[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2013 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2013

To establish a commission to review the provisions of law stating that 
 service performed by Filipino World War II veterans is not considered 
to be service in the Armed Forces of the United States for purposes of 
 most veterans' benefits under the laws of the United States, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 6, 1993

Mr. Blackwell (for himself, Mr. Andrews of New Jersey, Mr. Borski, Mr. 
   Cunningham, Mr. Filner, Mr. Foglietta, Mr. Frost, Mr. Gilman, Mr. 
   Lancaster, Mr. Matsui, Mr. Miller of California, Mr. Mineta, Ms. 
Pelosi, Mr. Scott, Mr. Towns, Mr. Tucker, Mr. Underwood, and Mr. Wynn) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                           Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish a commission to review the provisions of law stating that 
 service performed by Filipino World War II veterans is not considered 
to be service in the Armed Forces of the United States for purposes of 
 most veterans' benefits under the laws of the United States, and for 
                            other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Commission on Filipino Veterans 
Entitlement Act''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION.

    There is hereby established the Commission on Filipino War Veterans 
Entitlement (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the 
``Commission'').

SEC. 3. DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION.

    (a) In General.--It shall be the duty of the Commission to--
            (1) review the facts and circumstances surrounding the 
        enactment of those provisions of the First Supplemental Surplus 
        Appropriation Rescission Act, 1946 (Public Law 301 of the 79th 
        Congress, now codified as section 107 of title 38, United 
        States Code), that required the denial of most veterans' 
        benefits and privileges to Filipino veterans of World War II;
            (2) review existing Department of Veterans Affairs benefits 
        and medical privileges that are available to those veterans;
            (3) determine what type and kind of fair, equitable, and 
        justifiable veterans' benefits are due to those veterans; and
            (4) recommend appropriate changes in law.
    (b) Hearings.--The Commission shall hold public hearings in the 
cities of Manila, Cebu, and Davao in the Philippines; Los Angeles and 
San Francisco, California; Chicago, Illinois; Houston, Texas; New York, 
New York; Washington, DC; Honolulu, Hawaii, and in any other location 
that the Commission determines to be appropriate.
    (c) Report.--The Commission shall submit to Congress a written 
report of its findings and recommendations not later than October 1, 
1994.

SEC. 4. MEMBERSHIP.

    (a) Composition.--The Commission shall be composed of seven 
members, who shall be appointed as follows:
            (1) Three members shall be appointed by the President.
            (2) Two members shall be appointed by the Speaker of the 
        House of Representatives.
            (3) Two members shall be appointed by the President pro 
        tempore of the Senate.
    (b) Terms, Vacancies.--The term of office for members shall be for 
the life of the Commission. A vacancy in the Commission shall not 
affect its powers and shall be filled in the same manner in which the 
original appointment was made.
    (c) First Meeting.--The first meeting of the Commission shall be 
called by the President within 60 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act.
    (d) Quorum.--Four members of the Commission shall constitute a 
quorum, but a lesser number may hold hearings.
    (e) Chairman, Vice Chairman.--The Commission shall elect a chairman 
and vice chairman from among its members. The term of office of each 
shall be for the life of the Commission.
    (f) Compensation.--Each member of the Commission who is not 
otherwise employed by the United States Government shall receive 
compensation at a rate equal to the daily rate prescribed for GS-18 
under the General Schedule contained in section 5332 of title 5, United 
States Code, for each day, including travel time, the member is engaged 
in the actual performance of the member's duties as a member of the 
Commission. A member of the Commission who is an officer or employee of 
the United States Government shall serve without additional 
compensation. All members of the Commission shall be reimbursed for 
travel, subsistence, and other actual and necessary expenses incurred 
by them in the performance of their duties.

SEC. 5. POWERS OF THE COMMISSION.

    (a) Hearings; Subpoenas.--The Commission or, on the authorization 
of the Commission, any subcommittee or member thereof, may, for the 
purpose of carrying out the provisions of this Act, hold such hearings 
and sit and act at such times and places, and request the attendance 
and testimony of such witnesses and the production of such books, 
records, correspondence, memorandum, papers, and documents as the 
Commission or such subcommittee or member may deem advisable. The 
Commission may request the Attorney General to invoke the aid of an 
appropriate United States District Court to require, by subpoena or 
otherwise, such attendance, testimony, or production.
    (b) Information From Executive Agencies.--The Commission may 
require directly from the head of any department, agency, independent 
instrumentality, or other authority of the executive branch of the 
Government, available information which the Commission considers useful 
in the discharge of its duties. All departments, agencies, and 
independent instrumentalities, or other authorities of the executive 
branch of the Government shall cooperate with the Commission and 
furnish all information requested by the Commission to the extent 
permitted by law.

SEC. 6. ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS.

    The Commission is authorized to--
            (1) appoint and fix the compensation of such personnel as 
        may be necessary, without regard to the provisions of title 5, 
        United States Code, governing appointments in the competitive 
        service, and without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and 
        subchapter III of chapter 53 of such title relating to 
        classification and General Schedule pay rates, except that the 
        compensation of any employee of the Commission may not exceed a 
        rate equivalent to the rate payable under GS-18 of the General 
        Schedule under section 5332 of such title;
            (2) obtain the services of experts and consultants in 
        accordance with the provisions of section 3109 of such title;
            (3) enter into agreements with the Administrator of General 
        Services for procurement of necessary financial and 
        administrative services, for which payment shall be made by 
        reimbursement from funds of the Commission in such amounts as 
        may be agreed upon by the Chairman of the Commission and the 
        Administrator;
            (4) procure supplies, services, and property by contract in 
        accordance with applicable laws and regulations and to the 
        extent or in such amounts as are provided in appropriation 
        Acts; and
            (5) enter into contracts with Federal or State agencies, 
        private firms, institutions, and agencies for the conduct of 
        research or surveys, the preparation of reports and other 
        activities necessary to the discharge of the duties of the 
        Commission, to the extent or in such amounts as are provided in 
        appropriation Acts.

SEC. 7. TERMINATION.

    The Commission shall terminate on February 1, 1995.

SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There is hereby authorized to be appropriated $2,000,000 to carry 
out the provisions of this Act.

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