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THE DEPARTMENT
OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.—Section
3732(c)(11) is amended by striking ‘‘October 1, 2008’’
and inserting ‘‘October 1, 2011’’.
SEC. 406. CLARIFYING AMENDMENT RELATING TO ELIGI-
BILITY OF MEMBERS OF THE SELECTED RE-
SERVE FOR HOUSING LOANS.
Section 3729(b)(4)(B) is amended by inserting before
the period the following: ‘‘who is eligible under section
3702(a)(2)(E) of this title’’.
TITLE V—OTHER MATTERS
SEC. 501. INCREASE IN BURIAL BENEFITS.
(a) BURIAL AND FUNERAL EXPENSES.—(1) Clause
(1) of section 2307 is amended by striking ‘‘$1,500’’ and
inserting ‘‘$2,000’’.
(2) The amendment made by paragraph (1) shall
apply to deaths occurring on or after September 11, 2001.
(b) PLOT ALLOWANCE.—(1) Section 2303(b) is
amended by striking ‘‘$150’’ each place it appears and
inserting ‘‘$300’’.
(2) The amendments made by paragraph (1) shall
apply to deaths occurring on or after December 1, 2001.
SEC. 502. GOVERNMENT MARKERS FOR MARKED GRAVES
AT PRIVATE CEMETERIES.
(a) GOVERNMENT MARKER BENEFIT.—Section 2306
of title 38, United States Code, is amended—
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(1) by redesignating subsections (d) and (e) as
subsections (e) and (f), respectively; and
(2) by inserting after subsection (c) the fol-
lowing new subsection (d):
‘‘(d)(1) The Secretary shall furnish, when requested,
an appropriate Government marker at the expense of the
United States for the grave of an individual described in
paragraph (2) or (5) of subsection (a) who is buried in
a private cemetery, notwithstanding that the grave is
marked by a headstone or marker furnished at private ex-
pense. Such a marker may be furnished only if the indi-
vidual making the request for the Government marker cer-
tifies to the Secretary that the marker will be placed on
the grave for which the marker is requested.
‘‘(2) Any marker furnished under this subsection
shall be delivered by the Secretary directly to the cemetery
where the grave is located.
‘‘(3) The authority to furnish a marker under this
subsection expires on December 31, 2006.
‘‘(4) Not later than February 1, 2006, the Secretary
shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of
the Senate and House of Representatives a report on the
use of the authority under this subsection. The report
shall include the following:
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‘‘(A) The rate of use of the benefit under this
subsection, shown by fiscal year.
‘‘(B) An assessment as to the extent to which
markers furnished under this subsection are being
delivered to cemeteries and placed on grave sites
consistent with the provisions of this subsection.
‘‘(C) The Secretary’s recommendation for ex-
tension or repeal of the expiration date specified in
paragraph (3).’’.
(b) DESIGN OF MARKER.—Subsection (c) of such
section is amended by striking ‘‘subsection (a) or (b)’’ and
inserting ‘‘subsection (a), (b), or (d)’’.
(c) CROSS REFERENCE CORRECTION.—Subsection
(a)(5) of such section is amended by striking ‘‘chapter 67’’
and inserting ‘‘chapter 1223’’.
(d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by
subsections (a) and (b) shall apply with respect to markers
for the graves of individuals dying on or after the date
of the enactment of this Act.
SEC. 503. INCREASE IN AMOUNT OF ASSISTANCE FOR
AUTOMOBILE AND ADAPTIVE EQUIPMENT
FOR CERTAIN DISABLED VETERANS.
Section 3902(a) is amended by striking ‘‘$8,000’’
and inserting ‘‘$9,000’’.
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SEC. 504. EXTENSION OF LIMITATION ON PENSION FOR
CERTAIN 
RECIPIENTS 
OF 
MEDICAID-COV-
ERED NURSING HOME CARE.
Paragraph (7) of subsection (d) of section 5503, as
redesignated by section 204(a), is amended by striking
‘‘September 30, 2008’’ and inserting ‘‘September 30,
2011’’.
SEC. 505. PROHIBITION ON PROVISION OF CERTAIN BENE-
FITS WITH RESPECT TO PERSONS WHO ARE
FUGITIVE FELONS.
(a) PROHIBITION.—(1) Chapter 53 is amended by in-
serting after section 5313A the following new section:
‘‘§ 5313B. Prohibition on providing certain benefits
with respect to persons who are fugitive
felons
‘‘(a) A veteran who is otherwise eligible for a benefit
specified in subsection (c) may not be paid or otherwise
provided such benefit for any period during which such
veteran is a fugitive felon. A dependent of a veteran who
is otherwise eligible for a benefit specified in subsection
(c) may not be paid or otherwise provided such benefit
for any period during which such veteran or such depend-
ent is a fugitive felon.
