I
103D CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 44
To provide that certain service of members of the United States merchant
marine during World War II constituted active military service for pur-
poses of any law administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 5, 1993
Mr. FIELDS of Texas (for himself, Mr. EVANS, Mr. STUDDS, Ms. KAPTUR,
Mr. PORTER, Mr. SMITH of Oregon, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Mr. ANDREWS
of New Jersey, Mr. ACKERMAN, Mr. BARTON of Texas, Mr. BATEMAN,
Mr. BOEHLERT, Mr. BONIOR, Mr. BOUCHER, Mr. BROWDER, Mr.
BUNNING, Mr. CALLAHAN, Mr. CLEMENT, Mr. COLEMAN, Mr. COX, Mr.
CUNNINGHAM, Mr. DELLUMS, Mr. DE LUGO, Mr. DICKS, Mr. DOO-
LITTLE, Mr. ESPY, Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA, Mr. FAWELL, Mr. FAZIO, Mr.
FISH, Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, Mr. FROST, Mr. GALLEGLY, Mr.
GILCHREST, Mr. GILMAN, Mr. GILLMOR, Mr. GOSS, Mr. HERGER, Mr.
HOCHBRUECKNER, Mr. HUGHES, Mr. HUNTER, Mr. HUTTO, Mr. HYDE,
Mr. INHOFE, Mr. JEFFERSON, Mrs. JOHNSON of Connecticut, Mr.
KOLBE, Mr. KOPETSKI, Mr. LAFALCE, Mr. LANCASTER, Mr. LIPINSKI,
Mr. LIVINGSTON, Mrs. LOWEY of New York, Mr. MACHTLEY, Mr. MAN-
TON, Mrs. MEYERS of Kansas, Mrs. MINK, Mr. MURPHY, Mr. MURTHA,
Mr. NEAL of Massachusetts, Ms. NORTON, Mr. OBERSTAR, Mr. ORTIZ,
Mr. OWENS, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. PAYNE of New Jersey, Mr. PETERSON
of Minnesota, Mr. PRICE of North Carolina, Mr. QUILLEN, Mr. RANGEL,
Mr. RAVENEL, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. SAXTON, Mr. SCHIFF, Mr. SHAW, Mr.
SHAYS, Mr. SHUSTER, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. SPENCE, Mr.
STARK, Mr. STEARNS, Mr. SWIFT, Mr. TAUZIN, Mr. TAYLOR of Mis-
sissippi, Mr. TORRICELLI, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. TRAFICANT, Mrs. UNSOELD,
Mr. VENTO, Mr. WALSH, Mr. WILSON, Mr. YOUNG of Alaska, and Mr.
ZELIFF) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Commit-
tee on Veterans’ Affairs
JUNE 2, 1993
Additional sponsors: Mr. ANDREWS of Texas, Mr. BACCHUS of Florida, Mrs.
BENTLEY, Mr. BORSKI, Mr. BUYER, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. DIXON, Mr. EM-
ERSON, Mr. GEJDENSON, Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas, Mr. GUTIERREZ,
Mr. HALL of Texas, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas, Mr.
KING, Mr. LAUGHLIN, Mr. MCHUGH, Mr. MATSUI, Mrs. MEEK, Mr.
MOORHEAD, Mrs. MORELLA, Mr. PETERSON of Florida, Mr. PICKETT,
Mr. REED, Mr. SANTORUM, Mr. SCOTT, Mr. SKAGGS, Mr. SOLOMON, Mr.
TAYLOR of North Carolina, Mr. TORRES, Mrs. VUCANOVICH, Mr. WISE,
Mr. WYDEN, Mr. YOUNG of Florida, Mr. BAKER of Louisiana, Mr. BE-
REUTER, Mr. BOEHNER, Mr. BRYANT, Mr. CRAMER, Ms. DUNN, Mr.
FILNER, Ms. FURSE, Mr. GEPHARDT, Mr. PETE GEREN of Texas, Mr.
GINGRICH, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. KREIDLER, Mr. LEWIS of Florida, Mrs.
MALONEY, Mr. MCDADE, Mr. NADLER, Mr. NEAL of North Carolina, Mr.
OLVER, Mr. PASTOR, Mr. WELDON, Mr. WILLIAMS, Mr. WOLF, Mr.
BARRETT of Nebraska, Mr. CHAPMAN, Mr. COPPERSMITH, Ms. DANNER,
Mr. DIAZ-BALART, Mr. FINGERHUT, Mr. GALLO, Mr. GLICKMAN, Mr.
HOLDEN, Mr. JOHNSTON of Florida, Mr. LANTOS, Mr. LAZIO, Mr.
LEVIN, Mr. MCCLOSKEY, Mr. MCCRERY, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr.
MENENDEZ, Ms. MOLINARI, Ms. PELOSI, Mr. RAMSTAD, Mr. STUPAK,
Mr. VOLKMER, and Mr. ZIMMER
A BILL
To provide that certain service of members of the United
States merchant marine during World War II constituted
active military service for purposes of any law adminis-
tered by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
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 ‘‘Merchant Mariners
Fairness Act of 1993’’.
SEC. 2. SERVICE DEEMED TO BE ACTIVE MILITARY SERV-
ICE.
(a) 
IN
GENERAL.—For 
purposes 
of 
section
401(a)(1)(A) of the GI Bill Improvement Act of 1977 (38
U.S.C. 106 note), the Secretary of Defense is deemed to
have determined that qualified service of a person con-
stituted active military service.
(b) DETERMINATION OF DISCHARGE STATUS.—
(1) The Secretary of Defense shall issue an
honorable discharge under section 401(a)(1)(B) of
the GI Bill Improvement Act of 1977 to each person
whose qualified service warrants an honorable dis-
charge.
(2) Such discharge shall be issued before the
end of the one-year period beginning on the date of
the enactment of this Act.
SEC. 3. PROHIBITION OF RETROACTIVE BENEFITS.
Benefits shall not be paid to any person as a result
of the enactment of this Act for any period before the date
of the enactment of this Act.
SEC. 4. PROCESSING FEES.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Department
in which the Coast Guard is operating shall establish, as-
sess, and collect a fee for processing applications for bene-
fits based on qualified service.
(b) APPLICATION.—A fee established under this sec-
tion shall apply to any application that is received after
the date of the enactment of this Act by the Secretary
of the Department in which the Coast Guard is operating,
for a benefit (including for an increase in a benefit) based
on qualified service.
(c) AMOUNT.—The amount of a fee established under
this section shall be $30.
SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.
For purposes of this Act—
(1) the term ‘‘qualified service’’ means service
of a person as a member of the United States mer-
chant marine during the period beginning December
7, 1941, and ending December 31, 1946, while such
person was—
(i) licensed or otherwise documented by an
officer or employee of the United States author-
ized by law to do so; and
(ii) a crewmember of any vessel which at
the time of such service was—
(I) documented in the United States,
(II) operated under the flag of the
United States in waters other than inland
waters of the United States,
(III) under contract or charter to, or
property of, the Government of the United
States, and
(IV) serving the Armed Forces;
(2) the term ‘‘United States merchant marine’’
includes the United States Army Transport Service.
Æ