(3) The heading of subchapter IV of chapter 11 of such title is amended to read as follows: “Subchapter IV—Pre-Korean Conflict Era Peacetime Disability Compensation". (f) The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 11 of such title is amended by striking out "SUBCHAPTER II-WARTIME DISABILITY COMPENSATION" and inserting in lieu thereof "SUBCHAPTER II-WARTIME AND POST-KOREAN CONFLICT ERA DISABILITY COMPENSATION" by striking out "314. Rates of wartime disability compensation." and inserting in lieu thereof "314. Rates of disability compensation." by striking out "SUBCHAPTER IV-PEACETIME DISABILITY COMPENSATION" and inserting in lieu thereof "SUBCHAPTER IV-PRE-KOREAN CONFLICT ERA PEACETIME DISABILITY COMPENSATION" PENSION SEC. 202. (a) Subsection (a) of section 521 of title 38, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: "(a) The Administrator shall pay to each veteran of World War I, World War II, the Korean conflict, or of service after January 31, 1955, who meets the service requirements of this section, and who is permanently and totally disabled from non-service-connected disability not the result of the veteran's willful misconduct or vicious habits, pension at the rate prescribed by this section." (b) Such section is further amended by amending subsection (g) to read as follows: "(g) A veteran meets the service requirements of this section if he served in the active military, naval, or air service "(1) for ninety days or more during either World War I, World War II, the Korean conflict, or after January 31, 1955; "(2) during World War I, World II, the Korean conflict, or after January 31, 1955, and was discharged or released from such service for a service-connected disability; "(3) for a period of ninety consecutive days or more and such period ended during World War I or after January 31, 1955, or began or ended World War II, or the Korean conflict; or "(4) for an aggregate of ninety days or more in two or more separate periods of service during more than one period of war or the period after January 31, 1955." (c) The catchline of section 521 of title 38, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: "§ 521. Veterans of World War I, World War II, the Korean conflict, or of service after January 31, 1955". (d) Subsection (a) of section 541 of title 38, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: 66 (a) The Administrator shall pay to the widow of each veteran of World War I, World War II, the Korean conflict, or of service after January 31, 1955, who met the service requirements of section 521 of this title, or who at the time of his death was receiving (or entitled to receive) compensation or retirement pay for a service-connected disability, pension at the rate prescribed by this section." 75-968-67- -9 (e) Paragraph (1) of subsection (e) of such section is amended to read as follows: "(1) before (A) December 14, 1944, in the case of a widow of a World War I veteran, or (B) January 1, 1957, in the case of a widow of a World War II veteran, or (C) February 1, 1965, in the case of a widow of a Korean conflict veteran, or (D) before the expiration of ten years following the veteran's last discharge or separation from the active military, naval, or air service in the case of a widow of a veteran of service after January 31, 1955; or". (f) The catchline of section 541 of title 38, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: "§ 541. Widows of veterans of World War I, World War II, the Korean conflict, or of service after January 31, 1955". (g) Subsection (a) of section 542 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by striking out "or the Korean conflict" and inserting in lieu thereof "the Korean conflict, or of service after January 31, 1955,". (h) The catchline of section 542 of title 38, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: "S542. Children of veterans of World War I, World War II, the Korean conflict, or of service after January 31, 1955". (i) The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 15 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by striking out "521. Veterans of World War I, World War II, or the Korean conflict." and substituting in lieu thereof "521. Veterans of World War I, World War II, the Korean conflict, or service after January 31, 1955."; by striking out the subheading "WORLD WAR I, WORLD WAR II, AND THE KOREAN CONFLICT" and substituting in lieu thereof "WORLD WAR I, WORLD WAR II, THE KOREAN CONFLICT, AND THE PERIOD AFTER JANUARY 31, 1955"; by striking out "541. Widows of World War I, World War II, or Korean conflict veterans." and substituting in lieu thereof "541. Widows of veterans of World War I, World War II, the Korean conflict, or of service after January 31, 1955."; and by striking out "542. Children of World War I, World War II, or Korean conflict veterans." and substituting in lieu thereof "542. Children of veterans of World War I, World War II, the Korean conflict, or of serv ice after January 31, 1955." (j) Chapter 15 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by striking out the subheading "World War I, World War II, and the