[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1626 Reported in Senate (RS)]

                                                       Calendar No. 435
103d CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 1626

                          [Report No. 103-267]

  To amend title 38, United States Code, to revise the veterans' home 
                             loan program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

             November 4 (legislative day, November 2), 1993

Mr. Rockefeller (for himself, Mr. DeConcini, Mr. Graham, Mr. Akaka, Mr. 
  Daschle, Mr. Campbell, and Mr. Wellstone) introduced the following 
 bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' 
                                Affairs

                 May 23 (legislative day, May 16), 1994

Reported by Mr. Rockefeller, with an amendment and an amendment to the 
                                 title
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title 38, United States Code, to revise the veterans' home 
                             loan program.

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

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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans Benefits and Services 
Amendments of 1994''.

SEC. 2. REVISION IN COMPUTATION OF AGGREGATE GUARANTY FOR HOME LOANS.

    Section 3702(b) of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by striking out paragraph (1) and inserting in lieu 
        thereof the following new paragraph (1):
            ``(1) the loan has been repaid in full, or the Secretary 
        has been released from liability as to the loan, or if the 
        Secretary has suffered a loss on the loan, the loss has been 
        paid in full; or'';
            (2) in paragraph (2), by striking out ``; or'' and 
        inserting in lieu thereof a period; and
            (3) by striking out paragraph (3).

SEC. 3. AUTHORITY TO GUARANTEE HOME REFINANCE LOANS FOR ENERGY 
              EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENTS.

    (a) Loans.--Section 3710(a) of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by adding after paragraph (10) the following:
            ``(11) To refinance in accordance with subsection (e) of 
        this section an existing loan guaranteed, insured, or made 
        under this chapter, and to improve the dwelling securing such 
        loan through energy efficiency improvements, as provided in 
        subsection (d) of this section.''.
    (b) Amount of Guaranty.--Section 3710(e)(1) of such title is 
amended--
            (1) in the matter above subparagraph (A), by inserting ``or 
        subsection (a)(11)'' after ``subsection (a)(8)''; and
            (2) by amending subparagraph (C) to read as follows:
            ``(C) the amount of the loan may not exceed--
                    ``(i) an amount equal to the sum of the balance of 
                the loan being refinanced and such closing costs 
                (including any discount permitted pursuant to section 
                3703(c)(3)(A) of this title) as may be authorized by 
                the Secretary, under regulations which the Secretary 
                shall prescribe, to be included in such loan; or
                    ``(ii) in the case of a loan for a purpose 
                specified in such subsection (a)(11), an amount equal 
                to the sum of the amount referred to with respect to 
                the loan under clause (i) of this subparagraph and the 
                amount specified under subsection (d)(2) of this 
                section;''.
    (c) Fee.--Section 3729(a)(2)(E) of such title is amended by 
inserting ``3710(a)(11),'' after ``3710(a)(9)(B)(i),''.

SEC. 4. EXPANSION OF PERIOD OF VIETNAM ERA FOR CERTAIN VETERANS.

    (a) Expansion of Era.--Section 101(29) of title 38, United States 
Code, is amended to read as follows:
    ``(29) The term `Vietnam era' means--
            ``(A) the period beginning February 28, 1961, and ending on 
        May 7, 1975, in the case of a veteran who served in the 
        Republic of Vietnam during such period; and
            ``(B) the period beginning August 5, 1964, and ending on 
        May 7, 1975, in all other cases.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall 
take effect on October 1, 1994. No person shall be entitled to receive 
by reason of the amendment made by subsection (a) any benefits for any 
period before such date.

SEC. 5. EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN PAYMENTS TO ALASKA NATIVES FROM 
              DETERMINATION OF ANNUAL INCOME FOR PURPOSES OF 
              ELIGIBILITY FOR PENSION.

    Section 1503(a) of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by striking out ``and'' at the end of paragraph (9);
            (2) by striking out the period at the end of paragraph 
        (10)(B) and inserting in lieu thereof ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(11) cash, stock, land, or other interest referred to in 
        subparagraphs (A) through (E) below paragraph (3) of section 
        29(c) of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 
        1626(c)), whether attributable to the disposition of real 
        property, profits from the operation of real property, or 
        otherwise, that is received from a Native Corporation under 
        such Act (43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.).''.

SEC. 6. AUTHORITY TO ENTER INTO AGREEMENT FOR USE OF PROPERTY AT EDWARD 
              HINES, JR., DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL 
              CENTER.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may enter into a 
long-term lease or similar agreement with the organization known as the 
The Caring Place at Loyola, Inc., a not-for-profit organization 
operating under the laws of the State of Illinois, to permit that 
organization to establish on the grounds of the Edward Hines, Jr., 
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Hines, Illinois, a 
facility to provide temporary accommodations for family members of 
severely ill children who are being treated at the Loyola University of 
Chicago Medical Center.
    (b) Terms of Agreement.--An agreement under subsection (a)--
            (1) shall ensure that there shall be no cost to the Federal 
        Government as a result of the property use authorized under 
        that subsection;
            (2) may permit the use of the property without rent; and
            (3) shall, to the extent practicable, ensure that one room 
        of the facility is available for the use of a veteran (at no 
        cost to the veteran) as temporary accommodations for the 
        veteran while the veteran's severely ill child is treated at 
        the Loyola University of Chicago Medical Center.
    Amend the title so as to read: ``To amend title 38, United States 
Code, to permit home loan guaranties for energy efficiency 
improvements, to extend the period of the Vietnam era, to exclude 
certain payments to Alaska natives from annual income determinations 
for pension purposes, and for other purposes.''.




                                                       Calendar No. 435

103d CONGRESS

  2d Session

                                S. 1626

                          [Report No. 103-267]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

  To amend title 38, United States Code, to revise the veterans' home 
                             loan program.

_______________________________________________________________________

                 May 23 (legislative day, May 16), 1994

       Reported with an amendment and an amendment to the title