Filipino Veterans' Benefits Improvements Act of 2003

Filipino Veterans' Benefits Improvements Act of 2003 - Authorizes: (1) payment of the full rate of compensation (currently, 50%) for the service-connected disability of members of the New Philippine Scouts (and their survivors) who served with U.S. armed forces during World War II and who now are U.S. citizens or lawfully reside in the United States; (2) full dependency and indemnity compensation for the surviving spouses of Filipino veterans who became U.S. citizens or lawfully resided in the United States; and (3) hospital and nursing home care and medical services for such veterans and new Philippine Scouts in the same manner as U.S. veterans. Limits the disability pension to $100 per month for such veterans who reside in the Philippines.

Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish care and services to veterans of World War II, Commonwealth Army veterans, and new Philippine Scouts for the treatment of service-connected disabilities and non-service connected disabilities of such veterans and scouts residing in the Philippines on an outpatient basis at the Manila VA Outpatient Clinic. Limits to $500,000 the amount to be expended during a fiscal year for such services.

[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 68 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 68

To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve benefits for Filipino 
           veterans of World War II, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 7, 2003

  Mr. Inouye introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
             referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve benefits for Filipino 
           veterans of World War II, and for other purposes.

    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' Benefits 
Improvements Act of 2003''.

SEC. 2. RATE OF PAYMENT OF CERTAIN BENEFITS FOR NEW PHILIPPINE SCOUTS 
              RESIDING IN THE UNITED STATES.

    (a) Rate of Payment.--Section 107 of title 38, United States Code, 
is amended--
            (1) in the second sentence of subsection (b), by striking 
        ``Payments'' and inserting ``Except as provided in subsection 
        (c), payments''; and
            (2) in subsection (c)--
                    (A) by inserting ``or (b)'' after ``subsection 
                (a)'' the first place it appears; and
                    (B) by striking ``subsection (a)'' the second place 
                it appears and inserting ``the applicable subsection''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall 
take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act, and shall apply 
to benefits paid for months beginning on or after that date.

SEC. 3. RATE OF PAYMENT OF DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY COMPENSATION FOR 
              SURVIVING SPOUSES OF CERTAIN FILIPINO VETERANS.

    (a) Rate of Payment.--Subsection (c) of section 107 of title 38, 
United States Code, as amended by section 2 of this Act, is further 
amended by inserting ``, and under chapter 13 of this title,'' after 
``chapter 11 of this title''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall 
take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act, and shall apply 
to benefits paid for months beginning on or after that date.

SEC. 4. ELIGIBILITY OF CERTAIN FILIPINO VETERANS FOR DISABILITY 
              PENSION.

    (a) Eligibility.--Section 107 of title 38, United States Code, as 
amended by this Act, is further amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in paragraph (3) of the first sentence, by 
                inserting ``15,'' before ``23,''; and
                    (B) in the second sentence, by striking 
                ``subsections (c) and (d)'' and inserting ``subsections 
                (c), (d), and (e)''; and
            (2) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) by striking paragraph (2) of the first sentence 
                and inserting the following new paragraph (2):
            ``(2) chapters 11, 13 (except section 1312(a)), and 15 of 
        this title.''; and
                    (B) in the second sentence, by striking 
                ``subsection (c)'' and inserting ``subsections (c) and 
                (e)''.
    (b) Rate of Payment.--That section is further amended by adding at 
the end the following new subsection:
    ``(e) In the case of benefits under chapter 15 of this title paid 
by reason of service described in subsection (a) or (b), if--
            ``(1) the benefits are paid to an individual residing in 
        the United States who is a citizen of, or an alien lawfully 
        admitted for permanent residence in, the United States, the 
        second sentence of the applicable subsection shall not apply; 
        and
            ``(2) the benefits are paid to an individual residing in 
        the Republic of the Philippines, the benefits shall be paid 
        (notwithstanding any other provision of law) at the rate of 
        $100 per month.''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall take 
effect on the date of the enactment of this Act, and shall apply to 
benefits for months beginning on or after that date.

 SEC. 5. ELIGIBILITY OF FILIPINO VETERANS FOR HEALTH CARE IN THE UNITED 
              STATES.

    The text of section 1734 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended to read as follows:
    ``The Secretary, within the limits of Department facilities, shall 
furnish hospital and nursing home care and medical services to 
Commonwealth Army veterans and new Philippine Scouts in the same manner 
as provided for under section 1710 of this title.''.

SEC. 6. OUTPATIENT HEALTH CARE FOR VETERANS RESIDING IN THE 
              PHILIPPINES.

    (a) In General.--Subchapter IV of chapter 17 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended--
            (1) by redesignating section 1735 as section 1736; and
            (2) by inserting after section 1734 the following new 
        section 1735:
``Sec. 1735. Outpatient care and services for World War II veterans 
              residing in the Philippines
    ``(a) Outpatient Health Care.--The Secretary shall furnish care and 
services to veterans of World War II, Commonwealth Army veterans, and 
new Philippine Scouts for the treatment of the service-connected 
disabilities and nonservice-connected disabilities of such veterans and 
scouts residing in the Republic of the Philippines on an outpatient 
basis at the Manila VA Outpatient Clinic.
    ``(b) Limitations.--(1) The amount expended by the Secretary for 
the purpose of subsection (a) in any fiscal year may not exceed 
$500,000.
    ``(2) The authority of the Secretary to furnish care and services 
under subsection (a) is effective in any fiscal year only to the extent 
that appropriations are available for that purpose.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
chapter 17 of such title is amended by striking the item relating to 
section 1735 and inserting after the item relating to section 1734 the 
following new items:

``1735. Outpatient care and services for World War II veterans residing 
                            in the Philippines.
``1736. Definitions.''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall take 
effect on the date of the enactment of this Act.
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