I
103D CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1415
To provide veterans benefits to certain individuals serving in the United
States merchant marine in a combat zone during a period of war,
and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 18, 1993
Mr. HOCHBRUECKNER introduced the following bill; which was referred jointly
to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs and Merchant Marine and Fisheries
A BILL
To provide veterans benefits to certain individuals serving
in the United States merchant marine in a combat zone
during a period of war, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Combat Merchant
Mariners Benefits Act of 1993’’.
SEC. 2. ELIGIBILITY OF CERTAIN MERCHANT MARINERS
FOR VETERANS BENEFITS.
Subject to section 3, the service of an individual in
the United States merchant marine during a period of war
for a total period equal to at least 12 months shall be
considered to be active duty in determining the individ-
ual’s eligibility for veterans benefits under all laws admin-
istered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
SEC. 3. LIMITATIONS.
(a) QUALIFIED SERVICE.—The service referred to in
section 2 is the following:
(1) OCEAN, COASTAL, OR INTERCOASTAL VOY-
AGES.—Service on a vessel of the United States on
ocean, coastwise, or intercoastal voyages, during a
period of war in a combat zone of such war that was
rendered to the Armed Forces in a capacity consid-
ered civilian employment or contractual service at
the time the service was rendered.
(2) FORCIBLE DETENTION OR INTERNMENT.—
Any period of forcible detention or internment by an
enemy government or hostile force as a result of hos-
tile action against a vessel of the United States
while the individual was performing service referred
to in paragraph (1) on the vessel.
(3) OTHER SERVICE.—Any period of service in
the War Shipping Administration, the United States
Maritime Service, or a maritime training program
conducted or recognized by the Armed Forces, ex-
cept that not more than six months of such service
may be included in calculating the period of service
referred to in section 2.
(b) APPLICABILITY
OF
MINIMUM
ACTIVE-DUTY
SERVICE
REQUIREMENTS.—Any minimum active-duty
service requirement of any law administered by the Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs shall apply in determining an
individual’s eligibility for veterans benefits under this Act.
SEC. 4. WAIVER OF PERIOD OF SERVICE REQUIREMENT
FOR DISABILITY INCURRED DURING QUALI-
FIED SERVICE.
The requirement of section 2 that the period of serv-
ice referred to in such section be equal to at least 12
months shall not apply to an individual who is perma-
nently disabled in the performance of the service referred
to in such section while the vessel of the United States
on which the individual is performing the service is sub-
jected to hostile action.
SEC. 5. VERIFICATION OF SERVICE.
The service referred to in section 2 may be verified
by entries in a continuous discharge book, a certificate of
discharge to merchant seamen, a certificate of substan-
tially continuous service, or other documentation available
from the Secretary of Transportation or the head of any
other Federal agency.