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 Washington, D.C.,
metropolitan area.
(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.
Passed the Senate
December 13, 2012.
Nancy Erickson,
Secretary