[DOCID: f:h491ih.txt]






107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 491

 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.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 7, 2001

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 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.
                                 <all>