1.Requirement that judges on
United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims reside within fifty miles of
District of Columbia
(a)
(1)Section 7255 of title 38, United States Code, is amended
to read as follows:
7255.Offices, duty
stations, and residences
(a)The principal office of the Court of Appeals for Veterans
Claims shall be in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, but the Court may
sit at any place within the United States.
(b)(1)Except as provided in
paragraph (2), the official duty station of each judge while in active service
shall be the principal office of the Court of Appeals for Veterans
Claims.
(2)The place where a recall-eligible
retired judge maintains the actual abode in which such judge customarily lives
shall be considered the recall-eligible retired judge's official duty
station.
(c)(1)Except as provided in
paragraph (2), after appointment and while in active service, each judge of the
Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims shall reside within 50 miles of the
District of Columbia.
(2)Paragraph (1) shall not apply to
recall-eligible retired judges of the Court of Appeals for Veterans
Claims.
.
(2)The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 72 of
such title is amended by striking the item relating to section 7255 and
inserting the following new item:
7255. Offices, duty stations,
and
residences.
.
(b)Section
7253(f)(1) of such title is amended by striking or engaging in the
practice of law
and inserting engaging in the practice of law,
or violating section 7255(c) of this title
.
(c)
(1)Subsection (c) of section 7255 of such title, as added by
subsection (a), and the amendment made by subsection (b) shall take effect on
the date that is 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.
(2)The
amendment made by subsection (b) shall apply with respect to judges confirmed
on or after January 1, 2012.