Filipino Veterans Equity Act of 2003

Filipino Veterans Equity Act of 2003 - Deems certain service performed before July 1, 1946, in the organized military forces of the Philippines and the Philippine Scouts as active military service for purposes of eligibility for veterans' benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs. Repeals certain provisions discounting such service as qualifying service.

[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 677 Introduced in House (IH)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 677

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to deem certain service in the 
organized military forces of the Government of the Commonwealth of the 
 Philippines and the Philippine Scouts to have been active service for 
 purposes of benefits under programs administered by the Secretary of 
                           Veterans Affairs.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 11, 2003

   Mr. Cunningham (for himself, Mr. Filner, Mr. Evans, Mr. Issa, Ms. 
   Millender-McDonald, Mr. Gutierrez, Mr. Wynn, Mr. Abercrombie, Ms. 
 Pelosi, Mr. Case, Ms. Harman, Ms. Bordallo, Ms. Lee, Mr. Rohrabacher, 
   Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Royce, Mr. Becerra, Mr. Inslee, Mr. Scott of 
 Virginia, Ms. Roybal-Allard, Ms. Corrine Brown of Florida, Mr. Frost, 
  Mr. Davis of Illinois, Mr. McDermott, Ms. Lofgren, and Mr. Lantos) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                           Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 38, United States Code, to deem certain service in the 
organized military forces of the Government of the Commonwealth of the 
 Philippines and the Philippine Scouts to have been active service for 
 purposes of benefits under programs administered by the Secretary of 
                           Veterans Affairs.

    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 ``Filipino Veterans Equity Act of 
2003''.

SEC. 2. CERTAIN SERVICE IN THE ORGANIZED MILITARY FORCES OF THE 
              PHILIPPINES AND THE PHILIPPINE SCOUTS DEEMED TO BE ACTIVE 
              SERVICE.

    (a) In General.--Section 107 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) by striking ``not'' after ``Army of the United 
                States, shall''; and
                    (B) by striking ``, except benefits
                under--'' and all that follows in that subsection and 
                inserting a period;
            (2) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) by striking ``not'' after ``Armed Forces 
                Voluntary Recruitment Act of 1945 shall''; and
                    (B) by striking ``except--'' and all that follows 
                in that subsection and inserting a period; and
            (3) by striking subsections (c) and (d).
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--(1) The heading of such section is 
amended to read as follows:
``Sec. 107. Certain service deemed to be active service: service in 
              organized military forces of the Philippines and in the 
              Philippine Scouts''.
    (2) The item relating to such section in the table of sections at 
the beginning of chapter 1 of such title is amended to read as follows:

``107. Certain service deemed to be active service: service in 
                            organized military forces of the 
                            Philippines and in the Philippine 
                            Scouts.''.

SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    (a) In General.--The amendments made by this Act shall take effect 
on January 1, 2004.
    (b) Applicability.--No benefits shall accrue to any person for any 
period before the effective date of this Act by reason of the 
amendments made by this Act.
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