Korean Conflict" imemdiately preceding 541 of such title, and substituting in lieu thereof "World War I, World War II, the Korean Conflict, and the Period After January 31, 1955". HOSPITAL, DOMICILIARY, AND MEDICAL CARE SEC. 203. (a) Section 602 of title 38, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: "§ 602. Presumption relating to psychosis "For the purposes of this chapter, any veteran of World War II, the Korean conflict, or of service after January 31, 1955, who developed an active psychosis (1) within two years after his discharge or release from the active military, naval, or air service, and (2) before July 26, 1949, in the case of a veteran of World War II, or February 1, 1957, in the case of a veteran of the Korean conflict, shall be deemed to have incurred such disability in the active military, naval, or air service.". (b) Subsection (h) of section 612 of title 38, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: "(h) The Administrator shall furnish to each veteran who is receiving additional compensation or allowance under chapter 11, or increased pension as a veteran of World War I, World War II, the Korean conflict, or of service after January 31, 1955, by reason of being in need of regular aid and attendance, such drugs and medicines as may be ordered on prescription of a duly licensed physician as specific therapy in the treatment of any illness or injury suffered by such veteran." SPECIALLY EQUIPPED AUTOMOBILES SEC. 204. (a) Section 1901 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (c), and by adding after subsection (a) the following new subsection (b): "(b) The benefits of this chapter shall also be made available to each veteran who is suffering from any disability described in subsection (a), if such disability is the result of an injury incurred or disease contracted in or aggravated by active military, naval, or air service after January 31, 1955, and if the injury was incurred or the disease was contracted in line of duty as a direct result of the performance of military duty." (b) Section 1905 of title 38, United States Code, is amended (1) by striking out at the beginning of the first sentence thereof "The benefits", and inserting in lieu thereof "(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, the benefits", and (2) by adding at the end thereof a new subsection as follows: "(b) (1) In the case of any veteran who is eligible for the benefits provided in this chapter by reason of section 1901 (b) and who was discharged or released from active military, naval, or air service before the effective date of this subsection, any applicable time limitation contained in subsection (a) of this section which otherwise would have begun to run before the effective date of this subsection shall not begin to run until that date. "(2) In the case of any veteran whose entitlement to the benefits", and (2) by adding at the end thereof a new of the enactment of Public Law 85-857, application for such benefits may, notwithstanding the time limitations contained in subsection (a) of this section, be made within one year from the effective date of enactment of this subsection." BURIAL ALLOWANCE SEC. 205. (a) Section 902 (a) (2) (A) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by inserting immediately after "war" the following: "or of service after January 31, 1955". (b) If the burial allowance authorized by section 902 of title 38, United States Code, is payable solely by virtue of the enactment of this Act, the two-year period for filing applications, referred to in section 904 of such title 38, shall not end, with respect to an individual whose death occurred prior to the enactment of this Act, before the expiration of the two-year period which begins on the effective date of this Act, or, in any case involving the correction of a discharge after the effective date of this Act, before the expiration of two years from the date of such correction. TITLE III-MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS STATUTORY AWARDS SEC. 301. Section 314 (k) of title 38, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: "(k) if the veteran, as the result of service-connected disability, has suffered the anatomical loss or loss of use of one or more creative organs, or one foot, or one hand, or both buttocks, or blindness of one eye, having only light perception, or has suffered complete organic aphonia with constant inability to communicate by speech, or deafness of both ears, having ab sence of air and bone conduction, the rate of compensation therefor shall be $47 per month for each such loss or loss of use independent of any other compensation provided in subsections (a) through (j) or subsection (s) of this section but in no event to exceed $400 per month; and in the event the veteran has suffered one or more of the disabilities heretofore specified in this subsection, in addition to the requiriment for any of the rates specified in subsections (1) through (n) of this section, the rate of compensation shall be increased by $47 per month for each loss or loss of use, but in no event to exceed $600 per month ;". EFFECTIVE