[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 100 (Monday, June 22, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4357-S4358]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 2076. Mr. McCONNELL (for Mr. Blumenthal) proposed an amendment to
the bill H.R. 91, to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs to issue, upon request, veteran
identification cards to certain veterans; as follows:
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the
following:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans Identification Card
Act 2015''.
SEC. 2. VETERANS IDENTIFICATION CARD.
(a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Effective on the day before the date of the enactment
of this Act, veteran identification cards were 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) Effective on the day before the date of the enactment
of this Act, a veteran who served a minimum obligated time in
service, but who did not meet the criteria described in
paragraph (1), did not receive a means of identifying the
veteran's status as a veteran other than using the Department
of Defense form 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 Department of
Defense form DD-214 discharge papers to demonstrate such
proof.
(4) A general purpose veteran identification card made
available to veterans would be useful to demonstrate the
status of the veterans without having to carry and use
official Department of Defense form DD-214 discharge papers.
(5) On the day before the date of the enactment of this
Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs had 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 Cards.--Chapter 57
of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding after
section 5705 the following new section:
``Sec. 5706. Veterans identification card
``(a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
issue an identification card described in subsection (b) to
each veteran who--
``(1) requests such card;
``(2) presents a copy of Department of Defense form DD-214
or other official document from the official military
personnel file of the veteran that describes the service of
the veteran; and
``(3) pays the fee under subsection (c)(1).
``(b) Identification Card.--An identification card
described in this subsection is a card issued to a veteran
that--
``(1) displays a photograph of the veteran;
``(2) displays the name of the 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) served in the Armed Forces; and
``(B) has a Department of Defense form DD-214 or other
official document in the official military personnel file of
the veteran that describes the service of the veteran.
``(c) Costs of Card.--(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
such amount as 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.
[[Page S4358]]
``(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--
``(A) merged with amounts in such account;
``(B) available in such amounts as may be provided in
appropriation Acts; and
``(C) 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 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) Administrative Measures.--(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) Construction.--This section shall not be construed to
affect identification cards otherwise provided by the
Secretary to veterans enrolled in the health care system
established under section 1705(a) of this title.''.
(c) Clerical Amendment.--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) Effective Date.--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.
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