**S. 1315, as amended**

**Veterans' Benefits Enhancement Act of 2008**

**Title:** To amend title 38, United States Code, to enhance veterans'
insurance and housing benefits, to improve benefits and services for
transitioning servicemembers, and for other purposes.

**Mr. Akaka** of Hawaii introduced S. 1315 on May 7, 2007.

**S. 1315, as amended, would:\
**

1.  Provide for the administrative costs of service disabled veterans\'
    insurance.

2.  Modify Servicemembers\' Group Life Insurance coverage.

3.  Allow servicemembers to designate a fiduciary for traumatic injury
    protection coverage under Traumatic Servicemembers\' Group Life
    Insurance in case of lost mental capacity or extended loss of
    consciousness.

4.  Provide eligibility for VA-provided home improvement and structural
    alteration payments to totally disabled members of the Armed Forces
    before discharge or release from the Armed Forces.

5.  Require the Department of Veterans Affairs to coordinate with the
    Departments of Labor and Education to reduce overlap and duplication
    with respect to approvals of programs of education and to report to
    Congress on establishing outcome-oriented performance measures for
    State approving agencies.

6.  Permit waiver of a residency requirement for State Directors of
    Veterans\' Employment and Training.

7.  Update a special unemployment study to include veterans of the
    Post-9/11 Global Operations period and require an annual report.

8.  Modify the rules governing service and payment of retired judges
    performing recall service for the United States Court of Appeals for
    Veterans Claims.

9.  Grant the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims
    additional discretion in the imposition of practice and registration
    fees.

10. Require the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims to
    submit annual reports to Congress on its workload.

11. Require the General Services Administration to study and report on
    the feasibility of expanding the facilities of the United States
    Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.

12. Clarify the purpose of the outreach services program of the
    Department of Veterans Affairs.

13. Allow the termination or suspension of cellular telephone contracts
    upon request of servicemembers undergoing deployment (no less than
    90 days) outside the United States.

14. Direct the Medical Follow-Up Agency of the Institute of Medicine of
    the National Academies to maintain and manage the assets (including
    electronic data files and biological specimens of study
    participants) transferred to the Agency from the Air Force Health
    Study.

15. Require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to contract with the
    Institute of Medicine of the National Academies to conduct a
    comprehensive epidemiological study to identify any increased risk
    of developing multiple sclerosis as a result of service in the
    Persian Gulf or in the Post 9/11 global operations theaters.

16. Require a Comptroller General report on the adequacy of dependency
    and indemnity compensation to maintain survivors of veterans who die
    from service-connected disabilities.

**Effective Date:** Date of Enactment

**Cost:** CBO estimates an increase in discretionary spending of \$6
million over five years.

**Legislative History:**

May 7, 2007: Ordered reported, as amended, by the Senate Committee on
Veterans' Affairs.

Aug. 29, 2007: Reported, as amended, S. Rept. 110-148.

Apr. 24, 2008: Passed the Senate with an amendment and an amendment to
the title of the bill, by Yea-Nay Vote, 96 - 1 (Record Vote 112).

Sept. 22, 2008: Passed the House, with an amendment, by voice vote.

Some of the provisions from H.R. 3298, H.R. 4084, H.R. 5892, and H.R.
6225, as amended, are included in this legislation.