Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 117.djvu/1539

 117 STAT. 1520

PUBLIC LAW 108–136—NOV. 24, 2003

SEC. 646. INCREASE IN DEATH GRATUITY PAYABLE WITH RESPECT TO DECEASED MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES.

Applicability. 10 USC 1478 note.

(a) AMOUNT OF DEATH GRATUITY.—Section 1478(a) of title 10, United States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘$6,000’’ and inserting ‘‘$12,000’’. (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by subsection (a) shall take effect as of September 11, 2001, and shall apply with respect to deaths occurring on or after that date. SEC. 647. DEATH BENEFITS STUDY.

(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Congress that— (1) the sacrifices made by the members of the Armed Forces are significant and are worthy of meaningful expressions of gratitude by the United States, especially in cases of sacrifice through loss of life; (2) the tragic events of September 11, 2001, and subsequent worldwide combat operations in the Global War on Terrorism and in Operation Iraqi Freedom have highlighted the significant disparity between the financial benefits for survivors of deceased members of the Armed Forces and the financial benefits for survivors of civilian victims of terrorism; (3) the death benefits system composed of the death gratuity paid by the Department of Defense to survivors of members of the Armed Forces, the subsequently established Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI) program, and other benefits for survivors of deceased members has evolved over time, but there are increasing indications that the evolution of such benefits has failed to keep pace with the expansion of indemnity and compensation available to segments of United States society outside the Armed Forces, a failure that is especially apparent in a comparison of the benefits for survivors of deceased members with the compensation provided to families of civilian victims of terrorism; and (4) while the Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI) program provides an assured source of life insurance for members of the Armed Forces that benefits the survivors of such members upon death, that program requires servicemembers to pay for that life insurance coverage and does not provide an assured minimum benefit. (b) STUDY REQUIRED.—The Secretary of Defense shall carry out a study of the totality of all current and projected death benefits for survivors of deceased members of the Armed Forces to determine the adequacy of such benefits. In carrying out the study, the Secretary shall— (1) compare the Federal death benefits for survivors of deceased members of the Armed Forces with— (A) commercial and other private sector death benefits plans for segments of United States society outside the Armed Forces; and (B) the benefits available under Public Law 107–37 (115 Stat. 219) (commonly known as the ‘‘Public Safety Officer Benefits Bill’’); (2) assess the personnel policy effects that would result from a revision of the death gratuity benefit to provide a stratified schedule of entitlement amounts that places a premium on deaths resulting from participation in combat or from acts of terrorism;

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