I

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 4720

To provide veterans benefits to individuals who serve in the United States

merchant marine during a period of war.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JUNE 22, 2000

Mr. FORBES introduced the following bill; which was referred to the

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs

A BILL

To provide veterans benefits to individuals who serve in the

United States merchant marine during a period of war.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Combat Merchant

5 Mariners Veterans Benefits Act of 2000’’.

6 SEC. 2. ELIGIBILITY FOR VETERANS BENEFITS.

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subsection (b), the

8 service of an individual in the United States merchant ma9 rine during a period of war for a total period equal to

10 at least 12 months shall be considered to be active duty
2

•HR 4720 IH

1 in determining the individual’s eligibility for veterans ben2 efits under all laws administered by the Secretary of Vet3 erans Affairs.

4 (b) QUALIFIED SERVICE.—The service referred to in

5 subsection (a) shall be limited to the following:

6 (1) OCEAN, COASTAL, OR INTERCOASTAL VOY7 AGES.—Service on a vessel of the United States on

8 ocean, coastwise, or intercoastal voyages, during a

9 period of war in a combat zone of such war. The

10 service shall be rendered to the Armed Forces in a

11 capacity considered civilian employment or contrac12 tual service at the time the service was rendered.

13 (2) FORCIBLE DETENTION OR INTERNMENT.—

14 Any period of forcible detention or internment by an

15 enemy government or hostile force as a result of hos16 tile action against a vessel of the United States

17 while the individual was performing the service re18 ferred to in paragraph (1) on the vessel.

19 (3) OTHER SERVICE.—Any period of service in

20 the War Shipping Administration, the United States

21 Maritime Service, or a maritime training program

22 conducted or recognized by the Armed Forces, ex23 cept that not more than 6 months of such service

24 may be included in calculating the period of service

25 referred to in subsection (a).
3

•HR 4720 IH

1 (c) APPLICABILITY OF MINIMUM ACTIVE-DUTY

2 SERVICE REQUIREMENTS.—The minimum active-duty

3 service requirement of any law administered by the Sec4 retary of Veterans Affairs shall apply in determining an

5 individual’s eligibility for veterans benefits under this Act.

6 SEC. 3. WAIVER OF PERIOD OF SERVICE.

7 The requirement of section 2(a) that the period of

8 service referred to in that section be equal to at least 12

9 months shall not apply to an individual who is perma10 nently disabled in the performance of the service referred

11 to in such section while the vessel of the United States

12 on which the individual is performing the service is sub13 jected to hostile action.

14 SEC. 4. VERIFICATION OF SERVICE.

15 The service referred to in section 2(a) may be verified

16 by entries in a continuous discharge book, a certificate of

17 discharge to merchant seamen, a certificate of substan18 tially continuous service, or other documentation available

19 from the Secretary of Transportation or the head of any

20 other Federal agency.

21 SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.

22 For purposes of this Act:

23 (1) The term ‘‘Armed Forces’’ has the meaning

24 given such term in section 101(10) of title 38,

25 United States Code.
4

•HR 4720 IH

1 (2) The term ‘‘combat zone’’ means an area in

2 which the Armed Forces are engaged in combat, as

3 determined by the Secretary of Defense.

4 (3) The term ‘‘individual in the United States

5 merchant marine’’ means any citizen or resident

6 alien of the United States serving as a civilian or

7 civil service member of the United States merchant

8 marine.

9 (4) The term ‘‘period of war’’ has the meaning

10 given such term in section 101(11) of title 38,

11 United States Code.

12 (5) The term ‘‘vessel of the United States’’ has

13 the meaning given such term in section 2101(46) of

14 title 46, United States Code.

15 SEC. 6. APPLICABILITY AND PROHIBITION OF RETRO16 ACTIVE BENEFITS.

17 The service referred to in section 2(a) may be ren18 dered before the date of the enactment of this Act. An

19 individual who performs such service before the date of

20 the enactment of this Act may not be provided veterans

21 benefits that accrue as a result of the enactment of this

22 Act for any period of accrual before the date of the enact23 ment of this Act.

Æ