PUBLIC LAW 110–157—DEC. 26, 2007 121 STAT. 1831 

Public Law 110–157 

110th Congress 

An Act 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve low-vision benefits matters, 

matters relating to burial and memorial affairs, and other matters under the 

laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 

the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Dr. James 

Allen Veteran Vision Equity Act of 2007’’. 

(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for this Act 

is as follows: 

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 

TITLE I—LOW-VISION BENEFITS MATTERS 

Sec. 101. Modification of rate of visual impairment for payment of disability compensation. 

Sec. 102. Improvement in compensation for veterans in certain cases of impairment 

of vision involving both eyes. 

TITLE II—MATTERS RELATING TO BURIAL AND MEMORIAL AFFAIRS 

Sec. 201. Provision of medallion or other device for privately-purchased grave 

markers. 

Sec. 202. Improvement in provision of assistance to States relating to the interment 

of veterans in cemeteries other than national cemeteries. 

Sec. 203. Modification of authorities on provision of Government headstones and 

markers for burials of veterans at private cemeteries. 

TITLE III—OTHER MATTERS 

Sec. 301. Use of national directory of new hires for income verification purposes for 

certain veterans benefits. 

Sec. 302. Extension of authority of Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide an educational assistance allowance to persons performing qualifying workstudy activities. 

TITLE I—LOW-VISION BENEFITS 

MATTERS 

SEC. 101. MODIFICATION OF RATE OF VISUAL IMPAIRMENT FOR PAYMENT OF DISABILITY COMPENSATION. 

Section 1114(o) of title 38, United States Code, is amended 

by striking ‘‘5/200’’ and inserting ‘‘20/200’’. 

SEC. 102. IMPROVEMENT IN COMPENSATION FOR VETERANS IN CERTAIN CASES OF IMPAIRMENT OF VISION INVOLVING BOTH 

EYES. 

Section 1160(a)(1) of title 38, United States Code, is amended— 

Dr. James Allen 

Veteran Vision 

Equity Act 

of 2007. 

38 USC 101 note. 

Dec. 26, 2007 

[H.R. 797] 


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121 STAT. 1832 PUBLIC LAW 110–157—DEC. 26, 2007 

(1) by striking ‘‘blindness’’ both places it appears and 

inserting ‘‘impairment of vision’’; 

(2) by striking ‘‘misconduct;’’ and inserting ‘‘misconduct 

and—’’; and 

(3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraphs: 

‘‘(A) the impairment of vision in each eye is rated 

at a visual acuity of 20/200 or less; or 

‘‘(B) the peripheral field of vision for each eye is 20 

degrees or less;’’. 

TITLE II—MATTERS RELATING TO 

BURIAL AND MEMORIAL AFFAIRS 

SEC. 201. PROVISION OF MEDALLION OR OTHER DEVICE FOR PRIVATELY-PURCHASED GRAVE MARKERS. 

Section 2306(d) of title 38, United States Code, is amended 

by adding at the end the following new paragraph: 

‘‘(5) In lieu of furnishing a headstone or marker under this 

subsection, the Secretary may furnish, upon request, a medallion 

or other device of a design determined by the Secretary to signify 

the deceased’s status as a veteran, to be attached to a headstone 

or marker furnished at private expense.’’. 

SEC. 202. IMPROVEMENT IN PROVISION OF ASSISTANCE TO STATES 

RELATING TO THE INTERMENT OF VETERANS IN CEMETERIES OTHER THAN NATIONAL CEMETERIES. 

(a) REPEAL OF TIME LIMITATION FOR STATE FILING FOR

REIMBURSEMENT FOR INTERMENT COSTS.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—The second sentence of section 

3.1604(d)(2) of title 38, Code of Federal Regulations, shall have 

no further force or effect as it pertains to unclaimed remains 

of a deceased veteran. 

(2) RETROACTIVE APPLICATION.—Paragraph (1) shall take 

effect as of October 1, 2006 and apply with respect to interments 

and inurnments occurring on or after that date. 

(b) GRANTS FOR OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF STATE VETERANS’ CEMETERIES.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—Subsection (a) of section 2408 of title 

38, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: 

‘‘(a)(1) Subject to subsection (b), the Secretary may make a 

grant to any State for the following purposes: 

‘‘(A) Establishing, expanding, or improving a veterans’ 

cemetery owned by the State. 

‘‘(B) Operating and maintaining such a cemetery. 

‘‘(2) A grant under paragraph (1) may be made only upon 

submission of an application to the Secretary in such form and 

manner, and containing such information, as the Secretary may 

require.’’. 

