To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to accept certain documents as proof of service in determining the eligibility of an individual to receive amounts from the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund, and for other purposes.

Amends the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to accept any of the following as proof of service in determining the eligibility of an individual to receive amounts from the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund: (1) the name of the eligible person included on the Approved Revised Reconstructed Guerilla Roster (commonly known as the "Missouri List"); (2) documents included in the claims folder of the eligible person that prove such service, including an affidavit from the government of the Philippines certifying such service; or (3) any other documents issued or accepted by the government of the Philippines as proof of such service.

Authorizes the Secretary to make a payment to such an individual filing a claim within 180 days after the enactment of this Act.

[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 481 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 481

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to accept certain documents 
as proof of service in determining the eligibility of an individual to 
 receive amounts from the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 4, 2013

Mr. Heck of Nevada introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
                   the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to accept certain documents 
as proof of service in determining the eligibility of an individual to 
 receive amounts from the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund, 
                        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. PROOF OF ELIGIBILITY FOR FILIPINO VETERANS EQUITY 
              COMPENSATION FUND.

    (a) Proof.--Section 1002 of the American Recovery and Reinvestment 
Act of 2009 (division A of Public Law 111-5; 38 U.S.C. 107 note) is 
amended by adding at the end the following new subsections:
    ``(m) Proof of Service.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall accept as proof of 
        the service described in subsection (d) or (n)--
                    ``(A) the name of the eligible person included on 
                the Approved Revised Reconstructed Guerilla Roster 
                (commonly known as the `Missouri List');
                    ``(B) documents included in the claims folder of 
                the eligible person that prove such service, including 
                an affidavit from the government of the Philippines 
                certifying such service (AGO Form 23); or
                    ``(C) any other documents that are issued or 
                accepted by the government of the Philippines as proof 
                of such service.
            ``(2) Source of documents.--The Secretary may not reject a 
        document under paragraph (1) solely because the document is 
        issued by the government of the Philippines.
            ``(3) Government of the philippines.--In this subsection, 
        the term `government of the Philippines' includes the 
        Commonwealth of the Philippines, the Commonwealth Army of the 
        Philippines, and the Republic of the Philippines.
    ``(n) Civilian Guerilla Forces.--Service as a civilian guerilla in 
the Philippines during the period described in paragraph (1) of 
subsection (d) shall be treated as service described under such 
subsection for purposes of a person being eligible for benefits under 
this section.
    ``(o) Cooperation.--The Secretary of the Army shall cooperate with 
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in carrying out this section.''.
    (b) Extended Application Period.--Section 1002(c) of the American 
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (division A of Public Law 111-5; 
38 U.S.C. 107 note) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph:
            ``(3) Extended application period.--Notwithstanding 
        paragraph (1), the Secretary may make a payment from the 
        compensation fund to an eligible person who, during the 180-day 
        period beginning on the date of the enactment of this section, 
        submits to the Secretary--
                    ``(A) a claim for benefits under this section; or
                    ``(B) with respect to a person who filed a claim 
                for benefits under this section during the period 
                described in paragraph (1), a new claim or an appeal to 
                such previously filed claim.''.
                                 <all>