[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 879 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 879

   To restore veterans tobacco-related illness benefits as in effect 
  before the enactment of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st 
                                Century.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 6, 2001

  Mr. Frank (for himself, Mr. Evans, Mr. Dingell, Mr. McDermott, Mr. 
Sanders, Mrs. Kelly, Mrs. McCarthy of New York, Mr. Olver, Mr. Price of 
North Carolina, Ms. Rivers, Mr. Tierney, Mrs. Maloney of New York, Mr. 
 Baldacci, Mr. Costello, Mr. Paul, Ms. McKinney, Mrs. Christensen, Mr. 
  McGovern, Mr. Waxman, and Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' 
 Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, for a period 
    to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To restore veterans tobacco-related illness benefits as in effect 
  before the enactment of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st 
                                Century.

    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 ``Veterans Tobacco-Related Illness 
Benefits Restoration Act of 2001''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Until the 1980's, use of tobacco products was an 
        acceptable element of the military culture.
            (2) From the beginning of United States military history 
        through the present, the Federal Government has made tobacco 
        products readily available for military personnel.
            (3) The Federal Government, until 1998, provided tobacco 
        products for military personnel at below market value in 
        military commissaries, exchanges, and clubs around the world.
            (4) The Federal Government, through the period of the 
        Vietnam War, provided free tobacco products to military 
        personnel in C-rations and squad packs.
            (5) In the 1960's, before official notification of the 
        health hazards associated with the use of tobacco products, 
        over half of the inpatients in Veterans' Administration medical 
        centers suffered from tobacco-related illnesses.
            (6) Warning labels began appearing on tobacco products sold 
        in the private sector in 1965, but did not appear on tobacco 
        products sold in military commissaries, exchanges, and clubs 
        until 1970.

SEC. 3. RESTORATION OF VETERANS TOBACCO-RELATED BENEFITS.

    (a) Repeal of Law Limiting Establishment of Service-Connection for 
Veterans' Disabilities Relating to Use of Tobacco Products.--(1) 
Section 1103 of title 38, United States Code, is repealed.
    (2) The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 11 of such 
title is amended by striking the item relating to section 1103.
    (b) Applicability.--The amendments made by this section shall apply 
to any claim for compensation received by the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs before, on, or after the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 4. FUNDS NOT REQUIRED TO BE OFFSET FROM OTHER PROGRAMS.

    The Director of the Office of Management and Budget may not make 
any estimate of changes in direct spending outlays under section 252(d) 
of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 
U.S.C. 902(d)) for any fiscal year resulting from the enactment of this 
Act.
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