[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 13]
[House]
[Pages 18667-18668]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   IMPROVING CONGRESSIONAL CHARTER OF THE DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS

  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 1755) to amend title 36, United States Code, to make certain 
improvements in the congressional charter of the Disabled American 
Veterans, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1755

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

     SECTION 1. CONGRESSIONAL CHARTER OF DISABLED AMERICAN 
                   VETERANS.

       (a) Purposes.--Section 50302 of title 36, United States 
     Code, is amended--
       (1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking 
     ``The purposes of the corporation are--'' and inserting ``The 
     corporation is organized exclusively for charitable and 
     educational purposes. The purposes of the corporation shall 
     include--'';
       (2) in paragraph (6), by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (3) by redesignating paragraph (7) as paragraph (9); and
       (4) by inserting after paragraph (6) the following new 
     paragraphs:
       ``(7) to educate the public about the sacrifices and needs 
     of disabled veterans;
       ``(8) to educate disabled veterans about the benefits and 
     resources available to them; and''.
       (b) Dissolution.--Chapter 503 of such title is amended by 
     adding at the end the following new section:

     ``Sec. 50309. Dissolution

       ``On dissolution or final liquidation of the corporation, 
     any assets remaining after the discharge or satisfactory 
     provision for the discharge of all liabilities shall be 
     transferred to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for the care 
     of disabled veterans.''.
       (c) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the 
     beginning of chapter 503 of such title is amended by 
     inserting after the item relating to section 50308 the 
     following:

``50309. Dissolution.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte) and the gentleman from Puerto Rico (Mr. 
Pierluisi) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Virginia.


                             General Leave

  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks and to include extraneous materials on H.R. 1755, currently 
under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Virginia?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Since 1920, Disabled American Veterans has been serving American 
veterans who were wounded in the line of duty. It provides free 
assistance to veterans and their families in obtaining Federal benefits 
and services earned through military service.
  It represents the interests of disabled veterans, their families, 
their widowed spouses, and their orphans before the Federal, State, and 
local governments. And it provides a structure through which disabled 
veterans can express their compassion for their fellow veterans through 
a variety of volunteer programs.
  The organization received a Federal charter in 1932. DAV is seeking 
the enactment of H.R. 1755, which will amend its charter to help 
clarify DAV's charitable mission, explain the educational component of 
its mission, and mandate the assignment of its assets to the Department 
of Veterans Affairs in the event of its dissolution. These changes will 
aid DAV in its transition to a 501(c)(3) organization.
  As the organization explains:

       For decades, DAV has been exempt from Federal taxation 
     under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code . . . 
     Donations to most 501(c)(4) organizations are not deductible 
     for income or estate tax purposes. DAV is a rare exception, 
     as it qualifies to receive deductible contributions as a 
     ``war veterans'' organization.
       Many donors, even sophisticated donors, believe incorrectly 
     that charitable deductions are available only for gifts made 
     to a 501(c)(3) organization, more commonly known as a 
     ``public charity.'' We believe that this misconception has 
     been limiting DAV's opportunities to gain corporate support 
     and major gifts, including bequests.
       There is no doubt that DAV's activities of service to 
     wounded and disabled veterans would enable it to qualify as a 
     public charity, exempt from taxation under section 501(c)(3) 
     of the Internal Revenue Code.
       To achieve that designation, the organization needs to make 
     application to the Internal Revenue Service. The application 
     requires that certain language be included in the 
     ``organizing document,'' which, in our case, is the Federal 
     charter.

  We can help DAV carry out its vital mission through this legislation. 
I commend Representative Miller for introducing the bill, and I urge my 
colleagues to support it.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PIERLUISI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I rise in support of H.R. 1755, which makes a small but important 
change to the Federal charter of the Disabled American Veterans. Once 
this bill becomes law, that Federal charter will better describe the 
mission and actual practice of the organization today.
  In response to the thousands of veterans who returned home after 
having made considerable sacrifices during World War I, the Disabled 
American Veterans was established in 1920. Currently, the organization 
serves our disabled veterans by helping them access all of the benefits 
available to them, by

[[Page 18668]]

fighting for their interests in Washington, D.C., and by educating the 
public about the sacrifices they made.
  This organization remains today every bit as important as it was at 
the time of its founding 95 years ago. H.R. 1755 simply makes clear 
that the mission of the Disabled American Veterans is exclusively a 
charitable one.
  I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1755, which amends the Disabled 
American Veterans' charter.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1755, a bill 
which modifies the congressional charter for the Disabled American 
Veterans (DAV) to expand the purposes of the organization to include 
educating the public about the sacrifices and needs of disabled 
veterans, as well as educating disabled veterans about the benefits and 
resources available to them.
  If enacted into law, H.R. 1755 modifies the DAV charter to make 
explicit that the organization is organized exclusively for charitable 
and educational purposes, a change that would allow the DAV to qualify 
as a ``public charity'' under the Internal Revenue Code.
  The legislation also provides that upon dissolution or final 
liquidation of the Disabled American Veterans, any assets remaining 
would be transferred to the Department of Veterans Affairs for the care 
of disabled veterans.
  Since its founding in 1920, the Disabled American Veterans has been 
dedicated to a single purpose: empowering disabled veterans to lead 
high-quality lives with respect and dignity.
  Mr. Speaker, under DAV's existing congressional charter, an 
individual generally is eligible for membership in the organization if 
he or she was wounded, gassed, injured or disabled in the line of duty 
during time of war while serving in the U.S. military.
  DAV works to ensure that veterans and their families can access the 
full range of benefits available to them and advocates for the 
interests of America's injured heroes and their families.
  Most important, DAV educates the public about the great sacrifices 
and needs of veterans transitioning back to civilian life.
  On the battlefield, the military pledges to leave no soldier behind.
  As a nation, let it be our pledge that when they return home, we 
leave no veteran behind.
  Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 1755 because it is an important 
affirmation of our commitment to honor the service of disabled veterans 
with actions that fulfill our commitment to them and their families, 
and which are worthy of a grateful nation.
  This is also the reason that I co-sponsored the H.R. 333, the 
Disabled Veterans Tax Termination Act, which increases veteran's pay 
and disability compensation and maintains secure, dependable and 
reliable veterans' programs, especially for disabled veterans is very 
important.
  And it is why I also strongly supported and voted to pass H.R. 3202, 
the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014, which 
expands access to health care for veterans, addresses the shortage of 
health professionals in the VA, ensures access to care for rural 
veterans, and provided funding to establish 27 new VA clinics, 
including a new research facility in Houston.
  And it is why as Chair of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on 
Transportation Security, I championed the Helping Heroes Fly Act (H.R. 
1344), which improves airport security screening for wounded and 
severely disabled service members and veterans by ensuring personal 
privacy and consistent application of efficient screening procedures so 
that our selfless disabled veterans never again have to face lengthy, 
invasive, and even humiliating screening procedures at our airports.
  I urge all Members to join me in voting to pass H.R. 1755.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1755, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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