DATE SEC. 302. The provisions of this Act shall take effect on the first day of the second calendar month which begins after the date of the enactment of this Act. ADDITIONAL WARTIME BENEFITS FOR VIETNAM CONFLICT VETERANS, BILLS CONSIDERED, BY NUMBER AN ACT To provide additional readjustment assistance to veterans who served in the Armed Forces during the Vietnam era, and for other purposes Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That this Act shall be known as the "Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act". SEC. 2 (a) Paragraph (11) of section 101 of title 38, United States Code, is amended to read: "(11) The term 'period of war' means the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, the Korean conflict, the Vietnam era, and the period beginning on the date of any future declaration of war by the Congress and ending on the date prescribed by Presidential proclamation or concurrent resolution of the Congress." (b) Such section is further amended by adding at the end thereof the following new paragraph: "(29) The term 'Vietnam era' means the period beginning August 5, 1964, and ending on such date as shall thereafter be determined by Presidential proclamation or concurrent resolution of the Congress." SEC. 3. (a) Subsection (a) of section 521 of title 38, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: "(a) The Administrator shall pay to each veteran of World War I, World War II, the Korean conflict, or the Vietnam era, who meets the service requirements of this section, and who is permanently and totally disabled from nonservice-connected disability not the result of the veteran's willful misconduct or vicious habits, pension at the rate prescribed by this section." (b) Such section is further amended by amending subsection (g) to read as follows: "(g) A veteran meets the service requirements of this section if he served in the active military, naval, or air service "(1) for ninety days or more during either World War I, World War II, the Korean conflict, or the Vietnam era; "(2) during World War I, World War II, the Korean conflict, or the Vietnam era, and was discharged or released from such service for a serviceconnected disability; "(3) for a period of ninety consecutive days or more and such period ended during World War I, or began or ended during World War II, the Korean conflict, or the Vietnam era; or "(4) for an aggregate of ninety days or more in two or more separate periods of service during more than one period of war." (c) The catchline of section 521 of title 38, United State Code, is amended to read as follows: "§ 521. Veterans of World War I, World War II, the Korean conflict, or the Vietnam era" (d) Subsection (a) of section 541 of title 38, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: "(a) The Administrator shall pay to the widow of each veteran of World War I, World War II, the Korean conflict, or the Vietnam era who met the service requirements of section 521 of this title, or who at the time of his death was receiving (or entitled to receive) compensation or retirement pay for a service-connected disability, pension at the rate prescribed by this section." (e) Paragraph (1) of subsection (e) of such section is amended to read as follows: "(1) before (A) December 14, 1944, in the case of a widow of a World War I veteran, or (B) January 1, 1957, in the case of a widow of a World War II veteran, or (C) February 1, 1965, in the case of a widow of a Korean conflict veteran, or (D) before the expiration of ten years following termination of the Vietnam era in the case of a widow of a Vietnam era veteran; or". (f) The catchline of section 541 of title 38, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: "S541. Widows of World War I, World War II, Korean conflict, or Vietnam era veterans" (g) Subsection (a) of section 542 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by striking out "or the Korean conflict" and inserting in lieu thereof "the Korean conflict, or the Vietnam era." (h) The catchline of section 542 of title 38, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: "§ 542. Children of World War I, World War II, Korean conflict, or Vietnam era veterans" (i) The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 15 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by striking out "521. Veterans of World War I, World War II, or the Korean conflict." and substituting in lieu thereof "521. Veterans of World War I, World War II, the Korean conflict, or the Vietnam era."; by striking out the subheading "World War I, World War II, and the Korean conflict." and substituting in lieu thereof "World War I, World War II, the Korean conflict, and the Vietnam era"; by striking out "541. Widows of World War I, World War II, or Korean conflict veterans." and substituting in lieu thereof "541. Widows of World War I, World War II, Korean conflict, or Vietnam era veterans."; and by striking out "542. Children of World War I, World War II, or Korean conflict veterans." and substituting in lieu thereof "542. Children of World War I, World War II, Korean conflict, or Vietnam era veterans." |