CORRECTIONS TO VETERANS SUBTITLE.

SEC. 9014. CORRECTIONS TO VETERANS SUBTITLE. (a) Tobacco-Related Illnesses in Veterans.— Section 8202 of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century is amended to read as follows (and the amendments made by that section as originally enacted shall be treated for all purposes as not having been made): “SEC. 8202. TREATMENT OF TOBACCO-RELATED ILLNESSES OF VETERANS. “(a) In General.— (1) Chapter 11 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 1102 the following new section: ‘§ 1103. Special provisions relating to claims based upon effects of tobacco products ‘(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a veteran’s disability or death shall not be considered to have resulted from personal injury suffered or disease contracted in the line of duty in the active military, naval, or air service for purposes of this title on the basis that it resulted from injury or disease attributable to the use of tobacco products by the veteran during the veteran’s service. ‘(b) Nothing in subsection (a) shall be construed as precluding the establishment of service connection for disability or death from a disease or injury which is otherwise shown to have been incurred or aggravated in active military, naval, or air service or which became manifest to the requisite degree of disability during any 112 STAT. 866applicable presumptive period specified in section 1112 or 1116 of this title.’. “(2) The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 1102 the following new item: ‘1103. Special provisions relating to claims based upon effects of tobacco products.’. “(b) Effective Date.— Section 1103 of title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), shall apply with respect to claims received by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs after the date of the enactment of this Act.”. (b) GI Bill Educational Assistance for Survivors and Dependents of Veterans.— Subtitle B of title VIII of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century is amended by adding at the end the following new section: “SEC. 8210. TWENTY PERCENT INCREASE IN RATES OF SURVIVORS AND DEPENDENTS EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE. “(a) Survivors and Dependents Educational Assistance.— Section 3532 of title 38, United States Code, is amended— “(1) in subsection (a)(1)— “(A) by striking out ‘$404’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘$485’; “(B) by striking out ‘$304’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘$365’; and “(C) by striking out ‘$202’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘$242’; “(2) in subsection (a)(2), by striking out ‘$404’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘$485’; “(3) in subsection (b), by striking out ‘$404’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘$485’; and “(4) in subsection (c)(2)— “(A) by striking out ‘$327’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘$392’; “(B) by striking out ‘$245’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘$294’; and “(C) by striking out ‘$163’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘$196’. “(b) Correspondence Course.— Section 3534(b) of such title is amended by striking out ‘$404’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘$485’. “(c) Special Restorative Training.— Section 3542(a) of such title is amended— “(1) by striking out ‘$404’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘$485’; “(2) by striking out ‘$127’ each place it appears and inserting in lieu thereof ‘$152’; and “(3) by striking out ‘$13.46’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘$16.16’. “(d) Apprenticeship Training.— Section 3687(b)(2) of such title is amended— “(1) by striking out ‘$294’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘$353’; “(2) by striking out ‘$220’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘$264’; “(3) by striking out ‘$146’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘$175’; and “(4) by striking out ‘$73’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘$88’.112 STAT. 867 “(e) Effective Date.— The amendments made by this section shall take effect on October 1, 1998, and shall apply with respect to educational assistance allowances paid for months after September 1998.”.