1.This Act may be cited as the
Veteran’s I.D. Card
Act
.
2.Veterans
identification card
(a)Congress finds the following:
(1)Currently, veteran identification cards are
issued to veterans who have either completed the statutory time-in-service
requirement for retirement from the Armed Forces or who have received a
medical-related discharge from the Armed Forces.
(2)A veteran who has served a minimum
obligated time in service, but who does not meet the criteria described in
paragraph (1), does not receive a means of identifying the veteran’s status as
a veteran other than using the official DD–214 discharge papers of the
veteran.
(3)Goods, services, and promotional activities
are often offered by public and private institutions to veterans who
demonstrate proof of service in the military but it is impractical for a
veteran to always carry official DD–214 discharge papers to demonstrate such
proof.
(4)A general purpose veteran identification
card made available to a veteran who does not meet the criteria described in
paragraph (1) would be useful to such veteran in order to demonstrate the
status of the veteran without having to carry and use official DD–214 discharge
papers.
(5)The Department of Veterans Affairs has the
infrastructure in place across the United States to produce photographic
identification cards and accept a small payment to cover the cost of these
cards.
(b)Provision of
veteran identification cardsChapter 57 of title 38, United
States Code, is amended by adding after section 5705 the following new
section:
5706.Veterans
identification card
(a)The Secretary of
Veterans Affairs shall issue an identification card described in subsection (b)
to any covered veteran who—
(1)requests such
card;
(2)was discharged from the Armed Forces under
honorable conditions;
(3)presents a copy of the DD–214 form or other
official document from the official military personnel file of the veteran that
describes the service of the veteran; and
(4)pays the fee under
subsection (c)(1).
(b)An identification card described in this subsection is a
card that—
(1)displays a
photograph of the covered veteran;
(2)displays the name
of the covered veteran;
(3)explains that such
card is not proof of any benefits to which the veteran is entitled to;
(4)contains an
identification number that is not a social security number; and
(5)serves as proof
that such veteran—
(A)honorably served
in the Armed Forces; and
(B)has a DD–214 form or other official
document in the official military personnel file of the veteran that describes
the service of the veteran.
(c)(1)The Secretary shall charge a fee to each
veteran who receives an identification card issued under this section,
including a replacement identification card.
(2)(A)The fee charged under
paragraph (1) shall equal an amount that the Secretary determines is necessary
to issue an identification card under this section.
(B)In determining the amount of the fee
under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall ensure that the total amount of
fees collected under paragraph (1) equals an amount necessary to carry out this
section, including costs related to any additional equipment or personnel
required to carry out this section.
(C)The Secretary shall review and
reassess the determination under subparagraph (A) during each five-year period
in which the Secretary issues an identification card under this section.
(3)Amounts collected under this
subsection shall be deposited in an account of the Department available to
carry out this section. Amounts so deposited shall be merged with amounts in
such account and shall be subject to the same conditions and limitations as
amounts otherwise in such account.
(d)Effect of card
on benefits(1)An identification card issued under this
section shall not serve as proof of any benefits that the veteran may be
entitled to under this title.
(2)A covered veteran who is issued an
identification card under this section shall not be entitled to any benefits
under this title by reason of possessing such card.
(e)(1)The Secretary shall ensure that any
information collected or used with respect to an identification card issued
under this section is appropriately secured.
(2)The Secretary may determine any
appropriate procedures with respect to issuing a replacement identification
card.
(3)In carrying out this section, the Secretary
shall coordinate with the National Personnel Records Center.
(4)The Secretary may conduct such
outreach to advertise the identification card under this section as the
Secretary considers appropriate.
(f)In this section, the term covered veteran
means a veteran who—
(1)is not entitled to retired pay under
chapter 1223 of title 10; and
(2)is not enrolled in the system of patient
enrollment under section 1705 of this
title.
.
(c)The table of
sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the
item relating to section 5705 the following new item:
5706. Veterans identification
card.
.
(d)The amendments made by this Act shall take effect on the
date that is 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.