterans and widows. This increase is scheduled to take effect on October 1, 1976, the start of the new fiscal year and is intended to adjust benefits to accord with the change in the Consumer Price Index since August 1, 1975, the effective date of our last compensation increase. Moneys for this legislation were included in the allocations to the veterans fund, the first concurrent resolution on the budget adopted by Congress earlier this year. Other important provisions of S. 3596 include the following: First: An increase in the annual clothing allowance from $175 to $190 for certain disabled veterans whose disability tends to wear out or to tear their clothing; Second: An increase in mortgage protection life insurance from $30,000 to $40,000 for veterans who have received specially adapted housing grants; (1) 2 Third: Eligibility for automobiles and special automobile adaptive equipment is extended to eligible veterans who served prior to World War II: and Fourth: Transportation costs would be provided to the family of a deceased disabled veterans who is buried in a national cemetery; We welcome the testimony of witnesses today on these and other matters of concern. At this point, I will ask that S. 3596, S. 2331, and H.R. 14299 be inserted in the record, and that other appropriate materials received by the committee be inserted at an appropriate place in the hearing record. [The text of bills previously referred to including agency reports and statements thereof and pertinent materials follow:] |