I 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5148 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to prohibit the Secretary of Veterans 

Affairs from collecting certain debts owed to the United States by members of the Armed Forces and veterans who die as a result of an 

injury incurred or aggravated on active duty in a combat zone, and 

for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 28, 2008 

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

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to prohibit the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from collecting certain debts 

owed to the United States by members of the Armed 

Forces and veterans who die as a result of an injury 

incurred or aggravated on active duty in a combat zone, 

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 ‘‘Combat Veterans Debt 

5 Elimination Act of 2008’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON COLLECTION OF CERTAIN IN2 DEBTEDNESS OF MEMBERS OF THE ARMED 

3 FORCES AND VETERANS WHO DIE OF INJURY 

4 INCURRED OR AGGRAVATED IN SERVICE ON 

5 ACTIVE DUTY IN A COMBAT ZONE. 

6 (a) PROHIBITION.— 

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

8 United States Code, is amended by inserting after 

9 section 5302 the following new section: 

10 ‘‘§ 5302A. Prohibition on collection of indebtedness: 

11 certain debts of members of the Armed 

12 Forces and veterans who die of injury in13 curred or aggravated on active duty in a 

14 combat zone 

15 ‘‘(a) PROHIBITION.—The Secretary may not collect 

16 all or any part of an amount owed to the United States 

17 by a member of the Armed Forces or veteran described 

18 in subsection (b) under any program under the laws ad19 ministered by the Secretary, other than a program re20 ferred to in subsection (c). 

21 ‘‘(b) COVERED INDIVIDUALS.—A member of the 

22 Armed Forces or veteran described in this subsection is 

23 any member or veteran who dies as a result of an injury 

24 incurred or aggravated while serving in a theater of com25 bat operations (as determined by the Secretary in con26 sultation with the Secretary of Defense) in a war or in 


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1 combat against a hostile force during a period of hostilities 

2 (as that term is defined in section 1712A(a)(2)(B) of this 

3 title) after September 11, 2001. 

4 ‘‘(c) INAPPLICABILITY TO HOUSING AND SMALL

5 BUSINESS BENEFIT PROGRAMS.—The prohibition in sub6 section (a) shall not apply to any amounts owed the 

7 United States under any program carried out under chap8 ter 37 of this title.’’. 

9 (2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec10 tions at the beginning of chapter 53 of such title is 

11 amended by inserting after the item relating to sec12 tion 5302 the following new item: 

‘‘5302A. Prohibition on collection of indebtedness: certain debts of members of 

the Armed Forces and veterans who die of injury incurred or 

aggravated on active duty in a combat zone.’’. 

13 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

14 this section shall take effect on the date of the enactment 

15 of this Act, and shall apply with respect to collections of 

16 indebtedness of members of the Armed Forces and vet17 erans who die on or after September 11, 2001. 

Æ 


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