[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1213 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1213

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to enhance the ability of the 
    Department of Veterans Affairs to improve benefits for Filipino 
veterans of World War II and survivors of such veterans, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              June 9, 2003

Mr. Specter (by request) 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 enhance the ability of the 
    Department of Veterans Affairs to improve benefits for Filipino 
veterans of World War II and survivors of such veterans, and for other 
                               purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; REFERENCES TO TITLE 38, UNITED STATES CODE.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Filipino Veterans' 
Benefits Act of 2003''.
    (b) References.--Except as otherwise expressly provided, whenever 
in this Act an amendment or repeal is expressed in terms of an 
amendment or repeal to a section or other provision, the reference 
shall be considered to be made to a section or other provision of title 
38, United States Code.

SEC. 2. ELIGIBILITY OF FILIPINO VETERANS FOR HEALTH CARE IN THE UNITED 
              STATES.

    (a) Health Care.--Section 1734 is amended to read as follows:
    ``(a) The Secretary, within the limits of Department facilities, 
shall furnish hospital and nursing home care and medical services to an 
individual identified in subsection (b) in the same manner as provided 
for under section 1710 of this title.
    ``(b) An individual covered under subsection (a) of this section 
includes--
            ``(1) a Commonwealth Army veteran; and
            ``(2) a new Philippine Scout;
who is residing in the United States and is a citizen of, or an alien 
lawfully admitted for permanent residence in, the United States.''.

SEC. 3. RATE OF PAYMENT OF BENEFITS FOR CERTAIN FILIPINO VETERANS AND 
              THEIR SURVIVORS RESIDING IN THE UNITED STATES.

    (a) Rate of Payment.--Section 107 is amended--
            (1) in the second sentence of subsection (b), by striking 
        ``Payments'' and inserting ``Except as provided in subsection 
        (c), payments''; and
            (2) in subsection (c)--
                    (A) by inserting ``and subchapter II of chapter 13 
                (except section 1312(a)) of this title'' after 
                ``chapter 11 of this title'';
                    (B) by striking ``in subsection (a)'' and inserting 
                ``in subsection (a) or (b)''; and
                    (C) by striking ``of subsection (a)'' and inserting 
                ``of the applicable subsection''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall 
take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act and shall apply to 
benefits paid for months beginning after that date.

SEC. 4. EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY TO OPERATE REGIONAL OFFICE IN THE 
              PHILIPPINES.

    Subsection (b) of section 315 is amended by striking ``2003'' and 
inserting ``2008''.

SEC. 5. BURIAL BENEFITS FOR NEW PHILIPPINE SCOUTS RESIDING IN THE 
              UNITED STATES.

    (a) Benefit Eligibility.--Section 107 is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b)(2)--
                    (A) by striking ``and'' and inserting a comma; and
                    (B) by inserting ``, 23, and 24 (to the extent 
                provided for in section 2402(8))'' after ``(except 
                section 1312(a))'';
            (2) in the second sentence of subsection (b), as amended by 
        section 3 of this Act, by inserting ``or (d)'' after 
        ``subsection (c)'';
            (3) in subsection (d)(1), by inserting ``or (b), as 
        otherwise applicable,'' after ``subsection (a)''; and
            (4) in section (d)(2), by inserting ``or whose service is 
        described in subsection (b) and who dies after the date of 
        enactment of the Filipino Veterans Benefits Act of 2003,'' 
        after ``November 1, 2000,''.
    (b) National Cemetery Interment.--Section 2402(8) is amended by 
inserting ``or (b)'' after ``section 107(a)''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsections (a) and (b) 
shall apply with respect to deaths occurring after the date of the 
enactment of this Act.

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