[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5148 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5148

  To amend title 38, United States Code, to prohibit the Secretary of 
   Veterans Affairs from collecting certain debts owed to the United 
States by members of the Armed Forces and veterans who die as a result 
 of an injury incurred or aggravated on active duty in a combat zone, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 28, 2008

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title 38, United States Code, to prohibit the Secretary of 
   Veterans Affairs from collecting certain debts owed to the United 
States by members of the Armed Forces and veterans who die as a result 
 of an injury incurred or aggravated on active duty in a combat zone, 
                        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.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Combat Veterans Debt Elimination Act 
of 2008''.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON COLLECTION OF CERTAIN INDEBTEDNESS OF MEMBERS OF 
              THE ARMED FORCES AND VETERANS WHO DIE OF INJURY INCURRED 
              OR AGGRAVATED IN SERVICE ON ACTIVE DUTY IN A COMBAT ZONE.

    (a) Prohibition.--
            (1) In general.--Chapter 53 of title 38, United States 
        Code, is amended by inserting after section 5302 the following 
        new section:
``Sec. 5302A. Prohibition on collection of indebtedness: certain debts 
              of members of the Armed Forces and veterans who die of 
              injury incurred or aggravated on active duty in a combat 
              zone
    ``(a) Prohibition.--The Secretary may not collect all or any part 
of an amount owed to the United States by a member of the Armed Forces 
or veteran described in subsection (b) under any program under the laws 
administered by the Secretary, other than a program referred to in 
subsection (c).
    ``(b) Covered Individuals.--A member of the Armed Forces or veteran 
described in this subsection is any member or veteran who dies as a 
result of an injury incurred or aggravated while serving in a theater 
of combat operations (as determined by the Secretary in consultation 
with the Secretary of Defense) in a war or in combat against a hostile 
force during a period of hostilities (as that term is defined in 
section 1712A(a)(2)(B) of this title) after September 11, 2001.
    ``(c) Inapplicability to Housing and Small Business Benefit 
Programs.--The prohibition in subsection (a) shall not apply to any 
amounts owed the United States under any program carried out under 
chapter 37 of this title.''.
            (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the 
        beginning of chapter 53 of such title is amended by inserting 
        after the item relating to section 5302 the following new item:

``5302A. Prohibition on collection of indebtedness: certain debts of 
                            members of the Armed Forces and veterans 
                            who die of injury incurred or aggravated on 
                            active duty in a combat zone.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall take 
effect on the date of the enactment of this Act, and shall apply with 
respect to collections of indebtedness of members of the Armed Forces 
and veterans who die on or after September 11, 2001.
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