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104TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 179

To require the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Health and Human

Services, and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit to the Congress

a joint report addressing the question of United States Government

responsibility for providing benefits and services to disabled individuals

who served with certain voluntary organizations that provided significant

assistance to the Armed Forces of the United States stationed in the

Republic of Vietnam during the Vietnam era.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JANUARY 4, 1995

Mrs. COLLINS of Illinois introduced the following bill; which was referred to

the Committee on National Security

A BILL

To require the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Health

and Human Services, and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit to the Congress a joint report addressing

the question of United States Government responsibility

for providing benefits and services to disabled individuals

who served with certain voluntary organizations that provided significant assistance to the Armed Forces of the

United States stationed in the Republic of Vietnam during the Vietnam era.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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1 SECTION 1. REPORT REGARDING THE PROVISION OF BENE2 FITS AND SERVICES TO DISABLED OVERSEAS

3 VOLUNTEER SUPPORT PERSONNEL FOR THE

4 ARMED FORCES DURING THE VIETNAM ERA.

5 (a) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to provide

6 a basis for the executive branch and the Congress to evalu7 ate the question of whether the United States Government

8 should bear any responsibility for providing overseas vol9 unteer support personnel with Federal and other benefits

10 and services (including health care and monetary com11 pensation) in connection with disabilities which may be re12 lated to their experiences during their service in the Re13 public of Vietnam in support of the activities of the Armed

14 Forces of the United States during the Vietnam era.

15 (b) REPORT.—(1) In order to carry out the purpose

16 described in subsection (a), the Secretary of Defense, the

17 Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the Sec18 retary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly prepare a report

19 on the question described in that subsection. The report

20 shall include—

21 (A) a description of the benefits and services (if

22 any) that should be provided to such overseas volun23 teer support personnel;

24 (B) various alternative approaches to providing

25 such benefits and services (together with comments
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1 on the appropriateness and the advantages and dis2 advantages of each alternative approach); and

3 (C) any recommendations by such officials for

4 legislative and administrative action to establish a

5 program for providing such benefits and services to

6 such overseas volunteer support personnel.

7 (2) The report shall be submitted to the President

8 and Congress not later than 180 days after the date of

9 the enactment of this Act.

10 (c) DEFINITIONS.—For the purpose of this Act:

11 (1) The term ‘‘overseas volunteer support per12 sonnel’’ means individuals who, for a period of at

13 least 30 days during the Vietnam era, served in the

14 Republic of Vietnam as employees of, or volunteer

15 workers with, a voluntary organization determined

16 by the Secretary of Defense to be an organization

17 that provided significant assistance to the Armed

18 Forces of the United States in the Republic of Viet19 nam during the Vietnam era. Such term does not in20 clude members of the Armed Forces.

21 (2) The term ‘‘Armed Forces’’ has the meaning

22 given such term in section 101(10) of title 38, Unit23 ed States Code.
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1 (3) The term ‘‘Vietnam era’’ has the meaning

2 given such term in section 101(29) of title 38, Unit3 ed States Code.

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