[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1879 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1879

 To amend titles 10 and 37, United States Code, to reduce the minimum 
  age of retirement for years of non-regular service for reserves who 
serve on active duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, to increase the amount of 
  educational assistance for members of the Selected Reserve, and to 
   provide certain other benefits relating to service in the reserve 
        components of the Armed Forces, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 26, 2007

  Mr. Schumer introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
              referred to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend titles 10 and 37, United States Code, to reduce the minimum 
  age of retirement for years of non-regular service for reserves who 
serve on active duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, to increase the amount of 
  educational assistance for members of the Selected Reserve, and to 
   provide certain other benefits relating to service in the reserve 
        components of the Armed Forces, 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. INCREASE IN AMOUNT OF EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE FOR MEMBERS OF 
              THE SELECTED RESERVE.

    (a) Increase in Amount.--Section 16131(b)(1) of title 10, United 
States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``$251'' and inserting 
        ``$600'';
            (2) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``$188'' and inserting 
        ``$450''; and
            (3) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``$125'' and inserting 
        ``$300''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall 
take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act, and shall apply 
with respect to payments of educational assistance allowances under 
chapter 1606 of title 10, United States Code, made for months beginning 
on or after that date.

SEC. 2. REDUCTION IF RETIREMENT AGE FOR YEARS OF SERVICE IN THE ARMED 
              FORCES BY CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL GUARD AND 
              RESERVE WHO SERVE ON ACTIVE DUTY AFTER SEPTEMBER 11, 
              2001.

    (a) In General.--Section 12731 of title 10, United States Code, is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), by striking paragraph (1) and 
        inserting the following:
            ``(1) has attained the eligibility age applicable under 
        subsection (f) to that person;''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(f)(1) Subject to paragraph (2) the eligibility age for purposes 
of subsection (a)(1) is 60 years of age.
    ``(2)(A) In the case of a person who as a reserve of the armed 
forces serves on active duty in Iraq or Afghanistan after September 11, 
2001, the eligibility age for purposes of subsection (a)(1) shall be 
reduced below 60 years of age by six months for each aggregate of 90 
days on which such person so serves after such date, subject to 
subparagraph (B). A day of service may be included in only one 
aggregate of 90 days for purposes of this subparagraph.
    ``(B) The eligibility age for purposes of subsection (a)(1) may not 
be reduced below 50 years of age for any person under subparagraph 
(A).''.
    (b) Administration of Related Provisions of Law or Policy.--With 
respect to any provision of law, or of any policy, regulation, or 
directive of the executive branch, that refers to a member or former 
member of the uniformed services as being eligible for, or entitled to, 
retired pay under chapter 1223 of title 10, United States Code, but for 
the fact that the member or former member is under 60 years of age, 
such provision shall be carried out with respect to that member or 
former member by substituting for the reference to being 60 years of 
age a reference to having attained the eligibility age applicable under 
subsection (f) of section 12731 of title 10, United States Code (as 
added by subsection (a)), to such member or former member for 
qualification for such retired pay under subsection (a) of that 
section.
    (c) Effective Date and Applicability.--The amendment made by 
subsection (a) shall take effect as of September 11, 2001, and shall 
apply with respect to applications for retired pay that are submitted 
under section 12731(a) of title 10, United States Code, on or after the 
date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 3. LOCATION OF TREATMENT OF CERTAIN RESERVES REQUIRING TREATMENT 
              FOR WOUNDS OR INJURIES INCURRED ON ACTIVE DUTY.

    (a) Location of Treatment.--
            (1) In general.--If a member of a reserve component of the 
        Armed Forces requires treatment for more than 30 days for a 
        wound or injury incurred on active duty in the Armed Forces, 
        the Secretary of the military department concerned shall 
        transfer such member to a military medical treatment facility, 
        medical facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs, or 
        private medical facility appropriate for the treatment of such 
        wound or injury that is located not more than 30 miles from a 
        location elected by such member for such purpose from among the 
        locations as follows:
                    (A) The hometown of such member.
                    (B) The permanent duty station of such member.
            (2) Transfers to va facilities.--(A) Any transfer under 
        paragraph (1) to a medical facility of the Department of 
        Veterans Affairs shall be made on a space-available basis at 
        such medical facility.
            (B) Transfers under paragraph (1) to medical facilities of 
        the Department of Veterans Affairs shall be made in accordance 
        with the terms of a memorandum of agreement entered into by the 
        Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for 
        purposes of this section.
            (3) Transfers to private facilities.--Any transfer under 
        paragraph (1) to a private medical facility shall be made with 
        the consent of such medical facility.
            (4) Cost of treatment.--All costs of treatment of a member 
        transferred under paragraph (1) to a medical facility of the 
        Department of Veterans Affairs or private medical facility for 
        the wound or injury for which so transferred shall be borne by 
        the Secretary of the military department concerned.
    (b) Enhancement of Travel and Transportation for Family Members for 
Travel Incident to Illness or Injury of Members.--Section 411h of title 
37, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), by striking paragraph (3);
            (2) by striking subsection (c) and inserting the following 
        new subsection (c):
    ``(c) The amount payable under subsection (a) for travel and 
transportation of a family member of a member of the uniformed services 
is the amount as follows:
            ``(1) During the 180-day period beginning with the 
        commencement of treatment of such member as described in 
        subsection (a), $100 per day for not more than 5 days in each 
        consecutive 30-day period during such 180-day period.
            ``(2) During the 180-day period beginning at the end of the 
        180-day period covered by subparagraph (A), $100 per day for 
        not more than 5 days in each consecutive 60-day period during 
        the 180-day period covered by this subparagraph.
            ``(3) After the 180-day period covered by subparagraph (B), 
        $100 per day for not more than 5 days in each consecutive 90-
        day period thereafter.''; and
            (3) in subsection (d), by striking paragraph (3).

SEC. 4. TRAVEL AND TRANSPORTATION ALLOWANCE FOR MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL 
              GUARD TRAVELING LONG DISTANCES FOR DRILL OR ANNUAL 
              TRAINING.

    (a) Allowances.--Chapter 7 of title 37, United States Code, is 
amended by inserting after section 408 the following new section:
``Sec. 408a. Travel and transportation allowances: members of the 
              National Guard traveling long-distances for drill or 
              annual training
    ``(a) Eligibility for Reimbursement.--Under regulations prescribed 
jointly by the Secretary of the Army and the Secretary of the Air 
Force, a member of a reserve component of the armed forces who travels 
more than 50 miles for drill or instruction, or annual training duty, 
under section 502 of title 32 shall be reimbursed by the applicable 
Secretary for the costs of such travel.
    ``(b) Limitation.--The total reimbursement of a member for travel 
under subsection (a) may not exceed the cost of Government-procured 
commercial round-trip travel between the locations involved.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
chapter 7 of such title is amended by inserting after the item relating 
to section 408 the following new item:

``408a. Travel and transportation allowances: members of the National 
                            Guard traveling long-distances for drill or 
                            annual training.''.
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