[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3515 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 3515

  To amend title 38, United States Code, to exclude from income, for 
    purposes of determining annual income for veterans' non-service-
 connected disability pension, amounts received by a veteran from any 
judgment or settlement of a claim for damages against the Secretary of 
                           Veterans Affairs.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 19, 1998

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title 38, United States Code, to exclude from income, for 
    purposes of determining annual income for veterans' non-service-
 connected disability pension, amounts received by a veteran from any 
judgment or settlement of a claim for damages against the Secretary of 
                           Veterans Affairs.

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

SECTION 1. EXCLUSION FROM DETERMINATION OF ANNUAL INCOME FOR NON-
              SERVICE-CONNECTED DISABILITY PENSION OF AMOUNTS RECEIVED 
              PURSUANT TO A JUDGMENT OR SETTLEMENT AGAINST THE 
              SECRETARY.

    (a) In General.--Section 1503(a) of title 38, United States Code, 
is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (9), by striking out ``; and'' at the end 
        and inserting in lieu thereof a semicolon;
            (2) in paragraph (10), by striking out the period at the 
        end and inserting in lieu thereof ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(11) amounts equal to amounts received by a veteran by 
        reason of a judgment against the Secretary in a civil action 
        for claims for damages of $25,000 or less brought pursuant to 
        section 1346(b) of title 28 or a settlement or compromise under 
        section 2672 or 2677 of title 28.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply with respect to awards or settlement of claims for damages 
against the Secretary of Veterans Affairs that become final on or after 
the date of the enactment of this Act.
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