[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 855 Engrossed in House (EH)]


                In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

                                                     December 11, 2007.
    Resolved, That upon the adoption of this resolution the bill (H.R. 797) 
entitled ``An Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve compensation 
benefits for veterans in certain cases of impairment of vision involving both 
eyes, to provide for the use of the National Directory of New Hires for income 
verification purposes, to extend the authority of the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs to provide an educational assistance allowance for qualifying work study 
activities, and to authorize the provision of bronze representations of the 
letter `V' for the graves of eligible individuals buried in private cemeteries 
in lieu of Government-provided headstones or markers.'', with the Senate 
amendment thereto, shall be considered to have been taken from the Speaker's 
table to the end that the Senate amendment thereto be, and the same is hereby, 
agreed to with the following amendments:
            Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the following:

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Dr. James Allen Veteran 
Vision Equity Act of 2007''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
                  TITLE I--LOW-VISION BENEFITS MATTERS

Sec. 101. Modification of rate of visual impairment for payment of 
                            disability compensation.
Sec. 102. Improvement in compensation for veterans in certain cases of 
                            impairment of vision involving both eyes.
       TITLE II--MATTERS RELATING TO BURIAL AND MEMORIAL AFFAIRS

Sec. 201. Provision of medallion or other device for privately-
                            purchased grave markers.
Sec. 202. Improvement in provision of assistance to States relating to 
                            the interment of veterans in cemeteries 
                            other than national cemeteries.
Sec. 203. Modification of authorities on provision of Government 
                            headstones and markers for burials of 
                            veterans at private cemeteries.
                        TITLE III--OTHER MATTERS

Sec. 301. Use of national directory of new hires for income 
                            verification purposes for certain veterans 
                            benefits.
Sec. 302. Extension of authority of Secretary of Veterans Affairs to 
                            provide an educational assistance allowance 
                            to persons performing qualifying work-study 
                            activities.

                      TITLE I--LOW-VISION BENEFITS MATTERS

SEC. 101. MODIFICATION OF RATE OF VISUAL IMPAIRMENT FOR PAYMENT OF DISABILITY 
              COMPENSATION.

    Section 1114(o) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by striking ``5/
200'' and inserting ``20/200''.

SEC. 102. IMPROVEMENT IN COMPENSATION FOR VETERANS IN CERTAIN CASES OF 
              IMPAIRMENT OF VISION INVOLVING BOTH EYES.

    Section 1160(a)(1) of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by striking ``blindness'' both places it appears and inserting 
        ``impairment of vision'';
            (2) by striking ``misconduct;'' and inserting ``misconduct and--''; 
        and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraphs:
                    ``(A) the impairment of vision in each eye is rated at a 
                visual acuity of 20/200 or less; or
                    ``(B) the peripheral field of vision for each eye is 20 
                degrees or less;''.

            TITLE II--MATTERS RELATING TO BURIAL AND MEMORIAL AFFAIRS

SEC. 201. PROVISION OF MEDALLION OR OTHER DEVICE FOR PRIVATELY-PURCHASED GRAVE 
              MARKERS.

    Section 2306(d) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following new paragraph:
    ``(5) In lieu of furnishing a headstone or marker under this subsection, the 
Secretary may furnish, upon request, a medallion or other device of a design 
determined by the Secretary to signify the deceased's status as a veteran, to be 
attached to a headstone or marker furnished at private expense.''.

SEC. 202. IMPROVEMENT IN PROVISION OF ASSISTANCE TO STATES RELATING TO THE 
              INTERMENT OF VETERANS IN CEMETERIES OTHER THAN NATIONAL 
              CEMETERIES.

