[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Page 17126]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               U.S. COURT OF APPEALS FOR VETERANS CLAIMS

  Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent that the Veterans' Affairs 
Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. 2045 and the 
Senate proceed to its consideration.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 2045) to amend title 38, United States Code, to 
     require judges of the United States Court of Appeals for 
     Veterans Claims to reside within fifty miles of the District 
     of Columbia, and for other purposes.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent that the Burr amendment, which is 
at the desk, be agreed to; the bill, as amended, be read three times 
and passed; that the motion to reconsider be made and laid upon the 
table, with no intervening action or debate; and that any statements 
related to this bill be printed in the Record.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  The amendment (No. 3337) was agreed to, as follows:

                     (Purpose: To improve the bill)

       On page 2, line 19, strike ``the District of Columbia'' and 
     insert ``the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area''.

  The amendment was ordered to be engrossed and the bill to be read a 
third time.
  The bill (S. 2045), as amended, was read the third time and passed, 
as follows:

                                S. 2045

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. REQUIREMENT THAT JUDGES ON UNITED STATES COURT OF 
                   APPEALS FOR VETERANS CLAIMS RESIDE WITHIN FIFTY 
                   MILES OF DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

       (a) Residency Requirement.--
       (1) In general.--Section 7255 of title 38, United States 
     Code, is amended to read as follows:

     ``Sec. 7255. Offices, duty stations, and residences

       ``(a) Principal Office.--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) Official Duty Stations.--(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) Residences.--(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) Clerical amendment.--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) Removal.--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) Effective Date.--
       (1) In general.--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) Applicability.--The amendment made by subsection (b) 
     shall apply with respect to judges confirmed on or after 
     January 1, 2012.

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