H. R. 2297—22
SEC. 704. TEMPORARY AUTHORITY FOR PERFORMANCE OF MEDICAL
DISABILITIES 
EXAMINATIONS 
BY 
CONTRACT 
PHYSI-
CIANS.
(a) AUTHORITY.—Using appropriated funds, other than funds
available for compensation and pension, the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs may provide for the conduct of examinations with respect
to the medical disabilities of applicants for benefits under laws
administered by the Secretary by persons other than Department
of Veterans Affairs employees. The authority under this section
is in addition to the authority provided in section 504(b) of the
Veterans’ Benefits Improvement Act of 1996 (Public Law 104–
275; 38 U.S.C. 5101 note).
(b) PERFORMANCE
BY CONTRACT.—Examinations under the
authority provided in subsection (a) shall be conducted pursuant
to contracts entered into and administered by the Under Secretary
for Benefits.
(c) EXPIRATION.—The authority in subsection (a) shall expire
on December 31, 2009. No examination may be carried out under
the authority provided in that subsection after that date.
(d) REPORT.—Not later than four years after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress
a report on the use of the authority provided in subsection (a).
The Secretary shall include in the report an assessment of the
effect of examinations under that authority on the cost, timeliness,
and thoroughness of examinations with respect to the medical
disabilities of applicants for benefits under laws administered by
the Secretary.
SEC. 705. FORFEITURE OF BENEFITS FOR SUBVERSIVE ACTIVITIES.
(a) ADDITION OF CERTAIN OFFENSES.—Paragraph (2) of section
6105(b) is amended—
(1) by inserting ‘‘175, 229,’’ after ‘‘sections’’; and
(2) by inserting ‘‘831, 1091, 2332a, 2332b,’’ after ‘‘798,’’.
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by subsection
(a) shall apply to claims filed after the date of the enactment
of this Act.
SEC. 706. TWO-YEAR EXTENSION OF ROUND-DOWN REQUIREMENT FOR
COMPENSATION COST-OF-LIVING ADJUSTMENTS.
Sections 1104(a) and 1303(a) are each amended by striking
‘‘2011’’ and inserting ‘‘2013’’.
SEC. 707. CODIFICATION OF REQUIREMENT FOR EXPEDITIOUS TREAT-
MENT OF CASES ON REMAND.
(a) CASES REMANDED BY BOARD OF VETERANS’ APPEALS.—(1)
Chapter 51 is amended by adding at the end of subchapter I
the following new section:
‘‘§ 5109B. Expedited treatment of remanded claims
‘‘The Secretary shall take such actions as may be necessary
to provide for the expeditious treatment by the appropriate regional
office of the Veterans Benefits Administration of any claim that
is remanded to a regional office of the Veterans Benefits Administra-
tion by the Board of Veterans’ Appeals.’’.
H. R. 2297—23
(2) The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter
is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 5109A
the following new item:
‘‘5109B. Expedited treatment of remanded claims.’’.
(b) CASES REMANDED BY COURT OF APPEALS FOR VETERANS
CLAIMS.—(1) Chapter 71 is amended by adding at the end the
following new section:
‘‘§ 7112. Expedited treatment of remanded claims
‘‘The Secretary shall take such actions as may be necessary
to provide for the expeditious treatment by the Board of any claim
that is remanded to the Secretary by the Court of Appeals for
Veterans Claims.’’.
(2) The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter
is amended by adding at the end the following new item:
‘‘7112. Expedited treatment of remanded claims.’’.
(c) REPEAL OF SOURCE SECTION.—Section 302 of the Veterans’
Benefits Improvement Act of 1994 (Public Law 103–446; 108 Stat.
4658; 38 U.S.C. 5101 note) is repealed.
SEC. 708. TECHNICAL AND CLERICAL AMENDMENTS.
(a) MISCELLANEOUS
AMENDMENTS.—(1) Section 103(d) is
amended—
(A) in paragraph (4)—
(i) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by
striking ‘‘this subsection’’ and inserting ‘‘paragraph (2)(A)
or (3)’’; and
(ii) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘paragraph (2)’’
and inserting ‘‘paragraph (2)(A)’’; and
(B) in paragraph (5), by striking ‘‘Paragraphs (2)’’ and
inserting ‘‘Paragraphs (2)(A)’’.
(2) Section 1729A is amended—
(A) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘after June 30, 1997,’’
in the matter preceding paragraph (1);
(B) in subsection (c), by striking paragraph (3);
(C) by striking subsection (e); and
(D) by redesignating subsection (f) as subsection (e).
(3) Section 1804(c)(2) is amended by striking ‘‘subsection’’ and
inserting ‘‘section’’.
(4) Section 1974(a)(5) is amended by striking ‘‘Secretary of
Transportation’’ and inserting ‘‘Secretary of Homeland Security’’.
(b) AMENDMENTS RELATING TO THE JOBS FOR VETERANS ACT.—
(1)(A) Subsection (c)(2)(B)(ii) of section 4102A is amended by
striking ‘‘October 1, 2002’’ and inserting ‘‘October 1, 2003’’.
(B) The amendment made by subparagraph (A) shall take effect
as if included in the enactment of section 4(a) of the Jobs for
Veterans Act (Public Law 107–288; 116 Stat. 2038).
(2) Subsection (f)(1) of section 4102A is amended by striking
‘‘6 months after the date of the enactment of this section,’’ and
inserting ‘‘May 7, 2003,’’.
(c) AMENDMENTS RELATING TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF SOCIAL
SECURITY ADMINISTRATION AS AN INDEPENDENT AGENCY.—(1) Sec-
tion 1322 is amended—
(A) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘Secretary of Health and
Human Services’’ and all that follows through the period and
H. R. 2297—24
inserting ‘‘Commissioner of Social Security, and shall be cer-
tified by the Commissioner to the Secretary upon request of
the Secretary.’’; and
(B) in subsection (b)—
(i) by striking ‘‘Secretary of Health and Human Serv-
ices’’ in the first sentence and inserting ‘‘Commissioner
of Social Security’’;
(ii) by striking ‘‘the two Secretaries’’ and inserting ‘‘the
Secretary and the Commissioner’’; and
(iii) by striking ‘‘Secretary of Health and Human Serv-
ices’’ in the second sentence and inserting ‘‘Commissioner’’.
(2) Section 5101(a) is amended by striking ‘‘Secretary of Health
and Human Services’’ and inserting ‘‘Commissioner of Social Secu-
rity’’.
(3) Section 5317 is amended by striking ‘‘Secretary of Health
and Human Services’’ in subsections (a), (b), and (g) and inserting
‘‘Commissioner of Social Security’’.
(4)(A) Section 5318 is amended—
(i) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘Department of Health
and Human Services’’ and inserting ‘‘Social Security Adminis-
tration’’; and
(ii) in subsection (b)—
(I) by striking ‘‘Department of Health and Human Serv-
ices’’ and inserting ‘‘Social Security Administration’’;
(II) by striking ‘‘Secretary of Health and Human Serv-
ices’’ the first place it appears and inserting ‘‘Commissioner
of Social Security’’;
(III) by striking ‘‘Secretary of Health and Human Serv-
ices’’ the second place it appears and inserting ‘‘Commis-
sioner’’; and
(IV) by striking ‘‘such Secretaries’’ and inserting ‘‘the
Secretary and the Commissioner’’.
(B)(i) The heading of such section is amended to read as follows:
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‘‘§ 5318. Review of Social Security Administration death
information’’.
(ii) The item relating to that section in the table of sections
at the beginning at chapter 53 is amended to read as follows:
‘‘5318. Review of Social Security Administration death information.’’.
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.