I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 23
To amend title 46, United States Code, and title II of the Social Security 
Act to provide benefits to certain individuals who served in the United 
States merchant marine (including the Army Transport Service and 
the Naval Transport Service) during World War II. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 4, 2005
Mr. FILNER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Veterans’ Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Ways 
and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the juris-
diction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend title 46, United States Code, and title II of 
the Social Security Act to provide benefits to certain 
individuals who served in the United States merchant 
marine (including the Army Transport Service and the 
Naval Transport Service) during World War II.
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 ‘‘Belated Thank You 
to the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act of 2005’’.
SEC. 2. MONTHLY BENEFIT FOR WORLD WAR II MERCHANT 
MARINERS AND SURVIVORS UNDER TITLE 46, 
UNITED STATES CODE. 
(a) MONTHLY BENEFIT.—Chapter 112 of title 46, 
United States Code, is amended—
(1) by inserting after the table of sections the 
following new subchapter heading: 
‘‘SUBCHAPTER I—VETERANS’ BURIAL AND 
CEMETERY BENEFITS’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
chapter: 
‘‘SUBCHAPTER II—MONTHLY BENEFIT 
‘‘§ 11205. Monthly benefit 
‘‘(a) PAYMENT.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
shall pay to each person issued a certificate of honorable 
service pursuant to section 11207(b) of this title a month-
ly benefit of $1,000. 
‘‘(b) SURVIVING SPOUSES.—
‘‘(1) PAYMENT TO SURVIVING SPOUSES.—The 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall pay to the sur-
viving spouse of each person issued a certificate of 
honorable service pursuant to section 11207(b) of 
this title a monthly benefit of $1,000. 
‘‘(2) EXCLUSION.—No benefit shall be paid 
under paragraph (1) to a surviving spouse of a per-
son issued a certificate of honorable service pursuant
to section 11207(b) unless the surviving spouse was 
married to such person for no less than 1 year. 
‘‘(c) EXEMPTION FROM TAXATION.—Payments of 
benefits under this section are exempt from taxation as 
provided in section 5301(a) of title 38. 
‘‘§ 11206. Qualified service 
‘‘For purposes of this subchapter, a person shall be 
considered to have engaged in qualified service if, between 
December 7, 1941, and December 31, 1946, the person—
‘‘(1) was a member of the United States mer-
chant marine (including the Army Transport Service 
and the Naval Transport Service) serving as a crew-
member of a vessel that was—
‘‘(A) operated by the War Shipping Ad-
ministration or the Office of Defense Transpor-
tation (or an agent of such Administration or 
Office); 
‘‘(B) operated in waters other than—
‘‘(i) inland waters; 
‘‘(ii) the Great Lakes; and 
‘‘(iii) other lakes, bays, and harbors of 
the United States; 
‘‘(C) under contract or charter to, or prop-
erty of, the Government of the United States; 
and
‘‘(D) serving the Armed Forces; and 
‘‘(2) while serving as described in paragraph 
(1), was licensed or otherwise documented for serv-
ice as a crewmember of such a vessel by an officer 
or employee of the United States authorized to li-
cense or document the person for such service. 
‘‘§ 11207. Documentation of qualified service 
‘‘(a) APPLICATION FOR SERVICE CERTIFICATE.—A 
person seeking benefits under section 11205 of this title 
shall submit an application for a service certificate to the 
Secretary of Transportation, or in the case of personnel 
of the Army Transport Service or the Naval Transport 
Service, the Secretary of Defense. 
‘‘(b) ISSUANCE
OF SERVICE CERTIFICATE.—The 
Secretary who receives an application under subsection (a) 
shall issue a certificate of honorable service to the appli-
cant if, as determined by that Secretary, the person en-
gaged in qualified service under section 11206 of this title 
and meets the standards referred to in subsection (d) of 
this section. 
‘‘(c) TIMING OF DOCUMENTATION.—A Secretary re-
ceiving an application under subsection (a) shall act on 
the application not later than 1 year after the date of that 
receipt.
‘‘(d) STANDARDS RELATING TO SERVICE.—In mak-
ing a determination under subsection (b), the Secretary 
acting on the application shall apply the same standards 
relating to the nature and duration of service that apply 
to the issuance of honorable discharges under section 
401(a)(1)(B) of the GI Bill Improvement Act of 1977 (38 
U.S.C. 106 note). 
‘‘§ 11208. Definitions 
‘‘In this subchapter, the term ‘surviving spouse’ has 
the meaning given such term in section 101 of title 38, 
except that in applying the meaning in this subchapter, 
the term ‘veteran’ shall include a person who performed 
qualified service as specified in section 11206 of this title. 
‘‘§ 11209. Authorization of appropriations 
‘‘There are authorized to be appropriated to the Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs such sums as may be necessary 
for the purpose of carrying out this subchapter.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Subsection (c) of 
section 11201 of title 46, United States Code, is amend-
ed—
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘chapter’’ and 
inserting ‘‘subchapter’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘chapter’’ the 
second place it appears and inserting ‘‘subchapter’’.
(c) CLERICAL AMENDMENTS.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of chapter 112 of title 46, United States 
Code, is amended—
(1) by inserting at the beginning the following 
new item:
‘‘SUBCHAPTER I—VETERANS’ BURIAL AND CEMETERY BENEFITS’’; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new 
items:
‘‘SUBCHAPTER II—MONTHLY BENEFIT 
‘‘11205. Monthly benefit. 
‘‘11206. Qualified service. 
‘‘11207. Documentation of qualified service. 
‘‘11208. Definitions. 
‘‘11209. Authorization of appropriations.’’.
(d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Subchapter II of chapter 
112 of title 46, United States Code, as added by sub-
section (a) of this section, shall take effect with respect 
to payments for periods beginning on or after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, regardless of the date of ap-
plication for benefits. 
SEC. 3. BENEFITS FOR WORLD WAR II MERCHANT MARI-
NERS UNDER TITLE II OF THE SOCIAL SECU-
RITY ACT. 
(a) BENEFITS.—Section 217(d) of the Social Secu-
rity Act (42 U.S.C. 417(d)) is amended by adding at the 
end the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(3) The term ‘active military or naval service’ 
includes the service, or any period of forcible deten-