HR 23
7-30-07, House Agreed to Bill by Voice Vote
9-5-07, Referred to Senate
Committee on Veterans' Affairs
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 23
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 5, 2007
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
AN ACT
To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary
of Veterans Affairs to establish the Merchant Mariner Equity Compensation
Fund to provide benefits to certain individuals who served in the United
States merchant marine (including the Army Transport Service and the Naval
Transport Service) during World War II.
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 `Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners
of World War II Act of 2007'.
SEC. 2. PAYMENTS TO INDIVIDUALS WHO SERVED DURING WORLD WAR II IN THE
UNITED STATES MERCHANT MARINE.
(a) Establishment of Compensation Fund- Subchapter II of chapter 5 of
title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following
new section:
`Sec. 532. Merchant Mariner Equity Compensation Fund
`(a) Compensation Fund- (1) There is in the general fund of the Treasury
a fund to be known as the `Merchant Mariner Equity Compensation Fund'
(in this section referred to as the `compensation fund').
`(2) Subject to the availability of appropriations for such purpose, amounts
in the fund shall be available to the Secretary without fiscal year limitation
to make payments to eligible individuals in accordance with this section.
`(b) Eligible Individuals- (1) An eligible individual is an individual
who--
`(A) before October 1, 2009, submits to the Secretary an application
containing such information and assurances as the Secretary may require;
`(B) has not received benefits under the Servicemen's Readjustment Act
of 1944 (Public Law 78-346); and
`(C) has engaged in qualified service.
`(2) For purposes of paragraph (1), a person has engaged in qualified
service if, between December 7, 1941, and December 31, 1946, the person--
`(A) was a member of the United States merchant marine (including the
Army Transport Service and the Naval Transport Service) serving as a
crewmember of a vessel that was--
`(i) operated by the War Shipping Administration or the Office of
Defense Transportation (or an agent of the Administration or Office);
`(ii) operated in waters other than inland waters, the Great Lakes,
and other lakes, bays, and harbors of the United States;
`(iii) under contract or charter to, or property of, the Government
of the United States; and
`(iv) serving the Armed Forces; and
`(B) while so serving, was licensed or otherwise documented for service
as a crewmember of such a vessel by an officer or employee of the United
States authorized to license or document the person for such service.
`(c) Amount of Payments- The Secretary shall make a monthly payment out
of the compensation fund in the amount of $1,000 to an eligible individual.
The Secretary shall make such payments to eligible individuals in the
order in which the Secretary receives the applications of the eligible
individuals.
`(d) Authorization of Appropriations- (1) There are authorized to be appropriated
to the compensation fund amounts as follows:
`(A) For fiscal year 2008, $120,000,000.
`(B) For fiscal year 2009, $108,000,000.
`(C) For fiscal year 2010, $97,000,000.
`(D) For fiscal year 2011, $85,000,000.
`(E) For fiscal year 2012, $75,000,000.
`(2) Funds appropriated to carry out this section shall remain available
until expended.
`(e) Reports- The Secretary shall include, in documents submitted to Congress
by the Secretary in support of the President's budget for each fiscal
year, detailed information on the operation of the compensation fund,
including the number of applicants, the number of eligible individuals
receiving benefits, the amounts paid out of the compensation fund, the
administration of the compensation fund, and an estimate of the amounts
necessary to fully fund the compensation fund for that fiscal year and
each of the three subsequent fiscal years.
`(f) Regulations- The Secretary shall prescribe regulations to carry out
this section.'.
(b) Regulations- Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment
of this Act, the Secretary shall prescribe the regulations required under
section 532(f) of title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection
(a).
(c) Clerical Amendment- The table of sections at the beginning of such
chapter is amended by inserting after the item related to section 531
the following new item:
`532. Merchant Mariner Equity Compensation Fund.'.
Passed the House of Representatives July 30, 2007.
Attest:
LORRAINE C. MILLER,
Clerk.
By Jorge E. Sorensen,
Deputy Clerk.
END
