Veterans Identification Card Act 2015

Summary: (This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the Senate on June 22, 2015.  Veteran's Identification Card Act of 2015 (Sec. 2) Directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to issue a veteran's identification card to a requesting veteran who is neither entitled to military retired pay nor enrolled in the VA system of patient enrollment.  Requires such card, among other things, to: (1) display the veteran's name and photograph, and (2) serve as proof that the veteran has a DD-214 form or other official document in his or her military personnel file that describes the veteran's military service.  Directs VA to charge a card fee.  States that such card shall not serve as proof of entitlement to any benefits.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
    This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans Identification Card Act 
2015''.
SEC. 2. VETERANS IDENTIFICATION CARD.
    (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
        (1) Effective on the day before the date of the enactment of 
    this Act, veteran identification cards were issued to veterans who 
    have either completed the statutory time-in-service requirement for 
    retirement from the Armed Forces or who have received a medical-
    related discharge from the Armed Forces.
        (2) Effective on the day before the date of the enactment of 
    this Act, a veteran who served a minimum obligated time in service, 
    but who did not meet the criteria described in paragraph (1), did 
    not receive a means of identifying the veteran's status as a 
    veteran other than using the Department of Defense form DD-214 
    discharge papers of the veteran.
        (3) Goods, services, and promotional activities are often 
    offered by public and private institutions to veterans who 
    demonstrate proof of service in the military, but it is impractical 
    for a veteran to always carry Department of Defense form DD-214 
    discharge papers to demonstrate such proof.
        (4) A general purpose veteran identification card made 
    available to veterans would be useful to demonstrate the status of 
    the veterans without having to carry and use official Department of 
    Defense form DD-214 discharge papers.
        (5) On the day before the date of the enactment of this Act, 
    the Department of Veterans Affairs had the infrastructure in place 
    across the United States to produce photographic identification 
    cards and accept a small payment to cover the cost of these cards.
    (b) Provision of Veteran Identification Cards.--Chapter 57 of title 
38, United States Code, is amended by adding after section 5705 the 
following new section:
``Sec. 5706. Veterans identification card
    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall issue an 
identification card described in subsection (b) to each veteran who--
        ``(1) requests such card;
        ``(2) presents a copy of Department of Defense form DD-214 or 
    other official document from the official military personnel file 
    of the veteran that describes the service of the veteran; and
        ``(3) pays the fee under subsection (c)(1).
    ``(b) Identification Card.--An identification card described in 
this subsection is a card issued to a veteran that--
        ``(1) displays a photograph of the veteran;
        ``(2) displays the name of the veteran;
        ``(3) explains that such card is not proof of any benefits to 
    which the veteran is entitled to;
        ``(4) contains an identification number that is not a social 
    security number; and
        ``(5) serves as proof that such veteran--
            ``(A) served in the Armed Forces; and
            ``(B) has a Department of Defense form DD-214 or other 
        official document in the official military personnel file of 
        the veteran that describes the service of the veteran.
    ``(c) Costs of Card.--(1) The Secretary shall charge a fee to each 
veteran who receives an identification card issued under this section, 
including a replacement identification card.
    ``(2)(A) The fee charged under paragraph (1) shall equal such 
amount as the Secretary determines is necessary to issue an 
identification card under this section.
    ``(B) In determining the amount of the fee under subparagraph (A), 
the Secretary shall ensure that the total amount of fees collected 
under paragraph (1) equals an amount necessary to carry out this 
section, including costs related to any additional equipment or 
personnel required to carry out this section.
    ``(C) The Secretary shall review and reassess the determination 
under subparagraph (A) during each five-year period in which the 
Secretary issues an identification card under this section.
    ``(3) Amounts collected under this subsection shall be deposited in 
an account of the Department available to carry out this section. 
Amounts so deposited shall be--
        ``(A) merged with amounts in such account;
        ``(B) available in such amounts as may be provided in 
    appropriation Acts; and
        ``(C) subject to the same conditions and limitations as amounts 
    otherwise in such account.
    ``(d) Effect of Card on Benefits.--(1) An identification card 
issued under this section shall not serve as proof of any benefits that 
the veteran may be entitled to under this title.
    ``(2) A veteran who is issued an identification card under this 
section shall not be entitled to any benefits under this title by 
reason of possessing such card.
    ``(e) Administrative Measures.--(1) The Secretary shall ensure that 
any information collected or used with respect to an identification 
card issued under this section is appropriately secured.
    ``(2) The Secretary may determine any appropriate procedures with 
respect to issuing a replacement identification card.
    ``(3) In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall coordinate 
with the National Personnel Records Center.
    ``(4) The Secretary may conduct such outreach to advertise the 
identification card under this section as the Secretary considers 
appropriate.
    ``(f) Construction.--This section shall not be construed to affect 
identification cards otherwise provided by the Secretary to veterans 
enrolled in the health care system established under section 1705(a) of 
this title.''.
    (c) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 
5705 the following new item:

``5706. Veterans identification card.''.

    (d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this Act shall take 
effect on the date that is 60 days after the date of the enactment of 
this Act.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.