I 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 481 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to accept certain documents 

as proof of service in determining the eligibility of an individual to 

receive amounts from the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 4, 2013 

Mr. HECK of Nevada introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to accept certain 

documents as proof of service in determining the eligibility of an individual to receive amounts from the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund, 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. PROOF OF ELIGIBILITY FOR FILIPINO VET4 ERANS EQUITY COMPENSATION FUND. 

5 (a) PROOF.—Section 1002 of the American Recovery 

6 and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (division A of Public Law 

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1 111–5; 38 U.S.C. 107 note) is amended by adding at the 

2 end the following new subsections: 

3 ‘‘(m) PROOF OF SERVICE.— 

4 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall accept 

5 as proof of the service described in subsection (d) or 

6 (n)— 

7 ‘‘(A) the name of the eligible person in8 cluded on the Approved Revised Reconstructed 

9 Guerilla Roster (commonly known as the ‘Mis10 souri List’); 

11 ‘‘(B) documents included in the claims 

12 folder of the eligible person that prove such 

13 service, including an affidavit from the govern14 ment of the Philippines certifying such service 

15 (AGO Form 23); or 

16 ‘‘(C) any other documents that are issued 

17 or accepted by the government of the Phil18 ippines as proof of such service. 

19 ‘‘(2) SOURCE OF DOCUMENTS.—The Secretary 

20 may not reject a document under paragraph (1) 

21 solely because the document is issued by the govern22 ment of the Philippines. 

23 ‘‘(3) GOVERNMENT OF THE PHILIPPINES.—In 

24 this subsection, the term ‘government of the Phil25 ippines’ includes the Commonwealth of the Philmstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS

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1 ippines, the Commonwealth Army of the Philippines, 

2 and the Republic of the Philippines. 

3 ‘‘(n) CIVILIAN GUERILLA FORCES.—Service as a ci4 vilian guerilla in the Philippines during the period de5 scribed in paragraph (1) of subsection (d) shall be treated 

6 as service described under such subsection for purposes 

7 of a person being eligible for benefits under this section. 

8 ‘‘(o) COOPERATION.—The Secretary of the Army 

9 shall cooperate with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in 

10 carrying out this section.’’. 

11 (b) EXTENDED APPLICATION PERIOD.—Section 

12 1002(c) of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 

13 of 2009 (division A of Public Law 111–5; 38 U.S.C. 107 

14 note) is amended by adding at the end the following new 

15 paragraph: 

16 ‘‘(3) EXTENDED APPLICATION PERIOD.—Not17 withstanding paragraph (1), the Secretary may 

18 make a payment from the compensation fund to an 

19 eligible person who, during the 180-day period be20 ginning on the date of the enactment of this section, 

21 submits to the Secretary— 

22 ‘‘(A) a claim for benefits under this sec23 tion; or 

24 ‘‘(B) with respect to a person who filed a 

25 claim for benefits under this section during the 

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1 period described in paragraph (1), a new claim 

2 or an appeal to such previously filed claim.’’. 

Æ 

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