(B) COMPENSATION.—The chairman of the 
Commission or Task Force may fix the com-
pensation of the executive director and other per-
sonnel without regard to the provisions of chap-
ter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 
5, United States Code, relating to classification 
of positions and General Schedule pay rates, ex-
cept that the rate of pay for the executive direc-
tor and other personnel may not exceed the rate 
payable for level V of the Executive Schedule 
under section 5316 of such title. 
(4) DETAIL
OF
GOVERNMENT
EMPLOYEES.— 
Upon request of the chairman of the Commission or 
Task Force, the head of any department or agency of 
the Federal Government may detail, on a nonreim-
bursable basis, any personnel of that department or 
agency to the Commission or Task Force to assist it 
in carrying out its duties. 
(5) PROCUREMENT OF TEMPORARY AND INTER-
MITTENT SERVICES.—The chairman of the Commis-
sion or Task Force may procure temporary and inter-
mittent services under section 3109(b) of title 5, 
United States Code, at rates for individuals which do 
not exceed the daily equivalent of the annual rate of 
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basic pay prescribed for level V of the Executive 
Schedule under section 5316 of such title. 
(h) TERMINATION OF COMMISSION OR TASK FORCE.— 
The Commission or Task Force shall terminate 60 days 
after the date on which the Commission or Task Force sub-
mits the final comprehensive report under subsection (c)(3). 
(i) FUNDING.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall, upon the 
request of the chairman of the Commission or Task 
Force, make available to the Commission or Task 
Force such amounts as the Commission or Task Force 
may require to carry out the duties of the Commis-
sion or Task Force under this section. 
(2) AVAILABILITY.—Any sums made available to 
the Commission or Task Force shall remain available, 
without fiscal year limitation, until the termination 
of the Commission or Task Force. 
(j) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘appeals process’’ means the proc-
ess to appeal the determination by the Secretary of a 
claim beginning with the notice of disagreement filed 
pursuant to section 7105 of title 38, United States 
Code, and ending with the review of a decision by the 
Supreme Court pursuant to section 7292(c) of such 
title. 
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(2) The term ‘‘Board’’ means the Board of Vet-
erans’ Appeals. 
(3) The term ‘‘strategic plan’’ means the Stra-
tegic Plan to Eliminate the Compensation Claims 
Backlog, published by the Secretary of Veterans Af-
fairs on January 25, 2013. 
(k) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall take effect 
on the date that is one year after the date of the enactment 
of this Act. 
SEC. 15. METHODS FOR VALIDATING CERTAIN WORLD WAR 
II MERCHANT MARINER SERVICE CONSID-
ERED TO BE ACTIVE SERVICE BY THE SEC-
RETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—For the purposes of verifying that 
an individual performed service under honorable conditions 
that satisfies the requirements of a coastwise merchant sea-
man who is recognized pursuant to section 401 of the GI 
Bill Improvement Act of 1977 (Public Law 95–202; 38 
U.S.C. 106 note) as having performed active duty service 
for the purposes described in subsection (c)(1), the Secretary 
of Homeland Security shall accept the following: 
(1) In the case of an individual who served on 
a coastwise merchant vessel seeking such recognition 
for whom no applicable Coast Guard shipping or dis-
charge form, ship logbook, merchant mariner’s docu-
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ment or Z-card, or other official employment record 
is available, the Secretary shall provide such recogni-
tion on the basis of applicable Social Security Ad-
ministration records submitted for or by the indi-
vidual, together with validated testimony given by the 
individual or the primary next of kin of the indi-
vidual that the individual performed such service dur-
ing the period beginning on December 7, 1941, and 
ending on December 31, 1946. 
(2) In the case of an individual who served on 
a coastwise merchant vessel seeking such recognition 
for whom the applicable Coast Guard shipping or dis-
charge form, ship logbook, merchant mariner’s docu-
ment or Z-card, or other official employment record 
has been destroyed or otherwise become unavailable by 
reason of any action committed by a person respon-
sible for the control and maintenance of such form, 
logbook, or record, the Secretary shall accept other of-
ficial documentation demonstrating that the indi-
vidual performed such service during period begin-
ning on December 7, 1941, and ending on December 
31, 1946. 
(3) For the purpose of determining whether to 
recognize service allegedly performed during the pe-
riod beginning on December 7, 1941, and ending on 
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December 31, 1946, the Secretary shall recognize mas-
ters of seagoing vessels or other officers in command 
of similarly organized groups as agents of the United 
States who were authorized to document any indi-
vidual for purposes of hiring the individual to per-
form service in the merchant marine or discharging 
an individual from such service. 
(b) TREATMENT OF OTHER DOCUMENTATION.—Other 
documentation accepted by the Secretary of Homeland Se-
curity pursuant to subsection (a)(2) shall satisfy all re-
quirements for eligibility of service during the period begin-
ning on December 7, 1941, and ending on December 31, 
1946. 
(c) BENEFITS ALLOWED.— 
(1) BURIAL BENEFITS ELIGIBILITY.—Service of 
an individual that is considered active duty pursuant 
to subsection (a) shall be considered as active duty 
service with respect to providing burial benefits under 
chapters 23 and 24 of title 38, United States Code, 
to the individual. 
(2) MEDALS, RIBBONS, AND DECORATIONS.—An 
individual whose service is recognized as active duty 
pursuant to subsection (a) may be awarded an appro-
priate medal, ribbon, or other military decoration 
based on such service. 
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