The
Veteran's Benefits Act of 2003 will mean $1 billion in new and expanded
benefits for disabled veterans, surviving spouses, and children over the
next ten years.
As enacted, the Veterans Benefits Act of
2003:
Allows the VA to provide specially adapted
housing grant to severely disabled service members prior to their
separation from active duty service.
Increases the specially adapted automobile grant
from $9,000 to $11,000, and increase the specially adapted housing
grants from $48,000 to $50,000 for the most severely disabled veterans
and from $9,250 to $10,000 for less severely disabled veterans.
Restores dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC),
VA home loan guarantee, and education, benefit eligibility for spouses
remarried after age 57, and burial eligibility for all remarried
spouses.
Increases monthly educational benefits for
spouses and dependent children of disabled veterans from $695 to $788
for full-time study, from $522 to $592 for three-quarter time study, and
from $347 to $394 for half-time study.
Expands benefits eligibility to children with
spina bifida who were born to certain Vietnam-era veterans who served in
Korea near the demilitarized zone.
Allows the surviving spouse or dependent children
to receive the full amount of accrued benefits if the veteran dies while
their claim is still pending.
Eliminates the 30-day requirement for POWs to
qualify for presumptions of service-connection for certain disabilities:
psychosis, any of the anxiety states, dysthymic disorder, organic
residuals of frostbite, and post-traumatic osteoarthritis.
Provides full compensation and DIC to members of
the new Philippine Scouts if the individual resides in the United States
as a citizen or permanent resident. Also extends eligibility for burial
in a national cemetery.
Expands the Montgomery GI Bill program to cover
self-employment training programs of less than six months and
entrepreneurship courses at approved institutions.
Allows federal agencies to create
"sole-source" contracts for disabled veteran-owned small businesses - up
to $5 million for manufacturing contract awards and up to $3 million for
non-manufacturing contract awards.
Allows federal agencies to restrict certain
contracts to disabled veteran-owned small businesses if at least two
such concerns are qualified to bid on the contract.
Mandates that the Department of Labor place staff
in veterans' assistance offices at overseas military installations 90
days after date of enactment.