    (a) Repeal of Time Limitation for State Filing for Reimbursement for 
Interment Costs.--
            (1) In general.--The second sentence of section 3.1604(d)(2) of 
        title 38, Code of Federal Regulations, shall have no further force or 
        effect as it pertains to unclaimed remains of a deceased veteran.
            (2) Retroactive application.--Paragraph (1) shall take effect as of 
        October 1, 2006 and apply with respect to interments and inurnments 
        occurring on or after that date.
    (b) Grants for Operation and Maintenance of State Veterans' Cemeteries.--
            (1) In general.--Subsection (a) of section 2408 of title 38, United 
        States Code, is amended to read as follows:
    ``(a)(1) Subject to subsection (b), the Secretary may make a grant to any 
State for the following purposes:
            ``(A) Establishing, expanding, or improving a veterans' cemetery 
        owned by the State.
            ``(B) Operating and maintaining such a cemetery.
    ``(2) A grant under paragraph (1) may be made only upon submission of an 
application to the Secretary in such form and manner, and containing such 
information, as the Secretary may require.''.
            (2) Limitation on amounts awarded.--Subsection (e) of such section 
        is amended--
                    (A) by inserting ``(1)'' before ``Amounts''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
    ``(2) In any fiscal year, the aggregate amount of grants awarded under this 
section for the purposes specified in subsection (a)(1)(B) may not exceed 
$5,000,000.''.
            (3) Conforming amendments.--Such section is further amended--
                    (A) in subsection (b)--
                            (i) by striking ``Grants under this section'' and 
                        inserting ``A grant under this section for a purpose 
                        described in subsection (a)(1)(A)''; and
                            (ii) by striking ``a grant under this section'' each 
                        place it appears and inserting ``such a grant'';
                    (B) in subsection (d), by striking ``to assist such State in 
                establishing, expanding, or improving a veterans' cemetery''; 
                and
                    (C) in subsection (f)(1), by inserting ``, or in operating 
                and maintaining such cemeteries,'' after ``veterans' 
                cemeteries''.
            (4) Regulations.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
        enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall prescribe 
        regulations to carry out the amendments made by this subsection.

SEC. 203. MODIFICATION OF AUTHORITIES ON PROVISION OF GOVERNMENT HEADSTONES AND 
              MARKERS FOR BURIALS OF VETERANS AT PRIVATE CEMETERIES.

    (a) Repeal of Expiration of Authority.--Subsection (d) of section 2306 of 
title 38, United States Code, as amended by section 201, is further amended--
            (1) by striking paragraph (3); and
            (2) by redesignating paragraphs (4) and (5), as added by that 
        section, as paragraphs (3) and (4), respectively.
    (b) Retroactive Effective Date.--Notwithstanding subsection (d) of section 
502 of the Veterans Education and Benefits Expansion Act of 2001 (Public Law 
107-103; 115 Stat. 995; 38 U.S.C. 2306 note) or any other provision of law, the 
amendments made by that section and by subsections (a), (b), (c), (d), and (f) 
of section 402 of the Veterans Benefits, Health Care, and Information Technology 
Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-461; 120 Stat. 3429) shall take effect as of 
November 1, 1990, and shall apply with respect to headstones and markers for the 
graves of individuals dying on or after that date.

                            TITLE III--OTHER MATTERS

SEC. 301. USE OF NATIONAL DIRECTORY OF NEW HIRES FOR INCOME VERIFICATION 
              PURPOSES FOR CERTAIN VETERANS BENEFITS.

