II 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2433 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to deem certain service in the 

organized military forces of the Government of the Commonwealth of 

the Philippines and the Philippine Scouts to have been active service 

for purposes of benefits under programs administered by the Secretary 

of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 15, 2018 

Mr. SCHATZ (for himself and Ms. MURKOWSKI) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to deem certain 

service in the organized military forces of the Government of the Commonwealth of the Philippines and the 

Philippine Scouts to have been active service for purposes 

of benefits under programs administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. 

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 ‘‘Filipino Veterans Fair5 ness Act of 2018’’. 


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•S 2433 IS

1 SEC. 2. CERTAIN SERVICE IN THE ORGANIZED MILITARY 

2 FORCES OF THE PHILIPPINES AND THE PHIL3 IPPINE SCOUTS DEEMED TO BE ACTIVE 

4 SERVICE. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 107 of title 38, United 

6 States Code, is amended— 

7 (1) in subsection (a)— 

8 (A) by striking ‘‘not’’ after ‘‘Army of the 

9 United States, shall’’; and 

10 (B) by striking ‘‘, except benefits under— 

11 ’’ and all that follows in that subsection and in12 serting a period; 

13 (2) in subsection (b)— 

14 (A) by striking ‘‘not’’ after ‘‘Armed Forces 

15 Voluntary Recruitment Act of 1945 shall’’; and 

16 (B) by striking ‘‘except—’’ and all that fol17 lows in that subsection and inserting a period; 

18 (3) by amending subsection (c) to read as fol19 lows: 

20 ‘‘(c) DETERMINATION OF ELIGIBILITY.—(1) In de21 termining the eligibility of the service of an individual 

22 under this section, the Secretary shall take into account 

23 any alternative documentation regarding such service, in24 cluding documentation other than the Missouri List, that 

25 the Secretary determines relevant. 


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1 ‘‘(2) Not later than March 1 of each year, the Sec2 retary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

3 of the Senate and Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the 

4 House of Representatives a report that includes— 

5 ‘‘(A) the number of individuals applying for 

6 benefits pursuant to this section during the previous 

7 year; and 

8 ‘‘(B) the number of such individuals that the 

9 Secretary approved for benefits.’’; and 

10 (4) by amending subsection (d) to read as fol11 lows: 

12 ‘‘(d) RELATION TO FILIPINO VETERANS EQUITY

13 COMPENSATION FUND.—Section 1002(h) of the American 

14 Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (title X of divi15 sion A of Public Law 111–5; 123 Stat. 200; 38 U.S.C. 

16 107 note) shall not apply to an individual described in sub17 section (a) or (b) of this section.’’. 

18 (b) CONFORMING AND CLERICAL AMENDMENTS.— 

19 (1) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The heading 

20 of such section is amended to read as follows: 


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•S 2433 IS

1 ‘‘§ 107. Certain service deemed to be active service: 

2 service in organized military forces of the 

3 Philippines and in the Philippine 

4 Scouts’’. 

5 (2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec6 tions at the beginning of chapter 1 of such title is 

7 amended by striking the item relating to section 107 

8 and inserting the following: 

‘‘107. Certain service deemed to be active service: service in organized military 

forces of the Philippines and in the Philippine Scouts.’’. 

9 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.— 

10 (1) IN GENERAL.—The amendments made by 

11 this section shall take effect on the date that is 90 

12 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

13 (2) APPLICABILITY.—No benefits shall accrue 

14 to any person for any period before the effective date 

15 specified in paragraph (1) by reason of the amend16 ments made by this section. 

Æ 


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