[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1067 Introduced in House (IH)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1067

    To amend title 38, United States Code, to extend the temporary 
expansion of the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, to 
 ensure that judges of the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans 
Claims may enroll in the Federal Employee Group Life Insurance program, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 25, 2015

 Mr. Costello of Pennsylvania introduced the following bill; which was 
referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the 
   Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
  of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
                               concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To amend title 38, United States Code, to extend the temporary 
expansion of the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, to 
 ensure that judges of the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans 
Claims may enroll in the Federal Employee Group Life Insurance program, 
                        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. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans 
Claims Reform Act''.

SEC. 2. EXTENDING TEMPORARY EXPANSION OF UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS 
              FOR VETERANS CLAIMS.

    Section 7253(i)(2) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by 
striking ``January 1, 2013'' and inserting ``January 1, 2020''.

SEC. 3. RECALL OF RETIRED JUDGES OF UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR 
              VETERANS CLAIMS.

    Paragraph (1) of section 7257(b) of title 38, United States Code, 
is amended to read as follows:
    ``(1)(A) The chief judge may recall for further service on the 
Court a recall-eligible retired judge in accordance with this section. 
Such a recall shall be made upon written certification by the chief 
judge that substantial service is expected to be performed by the 
retired judge for such period, not to exceed 90 days (or the 
equivalent), as determined by the chief judge to be necessary to meet 
the needs of the Court.
    ``(B)(i) A recall-eligible judge may request that the chief judge 
recall the recall-eligible judge for a period of service not to exceed 
90 days (or the equivalent).
    ``(ii) The chief judge shall approve a request made by a recall-
eligible judge pursuant to clause (i) unless the chief judge certifies, 
in writing, that the Court does not have--
            ``(I) sufficient work to assign such recall-eligible judge 
        during the period of recalled service; or
            ``(II) sufficient resources to provide to such recall-
        eligible judge appropriate administrative and office support.
    ``(iii) At any time during the period of recalled service of a 
judge who is recalled pursuant to clause (i), the chief judge may 
terminate such recalled service if the chief judge makes a written 
certification described in clause (ii).''.

SEC. 4. LIFE INSURANCE PROGRAM RELATING TO JUDGES OF UNITED STATES 
              COURT OF APPEALS FOR VETERANS CLAIMS.

    (a) In General.--Section 7281 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(j) For purposes of chapter 87 of title 5, a judge who is in 
regular active service and a judge who is retired under section 7296 of 
this title or under chapter 83 or 84 of title 5 shall be treated as an 
employee described in section 8701(a)(5) of title 5.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall 
apply with respect to any payment made on or after the first day of the 
first applicable pay period beginning on or after the date of the 
enactment of this Act.

SEC. 5. VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTIONS TO ENLARGE SURVIVORS' ANNUITY.

    Section 7297 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding 
at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(p)(1) A covered judge who makes an election under subsection (b) 
may purchase, in three-month increments, up to an additional year of 
service credit for each year of Federal judicial service completed, 
under the terms set forth in this section.
    ``(2) In this subsection, the term `covered judge' means any of the 
following:
            ``(A) A judge in regular active service.
            ``(B) A retired judge who is a recall-eligible retired 
        judge pursuant to subsection (a) of section 7257 of this title.
            ``(C) A retired judge who would be a recall-eligible 
        retired judge pursuant to subsection (a) of section 7257 but 
        for--
                    ``(i) meeting the aggregate recall service 
                requirements under subsection (b)(3) of such section; 
                or
                    ``(ii) being permanently disabled as described by 
                subsection (b)(4) of such section.''.

SEC. 6. SALARIES OF JUDGES OF UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR 
              VETERANS CLAIMS.

    Section 7253(e) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by 
striking ``district courts'' and inserting ``courts of appeals''.
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