(2) LIMITATION ON AMOUNTS AWARDED.—Subsection (e) of 

such section is amended— 

(A) by inserting ‘‘(1)’’ before ‘‘Amounts’’; and 

(B) by adding at the end the following new paragraph: 

‘‘(2) In any fiscal year, the aggregate amount of grants awarded 

under this section for the purposes specified in subsection (a)(1)(B) 

may not exceed $5,000,000.’’. 

Effective date. 


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PUBLIC LAW 110–157—DEC. 26, 2007 121 STAT. 1833 

(3) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Such section is further 

amended— 

(A) in subsection (b)— 

(i) by striking ‘‘Grants under this section’’ and 

inserting ‘‘A grant under this section for a purpose 

described in subsection (a)(1)(A)’’; and 

(ii) by striking ‘‘a grant under this section’’ each 

place it appears and inserting ‘‘such a grant’’; 

(B) in subsection (d), by striking ‘‘to assist such State 

in establishing, expanding, or improving a veterans’ cemetery’’; and 

(C) in subsection (f)(1), by inserting ‘‘, or in operating 

and maintaining such cemeteries,’’ after ‘‘veterans’ cemeteries’’. 

(4) REGULATIONS.—Not later than 180 days after the date 

of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 

shall prescribe regulations to carry out the amendments made 

by this subsection. 

SEC. 203. MODIFICATION OF AUTHORITIES ON PROVISION OF GOVERNMENT HEADSTONES AND MARKERS FOR BURIALS OF VETERANS AT PRIVATE CEMETERIES. 

(a) REPEAL OF EXPIRATION OF AUTHORITY.—Subsection (d) of 

section 2306 of title 38, United States Code, as amended by section 

201, is further amended— 

(1) by striking paragraph (3); and 

(2) by redesignating paragraphs (4) and (5), as added by 

that section, as paragraphs (3) and (4), respectively. 

(b) RETROACTIVE EFFECTIVE DATE.—Notwithstanding subsection (d) of section 502 of the Veterans Education and Benefits 

Expansion Act of 2001 (Public Law 107–103; 115 Stat. 995; 38 

U.S.C. 2306 note) or any other provision of law, the amendments 

made by that section and by subsections (a), (b), (c), (d), and 

(f) of section 402 of the Veterans Benefits, Health Care, and 

Information Technology Act of 2006 (Public Law 109–461; 120 Stat. 

3429) shall take effect as of November 1, 1990, and shall apply 

with respect to headstones and markers for the graves of individuals 

dying on or after that date. 

TITLE III—OTHER MATTERS 

SEC. 301. USE OF NATIONAL DIRECTORY OF NEW HIRES FOR INCOME 

VERIFICATION PURPOSES FOR CERTAIN VETERANS BENEFITS. 

(a) AUTHORITY FOR INFORMATION COMPARISONS AND DISCLOSURES OF INFORMATION TO ASSIST IN ADMINISTRATION OF CERTAIN

VETERANS BENEFITS.—Section 453(j) of the Social Security Act (42 

U.S.C. 653(j)) is amended by adding at the end the following new 

paragraph: 

‘‘(11) INFORMATION COMPARISONS AND DISCLOSURES TO

ASSIST IN ADMINISTRATION OF CERTAIN VETERANS BENEFITS.— 

‘‘(A) FURNISHING OF INFORMATION BY SECRETARY OF

VETERANS AFFAIRS.—Subject to the provisions of this paragraph, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall furnish to 

the Secretary, on such periodic basis as determined by 

the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in consultation with the 

Applicability. 

38 USC 2306 

note. 

Deadline. 

38 USC 2408 

note. 


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121 STAT. 1834 PUBLIC LAW 110–157—DEC. 26, 2007 

Secretary, information in the custody of the Secretary of 

Veterans Affairs for comparison with information in the 

National Directory of New Hires, in order to obtain 

information in such Directory with respect to individuals 

who are applying for or receiving— 

‘‘(i) needs-based pension benefits provided under 

chapter 15 of title 38, United States Code, or under 

any other law administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; 

‘‘(ii) parents’ dependency and indemnity compensation provided under section 1315 of title 38, United 

States Code; 

‘‘(iii) health care services furnished under subsections (a)(2)(G), (a)(3), or (b) of section 1710 of title 

38, United States Code; or 

‘‘(iv) compensation paid under chapter 11 of title 

38, United States Code, at the 100 percent rate based 

solely on unemployability and without regard to the 

fact that the disability or disabilities are not rated 

as 100 percent disabling under the rating schedule. 

‘‘(B) REQUIREMENT TO SEEK MINIMUM INFORMATION.— 

The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall seek information 

pursuant to this paragraph only to the extent necessary 

to verify the employment and income of individuals 

described in subparagraph (A). 

