[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 8]
[House]
[Pages 10793-10794]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        VETERAN'S I.D. CARD ACT

  Mr. ABRAHAM. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in 
the Senate 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.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the Senate amendment is as follows:
  Senate amendment:

       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.
       ``(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.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen). Pursuant to the rule, the 
gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Abraham) and the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Takano) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Louisiana.


                             General Leave

  Mr. ABRAHAM. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
add extraneous material on the Senate amendment to H.R. 91.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Louisiana?
  There was no objection.

                              {time}  1430

  Mr. ABRAHAM. Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, many businesses show their gratitude to our Nation's 
servicemembers and veterans by offering special discounts on goods and 
services to those who have served our Nation in uniform.
  Unfortunately, unless a servicemember is a qualified military 
retiree, DOD does not issue an official ID card as proof of service. 
That means that millions of veterans cannot easily provide evidence of 
their service.
  This bill, as amended, would change that by directing the Secretary 
of Veterans Affairs to issue a veteran's ID card that would display the 
veteran's name and photograph to any veteran who requests such a card, 
as long as the veteran is not entitled to military retired pay, nor 
enrolled in the VA healthcare system.
  This card would give those who served in the Armed Forces a 
convenient way to prove that they are veterans, for the purpose of 
receiving the promotions and discounts offered by many businesses 
around the country.
  The bill, as amended, would also require the Secretary to determine a 
fee to be charged that would cover all costs of producing the cards and 
managing the program. The bill also specifies that the card does not 
entitle the holder to any VA benefits.
  H.R. 91 passed the House by a vote of 402-0 on May 18. The Senate 
passed it by unanimous consent on June 22, with an amendment that would 
authorize VA to provide this card to any person who meets the statutory 
definition of a veteran.

[[Page 10794]]

  Under current law, a veteran is defined as ``a person who served in 
the active military, naval, or air service and who was discharged or 
released therefrom under conditions other than dishonorable.''
  I thank my colleague Mr. Buchanan for his efforts on this commonsense 
legislation.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  H.R. 91 passed the House 402-0, as my good friend mentioned, in May. 
It was amended by the Senate and passed 2 weeks ago. Today, we are 
taking up the Senate amendment to H.R. 91. This measure will assist 
veterans in proving that they are indeed veterans.
  In most instances, a veteran must be enrolled with the VA to receive 
a VA ID card or utilize their DD-214 to prove their military service, 
which may contain personal health information.
  Veterans who retire from the armed services are issued a Department 
of Defense ID card that serves this purpose. However, the majority of 
servicemembers do not retire in service, leaving millions of veterans 
sometimes challenged to provide proof of their honorable military 
service.
  Extending the option of a veterans ID is a simple way to resolve this 
issue and honor America's veterans.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ABRAHAM. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Buchanan).
  Mr. BUCHANAN. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding.
  Madam Speaker, today is a good day for our Nation's veterans.
  My legislation will allow all veterans to receive official ID cards 
through the VA. No longer will veterans be forced to carry around 
documents that contain sensitive information that puts them at needless 
risk of identity theft, and it does all this at no cost to the 
taxpayer.
  Madam Speaker, this bill is a prime example of what can be 
accomplished when we put partisanship aside and the needs of our 
country first.
  Thank you, and God bless our men and women in uniform.
  Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I join Vietnam Veterans of America, the 
Association of the U.S. Navy, American Veterans, and others in 
wholehearted support of the Senate amendment to H.R. 91, the Veterans 
I.D. Card Act of 2015.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. ABRAHAM. Madam Speaker, once again, I encourage all Members to 
support the Senate amendment to H.R. 91, and I yield back the balance 
of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Abraham) that the House suspend the rules 
and concur in the Senate amendment to the bill, H.R. 91.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. ABRAHAM. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

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