To amend title 10, United States Code, to increase to $100,000 the amount payable under the Department of Defense death gratuity program and to amend title 38, United States Code, to increase to $400,000 the maximum coverage under the Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance program.

This bill, introduced in 2005, proposes a significant increase in the financial benefits provided to the families of deceased military personnel. It would raise the Department of Defense "death gratuity"—an immediate cash payment sent to survivors—from $12,000 to $100,000 for service members who die while on duty or shortly after discharge due to service-related injuries.

Additionally, the legislation would increase the maximum coverage available under the Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (SGLI) program from $250,000 to $400,000. For families of service members who died in the line of duty between August 1, 1990, and the bill's enactment, the bill includes a provision to apply this insurance increase retroactively, provided the service member was enrolled in the maximum coverage at the time of their death.