I 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2985 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs to issue, upon request, veteran identification cards to certain veterans. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 21, 2011 
Mr. AKIN (for himself and Mr. REYES) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs to issue, upon request, veteran 
identification cards to certain veterans. 
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 ‘‘Veteran’s I.D. Card 
Act’’. 
SEC. 2. VETERANS IDENTIFICATION CARD. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) Currently, veteran identification cards are 
issued to veterans who have either completed the 
statutory time-in-service requirement for retirement 
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from the Armed Forces or who have received a med-
ical-related discharge from the Armed Forces. 
(2) A veteran who has served a minimum obli-
gated time in service, but who does not meet the cri-
teria described in paragraph (1), does not receive a 
means of identifying the veteran’s status as a vet-
eran other than using the official DD–214 discharge 
papers of the veteran. 
(3) Goods, services, and promotional activities 
are often offered by public and private institutions 
to veterans who demonstrate proof of service in the 
military but it is impractical for a veteran to always 
carry official DD–214 discharge papers to dem-
onstrate such proof. 
(4) A general purpose veteran identification 
card made available to a veteran who does not meet 
the criteria described in paragraph (1) would be use-
ful to such veteran in order to demonstrate the sta-
tus of the veteran without having to carry and use 
official DD–214 discharge papers. 
(5) The Department of Veterans Affairs has 
the infrastructure in place across the United States 
to produce photographic identification cards and ac-
cept a small payment to cover the cost of these 
cards. 
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(b) 
PROVISION
OF
VETERAN
IDENTIFICATION 
CARDS.—Chapter 57 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by adding after section 5705 the following new 
section: 
‘‘§ 5706. Veterans identification card 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Af-
fairs shall issue an identification card described in sub-
section (b) to any covered veteran who— 
‘‘(1) requests such card; 
‘‘(2) was discharged from the Armed Forces 
under honorable conditions; 
‘‘(3) presents a copy of the DD–214 form or 
other official document from the official military 
personnel file of the veteran that describes the serv-
ice of the veteran; and 
‘‘(4) pays the fee under subsection (c)(1). 
‘‘(b) IDENTIFICATION CARD.—An identification card 
described in this subsection is a card that— 
‘‘(1) displays a photograph of the covered vet-
eran; 
‘‘(2) displays the name of the covered veteran; 
‘‘(3) explains that such card is not proof of any 
benefits to which the veteran is entitled to; 
‘‘(4) contains an identification number that is 
not a social security number; and 
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‘‘(5) serves as proof that such veteran— 
‘‘(A) honorably served in the Armed 
Forces; and 
‘‘(B) has a DD–214 form or other official 
document in the official military personnel file 
of the veteran that describes the service of the 
veteran. 
‘‘(c) COSTS
OF CARD.—(1) The Secretary shall 
charge a fee to each veteran who receives an identification 
card issued under this section, including a replacement 
identification card. 
‘‘(2)(A) The fee charged under paragraph (1) shall 
equal an amount that the Secretary determines is nec-
essary to issue an identification card under this section. 
‘‘(B) In determining the amount of the fee under sub-
paragraph (A), the Secretary shall ensure that the total 
amount of fees collected under paragraph (1) equals an 
amount necessary to carry out this section, including costs 
related to any additional equipment or personnel required 
to carry out this section. 
‘‘(C) The Secretary shall review and reassess the de-
termination under subparagraph (A) during each five-year 
period in which the Secretary issues an identification card 
under this section. 
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‘‘(3) Amounts collected under this subsection shall be 
deposited in an account of the Department available to 
carry out this section. Amounts so deposited shall be 
merged with amounts in such account and shall be subject 
to the same conditions and limitations as amounts other-
wise in such account. 
‘‘(d) EFFECT OF CARD ON BENEFITS.—(1) An iden-
tification card issued under this section shall not serve as 
proof of any benefits that the veteran may be entitled to 
under this title. 
‘‘(2) A covered veteran who is issued an identification 
card under this section shall not be entitled to any benefits 
under this title by reason of possessing such card. 
‘‘(e) ADMINISTRATIVE MEASURES.—(1) The Sec-
retary shall ensure that any information collected or used 
with respect to an identification card issued under this 
section is appropriately secured. 
‘‘(2) The Secretary may determine any appropriate 
procedures with respect to issuing a replacement identi-
fication card. 
‘‘(3) In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall 
coordinate with the National Personnel Records Center. 
‘‘(4) The Secretary may conduct such outreach to ad-
vertise the identification card under this section as the 
Secretary considers appropriate. 
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‘‘(f) COVERED VETERAN DEFINED.—In this section, 
the term ‘covered veteran’ means a veteran who— 
‘‘(1) is not entitled to retired pay under chapter 
1223 of title 10; and 
‘‘(2) is not enrolled in the system of patient en-
rollment under section 1705 of this title.’’. 
(c) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting 
after the item relating to section 5705 the following new 
item: 
‘‘5706. Veterans identification card.’’. 
(d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this Act shall take effect on the date that is 60 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act. 
Æ 
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