    (a) Authority for Information Comparisons and Disclosures of Information to 
Assist in Administration of Certain Veterans Benefits.--Section 453(j) of the 
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 653(j)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following new paragraph:
            ``(11) Information comparisons and disclosures to assist in 
        administration of certain veterans benefits.--
                    ``(A) Furnishing of information by secretary of veterans 
                affairs.--Subject to the provisions of this paragraph, the 
                Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall furnish to the Secretary, on 
                such periodic basis as determined by the Secretary of Veterans 
                Affairs in consultation with the Secretary, information in the 
                custody of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for comparison with 
                information in the National Directory of New Hires, in order to 
                obtain information in such Directory with respect to individuals 
                who are applying for or receiving--
                            ``(i) needs-based pension benefits provided under 
                        chapter 15 of title 38, United States Code, or under any 
                        other law administered by the Secretary of Veterans 
                        Affairs;
                            ``(ii) parents' dependency and indemnity 
                        compensation provided under section 1315 of title 38, 
                        United States Code;
                            ``(iii) health care services furnished under 
                        subsections (a)(2)(G), (a)(3), or (b) of section 1710 of 
                        title 38, United States Code; or
                            ``(iv) compensation paid under chapter 11 of title 
                        38, United States Code, at the 100 percent rate based 
                        solely on unemployability and without regard to the fact 
                        that the disability or disabilities are not rated as 100 
                        percent disabling under the rating schedule.
                    ``(B) Requirement to seek minimum information.--The 
                Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall seek information pursuant to 
                this paragraph only to the extent necessary to verify the 
                employment and income of individuals described in subparagraph 
                (A).
                    ``(C) Duties of the secretary.--
                            ``(i) Information disclosure.--The Secretary, in 
                        cooperation with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, 
                        shall compare information in the National Directory of 
                        New Hires with information provided by the Secretary of 
                        Veterans Affairs with respect to individuals described 
                        in subparagraph (A), and shall disclose information in 
                        such Directory regarding such individuals to the 
                        Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in accordance with this 
                        paragraph, for the purposes specified in this paragraph.
                            ``(ii) Condition on disclosure.--The Secretary shall 
                        make disclosures in accordance with clause (i) only to 
                        the extent that the Secretary determines that such 
                        disclosures do not interfere with the effective 
                        operation of the program under this part.
                    ``(D) Use of information by secretary of veterans affairs.--
                The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may use information resulting 
                from a data match pursuant to this paragraph only--
                            ``(i) for the purposes specified in subparagraph 
                        (B); and
                            ``(ii) after removal of personal identifiers, to 
                        conduct analyses of the employment and income reporting 
                        of individuals described in subparagraph (A).
                    ``(E) Reimbursement of hhs costs.--The Secretary of Veterans 
                Affairs shall reimburse the Secretary, in accordance with 
                subsection (k)(3), for the costs incurred by the Secretary in 
                furnishing the information requested under this paragraph.
                    ``(F) Consent.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall not 
                seek, use, or disclose information under this paragraph relating 
                to an individual without the prior written consent of such 
                individual (or of a person legally authorized to consent on 
                behalf of such individual).
                    ``(G) Expiration of authority.--The authority under this 
                paragraph shall expire on September 30, 2011.''.
    (b) Amendments to Veterans Affairs Authority.--
            (1) In general.--Chapter 53 of title 38, United States Code, is 
        amended by inserting after section 5317 the following new section:
``Sec. 5317A. Use of income information from other agencies: independent 
              verification required before termination or reduction of certain 
              benefits and services
    ``(a) Independent Verification Required.--The Secretary may terminate, deny, 
suspend, or reduce any benefit or service specified in section 5317(c), with 
respect to an individual under age 65 who is an applicant for or recipient of 
such a benefit or service, by reason of information obtained from the Secretary 
of Health and Human Services under section 453(j)(11) of the Social Security 
Act, only if the Secretary takes appropriate steps to verify independently 
information relating to the individual's employment and income from employment.
    ``(b) Opportunity to Contest Findings.--The Secretary shall inform each 
individual for whom the Secretary terminates, denies, suspends, or reduces any 
benefit or service under subsection (a) of the findings made by the Secretary 
under such subsection on the basis of verified information and shall provide to 
the individual an opportunity to contest such findings in the same manner as 
applies to other information and findings relating to eligibility for the 
benefit or service involved.
    ``(c) Source of Funds for Reimbursement to Secretary of Health and Human 
Services.--The Secretary shall pay the expense of reimbursing the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services in accordance with section 453(j)(11)(E) of the Social 
Security Act, for the cost incurred by the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services in furnishing information requested by the Secretary under section 
453(j)(11) of such Act, from amounts available to the Department for the payment 
of compensation and pensions.
    ``(d) Expiration of Authority.--The authority under this section shall 
expire on September 30, 2011.''.
            (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
        such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 
        5317 the following new item:

``5317A. Use of income information from other agencies: independent 
                            verification required before termination or 
                            reduction of certain benefits and 
                            services.''.

SEC. 302. EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO PROVIDE AN 
              EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE ALLOWANCE TO PERSONS PERFORMING QUALIFYING 
              WORK-STUDY ACTIVITIES.

    Section 3485(a)(4) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by striking 
``June 30, 2007'' each place it appears and inserting ``June 30, 2010''.
            Amend the title so as to read: ``An Act to amend title 38, 
        United States Code, to improve low-vision benefits matters, 
        matters relating to burial and memorial affairs, and other 
        matters under the laws administered by the Secretary of 
        Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.''.

            Attest:

                                                                 Clerk.