[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 623 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 623

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to deem certain service in the 
organized military forces of the Government of the Commonwealth of the 
 Philippines and the Philippine Scouts to have been active service for 
 purposes of benefits under programs administered by the Secretary of 
                           Veterans Affairs.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 22, 1997

 Mr. Inouye (for himself and Mr. Akaka) introduced the following bill; 
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 38, United States Code, to deem certain service in the 
organized military forces of the Government of the Commonwealth of the 
 Philippines and the Philippine Scouts to have been active service for 
 purposes of benefits under programs administered by 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. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Filipino Veterans Equity Act of 
1997''.

SEC. 2. CERTAIN SERVICE IN THE ORGANIZED MILITARY FORCES OF THE 
              PHILIPPINES AND THE PHILIPPINE SCOUTS DEEMED TO BE ACTIVE 
              SERVICE.

    (a) In General.--Section 107 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) by striking out ``not'' after ``Army of the 
                United States, shall''; and
                    (B) by striking out ``, except benefits under--'' 
                and all that follows and inserting in lieu thereof a 
                period; and
            (2) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) by striking out ``not'' after ``Armed Forces 
                Voluntary Recruitment Act of 1945 shall''; and
                    (B) by striking out ``except--'' and all that 
                follows and inserting in lieu thereof a period.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--(1) The heading of such section is 
amended to read as follows:
``Sec. 107. Certain service deemed to be active service: service in 
              organized military forces of the Philippines and in the 
              Philippine Scouts''.
    (2) The item relating to such section in the table of sections at 
the beginning of chapter 1 of such title is amended to read as follows:

``107. Certain service deemed to be active service: service in 
                            organized military forces of the 
                            Philippines and in the Philippine 
                            Scouts.''.

SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    (a) In General.--The amendments made by this Act shall take effect 
on the date of enactment of this Act.
    (b) Applicability.--No benefits shall accrue to any person for any 
period before the effective date of this Act by reason of the 
amendments made by this Act.
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