IB 
Union Calendar No. 119
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2433
[Report No. 108–213] 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs to provide veterans who participated in certain Department of 
Defense chemical and biological warfare testing to be provided health 
care for illness without requirement for proof of service-connection. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 11, 2003
Mr. RODRIGUEZ (for himself and Mr. SIMMONS) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
JULY 16, 2003 
Additional sponsors: Mr. EVANS, Mr. FILNER, Mr. PAUL, Mr. FROST, Mr. 
MCGOVERN, Mr. MILLER of Florida, Mr. RYUN of Kansas, Mr. GUTIER-
REZ, Mr. MICHAUD, Mr. SNYDER, Mr. UDALL of New Mexico, Mr. 
FALEOMAVAEGA, Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD, Mr. MATHESON, Mr. 
CLAY, Mrs. DAVIS of California, and Mr. MOORE
JULY 16, 2003 
Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee of the Whole House 
on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on June 11, 2003] 
A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide veterans who 
participated in certain Department of Defense chemical
the next grade, the lack of a baccalaureate degree in nursing 
shall not be a bar to promotion to that grade, and in such 
a case the registered nurse shall not be denied a promotion 
on that basis.’’. 
SEC. 4. ADDITIONAL PAY FOR SATURDAY TOURS OF DUTY 
FOR ADDITIONAL HEALTH CARE WORKERS IN 
THE VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 7454(b) of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following 
new paragraph: 
‘‘(3) Employees appointed under section 7408 of this 
title shall be entitled to additional pay on the same basis 
as provided for nurses in section 7453(c) of this title.’’. 
(b) APPLICABILITY.—The amendment made by sub-
section (a) shall apply with respect to pay periods begin-
ning on or after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 5. COVERAGE OF EMPLOYEES OF VETERANS’ CANTEEN 
SERVICE UNDER ADDITIONAL EMPLOYMENT 
LAWS. 
(a) COVERAGE.—Paragraph (5) of section 7802 of title 
38, United States Code, is amended by inserting before the 
semicolon a period and the following: ‘‘An employee ap-
pointed under this section may be considered for appoint-
ment to a Department position in the competitive service 
in the same manner that a Department employee in the
competitive service is considered for transfer to such posi-
tion. An employee of the Service who is appointed to a De-
partment position in the competitive service under the au-
thority of the preceding sentence may count toward the 
time-in-service requirement for a career appointment in 
such position any previous period of employment in the 
Service’’. 
(b) TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS.—Such section is fur-
ther amended—
(1) by striking the semicolon at the end of each 
of paragraphs (1) through (10) and inserting a pe-
riod; 
(2) by striking ‘‘The Secretary ’’ and all that fol-
lows through ‘‘(1) establish,’’ and inserting ‘‘(a) LO-
CATIONS FOR CANTEENS.—The Secretary shall estab-
lish,’’; 
(3) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through (11) 
as subsections (b) through (k), respectively, and by re-
aligning those subsections (as so redesignated) so as 
to be flush to the left margin; 
(4) in subsection (b) (as so redesignated), by in-
serting ‘‘WAREHOUSES AND STORAGE DEPOTS.—The 
Secretary shall’’ before ‘‘establish’’;
(5) in subsection (c) (as so redesignated), by in-
serting ‘‘SPACE, BUILDINGS, AND STRUCTURES.—The 
Secretary shall’’ before ‘‘furnish’’; 
(6) in subsection (d) (as so redesignated), by in-
serting ‘‘EQUIPMENT, SERVICES, AND UTILITIES.—
The Secretary shall’’ before ‘‘transfer’’; 
(7) in subsection (e) (as so redesignated and as 
amended by subsection (a)), by inserting ‘‘PER-
SONNEL.—The Secretary shall’’ before ‘‘employ’’; 
(8) in subsection (f) (as so redesignated), by in-
serting ‘‘CONTRACTS
AND AGREEMENTS.—The Sec-
retary shall’’ before ‘‘make all’’; 
(9) in subsection (g) (as so redesignated), by in-
serting ‘‘PRICES.—The Secretary shall’’ before ‘‘fix 
the’’; 
(10) in subsection (h) (as so redesignated), by in-
serting ‘‘GIFTS
AND
DONATIONS.—The Secretary 
may’’ before ‘‘accept’’; 
(11) in subsection (i) (as so redesignated), by in-
serting ‘‘RULES AND REGULATIONS.—The Secretary 
shall’’ before ‘‘make such’’; 
(12) in subsection (j) (as so redesignated), by in-
serting ‘‘DELEGATION.—The Secretary may’’ before 
‘‘delegate such’’; and
(13) in subsection (k) (as so redesignated), by in-
serting ‘‘AUTHORITY TO CASH CHECKS, ETC.—The 
Secretary may’’ before ‘‘authorize’’.
Amend the title so as to read: ‘‘A bill to amend title 
38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs to provide veterans who participated in 
certain Department of Defense chemical and biological 
warfare testing with health care for their illness without 
requirement for proof of service-connection, and for other 
purposes.’’.
Union Calendar No. 119
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 2433
[Report No. 108–213] 
A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to author-
ize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide 
veterans who participated in certain Department 
of Defense chemical and biological warfare test-
ing to be provided health care for illness without 
requirement for proof of service-connection. 
JULY 16, 2003
Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee 
of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and or-
dered to be printed