‘‘(C) DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY.— 

‘‘(i) INFORMATION DISCLOSURE.—The Secretary, in 

cooperation with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, 

shall compare information in the National Directory 

of New Hires with information provided by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs with respect to individuals 

described in subparagraph (A), and shall disclose 

information in such Directory regarding such individuals to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in accordance 

with this paragraph, for the purposes specified in this 

paragraph. 

‘‘(ii) CONDITION ON DISCLOSURE.—The Secretary 

shall make disclosures in accordance with clause (i) 

only to the extent that the Secretary determines that 

such disclosures do not interfere with the effective 

operation of the program under this part. 

‘‘(D) USE OF INFORMATION BY SECRETARY OF VETERANS

AFFAIRS.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may use 

information resulting from a data match pursuant to this 

paragraph only— 

‘‘(i) for the purposes specified in subparagraph (B); 

and 

‘‘(ii) after removal of personal identifiers, to conduct analyses of the employment and income reporting 

of individuals described in subparagraph (A). 

‘‘(E) REIMBURSEMENT OF HHS COSTS.—The Secretary 

of Veterans Affairs shall reimburse the Secretary, in accordance with subsection (k)(3), for the costs incurred by the 

Secretary in furnishing the information requested under 

this paragraph. 

‘‘(F) CONSENT.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 

not seek, use, or disclose information under this paragraph 


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PUBLIC LAW 110–157—DEC. 26, 2007 121 STAT. 1835 

relating to an individual without the prior written consent 

of such individual (or of a person legally authorized to 

consent on behalf of such individual). 

‘‘(G) EXPIRATION OF AUTHORITY.—The authority under 

this paragraph shall expire on September 30, 2011.’’. 

(b) AMENDMENTS TO VETERANS AFFAIRS AUTHORITY.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 53 of title 38, United States 

Code, is amended by inserting after section 5317 the following 

new section: 

‘‘§ 5317A. Use of income information from other agencies: 

independent verification required before termination or reduction of certain benefits and services 

‘‘(a) INDEPENDENT VERIFICATION REQUIRED.—The Secretary 

may terminate, deny, suspend, or reduce any benefit or service 

specified in section 5317(c), with respect to an individual under 

age 65 who is an applicant for or recipient of such a benefit 

or service, by reason of information obtained from the Secretary 

of Health and Human Services under section 453(j)(11) of the Social 

Security Act, only if the Secretary takes appropriate steps to verify 

independently information relating to the individual’s employment 

and income from employment. 

‘‘(b) OPPORTUNITY TO CONTEST FINDINGS.—The Secretary shall 

inform each individual for whom the Secretary terminates, denies, 

suspends, or reduces any benefit or service under subsection (a) 

of the findings made by the Secretary under such subsection on 

the basis of verified information and shall provide to the individual 

an opportunity to contest such findings in the same manner as 

applies to other information and findings relating to eligibility 

for the benefit or service involved. 

‘‘(c) SOURCE OF FUNDS FOR REIMBURSEMENT TO SECRETARY

OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES.—The Secretary shall pay the 

expense of reimbursing the Secretary of Health and Human Services 

in accordance with section 453(j)(11)(E) of the Social Security Act, 

for the cost incurred by the Secretary of Health and Human Services 

in furnishing information requested by the Secretary under section 

453(j)(11) of such Act, from amounts available to the Department 

for the payment of compensation and pensions. 

‘‘(d) EXPIRATION OF AUTHORITY.—The authority under this section shall expire on September 30, 2011.’’. 


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121 STAT. 1836 PUBLIC LAW 110–157—DEC. 26, 2007 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 797 (S. 1163): 

HOUSE REPORTS: No. 110–57 (Comm. on Veterans’ Affairs). 

SENATE REPORTS: No. 110–143 accompanying S. 1163 (Comm. on Veterans’ 

Affairs). 

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 153 (2007): 

Mar. 21, considered and passed House. 

Nov. 2, considered and passed Senate, amended, in lieu of S. 1163. 

Dec. 11, House concurred in Senate amendment with amendments pursuant 

to H. Res. 855. 

Dec. 17, Senate concurred in House amendments. 

Æ 

(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections at the 

beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the 

item relating to section 5317 the following new item: 

‘‘5317A. Use of income information from other agencies: independent verification required before termination or reduction of certain benefits and services.’’. 

SEC. 302. EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY OF VETERANS 

AFFAIRS TO PROVIDE AN EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE 

ALLOWANCE TO PERSONS PERFORMING QUALIFYING 

WORK-STUDY ACTIVITIES. 

Section 3485(a)(4) of title 38, United States Code, is amended 

by striking ‘‘June 30, 2007’’ each place it appears and inserting 

‘‘June 30, 2010’’. 

Approved December 26, 2007. 


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