[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 607 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 607

   To change the date of the beginning of the Vietnam era to provide 
 certain benefits available to veterans of a period of war to veterans 
 who served in Southeast Asia during the period beginning on March 1, 
                  1961, and ending on August 4, 1964.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 26, 1993

Mr. Kanjorski introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To change the date of the beginning of the Vietnam era to provide 
 certain benefits available to veterans of a period of war to veterans 
 who served in Southeast Asia during the period beginning on March 1, 
                  1961, and ending on August 4, 1964.

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

SECTION 1. REDESIGNATION OF VIETNAM ERA FOR PURPOSES OF VETERANS' 
              BENEFITS.

    (a) General Definition.--Section 101(29) of title 38, United States 
Code, is amended to read as follows:
    ``(29) The term `Vietnam era' means the period beginning on August 
5, 1964, and ending on May 7, 1975. The term includes, in the case of a 
veteran who served on active duty in the Armed Forces in Cambodia, 
Laos, Thailand, the former Democratic Republic of Vietnam (known as 
North Vietnam), the former Republic of Vietnam (known as South 
Vietnam), or the waters adjacent to the countries, the period beginning 
on March 1, 1961, and ending on August 4, 1964.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 1818(a) of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by striking the matter preceding paragraph (1) 
and inserting the following:
    ``(a) Each veteran who served on active duty in the Armed Forces, 
any part of which occurred after the Korean conflict and prior to the 
Vietnam era, or after the Vietnam era, and who--''.

SEC. 2. EMPLOYMENT PREFERENCE.

    Section 515(c)(1) of the Airport and Airway Improvement Act of 1982 
(49 U.S.C. App. 2214(c)(1)) is amended by striking ``the period 
beginning August 5, 1964, and ending May 7, 1975'' and inserting the 
following: ``the Vietnam era as defined in section 101(29) of title 38, 
United States Code''.

SEC. 3. OTHER REFERENCES TO VIETNAM ERA.

    (a) Reference to Vietnam Era.--Any reference to the Vietnam era 
that relates to veterans' benefits in any law, rule, regulation, 
certificate, directive, instruction, or other official paper in force 
on the date of the enactment of this Act is deemed to refer also, in 
the case or a veteran who served on active duty in the Armed Forces in 
Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, the former Democratic Republic of Vietnam 
(known as North Vietnam), the Republic of Vietnam (known as South 
Vietnam), or the waters adjacent to the countries, to the period 
beginning on March 1, 1961, and ending on August 4, 1964.
    (b) Reference to Calendar Period.--Any reference to the period 
beginning on August 5, 1964, and ending on May 7, 1975, that relates to 
veterans' benefits in any law, rule, regulation, certificate, 
directive, instruction, or other official paper in force on the date of 
the enactment of this Act is deemed to refer also to the period 
beginning on March 1, 1961, and ending on August 4, 1964, for the 
purpose of providing the benefits to veterans who served on active duty 
in the Armed Forces during the period in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, the 
former Democratic Republic of Vietnam (known as North Vietnam), the 
Republic of Vietnam (known as South Vietnam), or the waters adjacent to 
the countries.

SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    This Act and the amendments made by this Act shall take effect on 
the first day of the first month that begins more than 10 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act.

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