[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 127 (Thursday, July 27, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4532-S4533]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 554. Mr. FLAKE submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill H.R. 2810, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2018 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle B of title V, add the following:

     SEC. 513. REPORT ON COORDINATION BETWEEN DEPARTMENT OF 
                   DEFENSE AND DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS ON 
                   TIMING OF CESSATION OF VETERANS BENEFITS FOR 
                   MEMBERS OF THE RESERVE COMPONENTS WHOSE ACTIVE 
                   DUTY INTERRUPTS RECEIPT OF BENEFITS.

       (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act,

[[Page S4533]]

     the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans 
     Affairs shall jointly submit to Congress a report setting 
     forth a description of a mechanism through which the 
     Department of Defense may provide timely notice to the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs of the commencement and period 
     of active duty of members of the reserve components of the 
     Armed Forces described in subsection (b) in order to ensure 
     the following:
       (1) That such members, while on active duty in the Armed 
     Forces, do not receive veterans' benefits which they are not 
     eligible to receive while on active duty.
       (2) That such members recommence receipt of such benefits 
     as soon as practicable after cessation of active duty.
       (b) Covered Members.--The members of the reserve components 
     of the Armed Forces described in this subsection are members 
     who, while on active duty in the Armed Forces, are not 
     eligible to receive veterans' benefits to which such members 
     are otherwise entitled during other periods.
       (c) Veterans' Benefits Defined.--In this section, the term 
     ``veterans' benefits'' means benefits for veterans under the 
     laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
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