[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Pages 17348-17349]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          FOR VETS ACT OF 2010

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed 
to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 628, S. 3794.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 3794) to amend chapter 5 of title 40, United 
     States Code, to include organizations whose membership 
     comprises substantially veterans as recipient organizations 
     for the donation of Federal surplus personal property through 
     State agencies.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill, 
which had been reported from the Committee on Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs, with an amendment, as follows:
  [Omit the part printed in boldface brackets and insert the part 
printed in italic.]

                                S. 3794

       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 ``Formerly Owned Resources for 
     Veterans to Express Thanks for Service Act of 2010'' or ``FOR 
     VETS Act of 2010''.

     SEC. 2. RECIPIENTS OF CERTAIN FEDERAL SURPLUS PERSONAL 
                   PROPERTY.

       Section 549(c)(3)(B) of title 40, United States Code, is 
     amended--
       (1) in clause (viii), by striking ``or'' after the 
     semicolon;
       (2) in clause (ix), by striking the period and inserting 
     ``; or''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:
       [``(x) an organization whose membership comprises 
     substantially veterans (as defined under section 101 of title 
     38).''.]
       ``(x) an organization whose--

       ``(I) membership comprises substantially veterans (as 
     defined under section 101 of title 38); and
       ``(II) representatives are recognized by the Secretary of 
     Veterans Affairs under section 5902 of title 38.''.

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. Presdient, today the Senate will pass sensible 
legislation with practical benefits for U.S. military veterans. The 
bill I have offered will add military veterans to the list of groups 
eligible to receive excess property donations from the Federal 
Government. This bill is a bipartisan effort to recognize the 
sacrifices that members of our Armed Forces make every day for our 
country, and I am proud to be its author. While it is only a small 
token of appreciation, this legislation gives back to veterans groups 
by allowing them access to a large inventory of goods from which they 
could not otherwise benefit. I appreciate the Senate acting swiftly to 
consider this bill.
  The FOR VETS Act enables military veterans to receive surplus goods 
donations through the Federal Government's property distribution 
program. The types of goods donated through this program include 
computers, trucks, snowmobiles, home appliances and electronics. These 
items will be of valuable use to our military veterans, and I am 
pleased to sponsor legislation that gives them the right to claim 
useful goods through this program. The FOR VETS Act is legislation for 
and about American veterans.
  The Administrator of General Services oversees this ongoing property 
liquidation and distribution program, which currently donates property 
to medical institutions, providers of assistance to the homeless, 
universities, and child care facilities, among others. Given the 
surplus of available goods, military veterans' groups are simply being 
added into this pool of recipients for property that might otherwise go 
unused.
  I thank the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee 
ranking member, Senator Collins, for working with me on this bill. This 
was a bipartisan effort, as legislation to

[[Page 17349]]

support our veterans should always be, and I look forward to its prompt 
consideration by the House, and to the President signing it into law.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
committee-reported amendment be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be 
read a third time and passed, the motions to reconsider be laid upon 
the table, without No intervening action or debate, and any statements 
related to the measure be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading and was read 
the third time.
  The bill (S. 3794), as amended, was passed, as follows:

                                S. 3794

       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 ``Formerly Owned Resources for 
     Veterans to Express Thanks for Service Act of 2010'' or ``FOR 
     VETS Act of 2010''.

     SEC. 2. RECIPIENTS OF CERTAIN FEDERAL SURPLUS PERSONAL 
                   PROPERTY.

       Section 549(c)(3)(B) of title 40, United States Code, is 
     amended--
       (1) in clause (viii), by striking ``or'' after the 
     semicolon;
       (2) in clause (ix), by striking the period and inserting 
     ``; or''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(x) an organization whose--''

       ``(I) membership comprises substantially veterans (as 
     defined under section 101 of title 38); and
       ``(II) representatives are recognized by the Secretary of 
     Veterans Affairs under section 5902 of title 38.''.

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