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.

February 7, 2001

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

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 2001'.

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 out `not' after `Army of the United States, shall'; and

(B) by striking out `, except benefits under--' and all that follows in that subsection and inserting in lieu thereof a period;

(2) in subsection (b)--

(A) by striking out `not' after `Armed Forces Voluntary Recruitment Act of 1945 shall'; and

(B) by striking out `except--' and all that follows in that subsection and inserting in lieu thereof a period; and

(3) by striking out the subsection (c) inserted by section 501 of H.R. 5482 of the 106th Congress, as introduced on October 18, 2000, and enacted into law by Public Law 106-377, and the subsection (c) inserted by section 332(a)(2) of the Veterans Benefits and Health Care Improvement Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-419).

(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, 2002.

(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.

END