1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 121 11 (10) by redesignating subparagraph (1) as subparagraph (J) and inserting the new subparagraph (I) as follows: “(I) notwithstanding the other provisions of this subsection, the monthly payable amount on account of a spouse who is (1) a patient in a nursing home or (2) helpless or blind, or so nearly helpless or blind as to need or require the regular aid and attendance of another person, shall be $78 for a totally disabled veteran and proportionate amounts for partially disabled veterans in accordance with paragraph (2) of this subsection; and". 13 TITLE II-SURVIVORS DEPENDENCY AND 14 INDEMNITY COMPENSATION 15 SEC. 201. Section 411 of title 38, United States Code, 16 is amended to read as follows: "§ 411. Dependency and indemnity compensation to a sur viving spouse "(a) Dependency and indemnity compensation shall be paid to a surviving spouse, based on the pay grade of the person upon whose death entitlement is predicated, at monthly rates set forth in the following table: 1 "1If the veteran served as sergeant major of the Army, senior enlisted advisor of the Navy, chief master sergeant of the Air Force, sergeant major of the Marine Corps, or master chief petty officer of the Coast Guard, at the applicable time designated by sec. 402 of this title, the surviving spouse's rate shall be $382. "If the veteran served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Chief of Staff of the Army, Chief of Naval Operations, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, or Commandant of the Marine Corps, at the applicable time designated by sec. 402 of this title, the surviving spouse's rate shall be $712. "(b) If there is a surviving spouse with one or more 2 children below the age of eighteen of a deceased veteran, the 3 dependency and indemnity compensation paid monthly to the 4 surviving spouse shall be increased by $31 for each such 5 child. 6 "(c) The monthly rate of dependency and indemnity 7 compensation payable to a surviving spouse shall be increased 8 by $78 if the spouse is (1) a patient in a nursing home or 9 (2) helpless or blind, or so nearly helpless or blind as to need or require the regular aid and attendance of another person.”. SEC. 202. Section 413 of title 38, United States Code, is 10 11 12 amended to read as follows: 13 14 15 16 17 "Whenever there is no surviving spouse of a deceased veteran entitled to dependency and indemnity compensation, dependency and indemnity compensation shall be paid in equal shares to the children of the deceased veteran at the following monthly rates: 3 4 5 6 "(3) three children, $243; and "(4) more than three children, $243, plus $49 for each child in excess of three.". SEC. 203. Section 414 of title 38, United States Code, 7 is amended 8 9 10 11 12 23 13 14 (1) by striking out in subsection (a) “$72" and inserting in lieu thereof "$78"; (2) by striking out in subsection (b) "$121" and inserting in lieu thereof "$131"; and (3) by striking out in subsection (c) “$62" and inserting in lieu thereof "$67". SEC. 204. (a) The Administrator shall carry out a 15 thorough and detailed study of the dependency and indem16 nity compensation program authorized under chapter 13 of this title and of its beneficiaries to measure and evaluate the 18 adequacy of benefits provided under this program and to 19 determine whether, or to what extent, benefits should be based 20 21 22 on the military pay grade of the person upon whose death entitlement is predicated. (b) The report of such study shall include such full 23 statistical data as may be obtained concerning surviving 2 23 and dependents in receipt of dependency and in demnity compensation other than under section 415 of title 14 1 38, United States Code, and in each instance the data shall 2 include a breakdown of the distribution of the surviving 3 spouses and dependents amongst the pay grade levels set 4 forth in section 411(a) of title 38, United States Code. Data 5 concerning such surviving spouses and dependents shall in6 clude (1) full statistical information concerning the number 7 and ages of surviving spouses and dependents, the number 8 of surviving spouses that remarry, the number of surviving 9 spouses with dependents, and the number of surviving spouses 10 in receipt of aid and attendance; (2) full statistical informa11 tion concerning the number of surviving spouses and the 12 number of dependents in receipt of old-age, survivors, and 13 disability insurance (OASDI) cash benefits and the amount 14 and type thereof, the number of surviving spouses and the 15 number of dependents in receipt of other Federal or State 16 assistance and the amount and type thereof, the number of 17 surviving spouses in receipt of State survivor benefits and 18 the amount and type thereof to include a breakdown by 19 State, and the number of surviving spouses who work and 20 their earnings therefrom; (3) full statistical information 21 concerning the educational attainment of the survivor's de22 ceased spouse; and (4) full statistical information concern23 ing those surviving spouses whose veteran spouse was in 24 receipt of disability compensation pursuant to chapter 11 of 25 title 38, prior to death and the rating of disability thereof. 15 1 (c) The report together with such comments and rec2 ommendations by the Administrator for improving the pro 3 gram as are appropriate shall be submitted to the Congress 4 and the President not later than October 1, 1977. 5 6 TITLE III-OTHER DISABLED VETERANS PROGRAM IMPROVEMENTS 7 SEC. 301. Section 362 of title 38, United States Code, is 8 amended by striking out “$175” and inserting in lieu thereof 9 "$190". 10 SEC. 302. Section 806 of title 38, United States Code, 11 is amended by striking out in subsection (c) "$30,000," 12 and inserting in lieu thereof “$40,000,”. 13 SEC. 303. Section 1901 of title 38, United States Code, 14 is amended (1) by striking out in paragraph (1) before the colon at the end of clause (A) "during World War II or thereafter" and inserting in lieu thereof "on or after September 16, 1940"; and (2) by striking out in paragraph (1) before the period at the end of clause (B) "during World War II or thereafter" and inserting in lieu thereof “on or after September 16, 1940". SEC. 304. (a) Chapter 23 of title 38, United States 24 Code, is amended by adding at the end thereof the following |