S. 735: Survivor Benefits Improvement Act of 2013

113th Congress · introduced 2013-04-16 · Armed Forces and National Security · Latest: Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 113-111.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2013-04-16 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 113-111. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Survivor Benefits Improvement Act of 2013

Plain summary

Survivor Benefits Improvement Act of 2013 - Allows dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) paid through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to the surviving spouses of veterans to be increased for months occurring during the five-year (under current law, two-year) period beginning on the date of entitlement. Provides that the remarriage after age 55 of the surviving spouse of a veteran shall not bar the furnishing of VA DIC, health care, educational assistance, and housing loans. Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide, to any spina bifida-affected child of a veteran who served on active duty in Thailand beginning on January 9, 1962, and ending on May 7, 1975, and was exposed to a herbicide agent during such service, the same health care, vocational training and rehabilitation, and monetary allowance required to be paid to a similarly-affected child of a Vietnam veteran. Directs the Secretary to carry out a two-year pilot program to assess the feasibility and advisability of providing grief counseling services for the surviving spouses of veterans who die while serving on active duty.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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A “Yea” vote

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A “Nay” vote

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Survivor Benefits Improvement Act of 2013

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT] · 0 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT] reported raising $26.5 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-113s735.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/113/s>

Record fed-us-cong113-s735 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong113 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong113