IIB 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3219 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
JULY 28, 2009 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
AN ACT 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain 
improvements in the laws administered by the Secretary 
of Veterans Affairs relating to insurance and health care, 
and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Veterans’ Insurance and Health Care Improvements Act 
of 2009’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
TITLE I—MATTERS RELATING TO INSURANCE 
Sec. 101. Permanent extension of duration of Servicemembers’ Group Life In-
surance coverage for totally disabled veterans. 
Sec. 102. Increased amount of Veterans’ Group Life Insurance. 
Sec. 103. Elimination of reduction in amount of accelerated death benefit for 
terminally-ill persons insured under Servicemembers’ Group 
Life Insurance and Veterans’ Group Life Insurance. 
TITLE II—MATTERS RELATING TO HEALTH CARE 
Sec. 201. Higher priority status for certain veterans who are medal of honor 
recipients. 
Sec. 202. Provision of hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care 
for certain Vietnam-era veterans exposed to herbicide and vet-
erans of the Persian Gulf War. 
Sec. 203. Prohibition on collection of copayments from catastrophically disabled 
veterans. 
Sec. 204. Establishment of Director of Physician Assistant Services at Veterans 
Health Administration of Department of Veterans Affairs. 
Sec. 205. Committee on Care of Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury. 
Sec. 206. Revision of certain requirements for the pilot program of enhanced 
contract care authority for health care needs of veterans in 
highly rural areas. 
TITLE III—MATTERS RELATING TO BENEFITS 
Sec. 301. Benefits for qualified World War II veterans. 
Sec. 302. Waiver of housing loan fee for certain veterans with service-connected 
disabilities called to active service. 
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TITLE I—MATTERS RELATING 
TO INSURANCE 
SEC. 101. PERMANENT EXTENSION OF DURATION OF 
SERVICEMEMBERS’ GROUP LIFE INSURANCE 
COVERAGE FOR TOTALLY DISABLED VET-
ERANS. 
(a) EXTENSION.—Section 1968(a) of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1)(A), by striking clause (ii) 
and inserting the following new clause (ii): 
‘‘(ii) The date that is two years after 
the date of separation or release from such 
active duty or active duty for training.’’; 
and 
(2) in paragraph (4), by striking subparagraph 
(B) and inserting the following new subparagraph 
(B): 
‘‘(B) The date that is two years after the 
date of separation or release from such assign-
ment.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
subsection (a) shall apply with respect to a person who 
is separated or released on or after June 15, 2005. 
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SEC. 102. INCREASED AMOUNT OF VETERANS’ GROUP LIFE 
INSURANCE. 
(a) INCREASED AMOUNT.—Section 1977(a) of title 
38, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘Except as 
provided in paragraph (3),’’ before ‘‘Veterans’ Group 
Life Insurance shall be’’; and 
(2) by adding after paragraph (2) the following 
new paragraph: 
‘‘(3) Not more than once in each five-year period be-
ginning on the one-year anniversary of the date a person 
becomes insured under Veterans’ Group Life Insurance, 
such person may elect in writing to increase the amount 
for which the person is insured if— 
‘‘(A) the person is under the age of 60; 
‘‘(B) the increased amount is $25,000; and 
‘‘(C) the amount for which the person is in-
sured does not exceed the amount provided for 
under section 1967(a)(3)(A)(i) of this title.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Paragraph (3) of section 
1977(a) of title 38, United States Code, shall take effect 
on the date that is 180 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act. 
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