‘‘(b) For purposes of this section:
‘‘(1) The term ‘fugitive felon’ means a person
who is a fugitive by reason of—
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‘‘(A) fleeing to avoid prosecution, or cus-
tody or confinement after conviction, for an of-
fense, or an attempt to commit an offense,
which is a felony under the laws of the place
from which the person flees; or
‘‘(B) violating a condition of probation or
parole imposed for commission of a felony
under Federal or State law.
‘‘(2) The term ‘felony’ includes a high mis-
demeanor under the laws of a State which character-
izes as high misdemeanors offenses that would be
felony offenses under Federal law.
‘‘(3) The term ‘dependent’ means a spouse, sur-
viving spouse, child, or dependent parent of a vet-
eran.
‘‘(c) A benefit specified in this subsection is a benefit
under any of the following:
‘‘(1) Chapter 11 of this title.
‘‘(2) Chapter 13 of this title.
‘‘(3) Chapter 15 of this title.
‘‘(4) Chapter 17 of this title.
‘‘(5) Chapter 19 of this title.
‘‘(6) Chapter 30, 31, 32, 34, or 35 of this title.
‘‘(7) Chapter 37 of this title.
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‘‘(d)(1) The Secretary shall furnish to any Federal,
State, or local law enforcement official, upon the written
request of such official, the most current address main-
tained by the Secretary of a person who is eligible for a
benefit specified in subsection (c) if such official—
‘‘(A) provides to the Secretary such information
as the Secretary may require to fully identify the
person;
‘‘(B) identifies the person as being a fugitive
felon; and
‘‘(C) certifies to the Secretary that appre-
hending such person is within the official duties of
such official.
‘‘(2) The Secretary shall enter into memoranda of un-
derstanding with Federal law enforcement agencies, and
may enter into agreements with State and local law en-
forcement agencies, for purposes of furnishing information
to such agencies under paragraph (1).’’.
(2) The table of sections at the beginning of that
chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating
to section 5313A the following new item:
‘‘5313B. Prohibition on providing certain benefits with respect to persons who
are fugitive felons.’’.
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS ON ENTRY INTO MEMO-
RANDA OF UNDERSTANDING AND AGREEMENTS.—It is
the sense of Congress that the memoranda of under-
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standing 
and 
agreements 
referred 
to 
in 
section
5313B(d)(2) of title 38, United States Code (as added by
subsection (a)), should be entered into as soon as prac-
ticable after the date of the enactment of this Act, but
not later than six months after that date.
SEC. 506. LIMITATION ON PAYMENT OF COMPENSATION
FOR VETERANS REMAINING INCARCERATED
SINCE OCTOBER 7, 1980.
(a) LIMITATION.—Section 5313 of title 38, United
States Code, other than subsection (d) of that section,
shall apply with respect to the payment of compensation
to or with respect to any veteran described in subsection
(b).
(b) COVERED VETERANS.—A veteran described in
this subsection is a veteran who is entitled to compensa-
tion and who—
(1) on October 7, 1980, was incarcerated in a
Federal, State, or local penal institution for a felony
committed before that date; and
(2) remains so incarcerated for conviction of
that felony as of the date of the enactment of this
Act.
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall apply with
respect to the payment of compensation for months begin-
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ning on or after the end of the 90-day period beginning
on the date of the enactment of this Act.
(d) COMPENSATION DEFINED.—For purposes of this
section, the term ‘‘compensation’’ has the meaning given
that term in section 5313 of title 38, United States Code.
SEC. 507. ELIMINATION OF REQUIREMENT FOR PROVIDING
A COPY OF NOTICE OF APPEAL TO THE SEC-
RETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
(a) REPEAL.—Section 7266 is amended by striking
subsection (b).
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Such section is
further amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘(1)’’ after ‘‘(a)’’;
(2) by redesignating paragraph (2) as sub-
section (b);
(3) by redesignating paragraph (3) as sub-
section (c) and redesignating subparagraphs (A) and
(B) thereof as paragraphs (1) and (2); and
(4) by redesignating paragraph (4) as sub-
section (d) and by striking ‘‘paragraph (3)(B)’’
therein and inserting ‘‘subsection (c)(2)’’.
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SEC. 508. INCREASE IN FISCAL YEAR LIMITATION ON NUM-
BER OF VETERANS IN PROGRAMS OF INDE-
PENDENT LIVING SERVICES AND ASSIST-
ANCE.
(a) INCREASE IN LIMITATION.—Section 3120(e) is
amended by striking ‘‘five hundred’’ and inserting
‘‘2,500’’.
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by
subsection (a) shall take effect as of September 30, 2001.
SEC. 509. TECHNICAL AND CLERICAL AMENDMENTS.
(a) REPEAL OF EXPIRED PROVISION.—(1) Section
712 is repealed.
(2) The table of sections at the beginning of chapter
7 is amended by striking the item relating to section 712.
(b) CORRECTION
OF
WORD
OMISSION.—Section
1710B(c)(2)(B) is amended by inserting ‘‘on’’ before ‘‘No-
vember 30, 1999’’.
(c) REPEAL OF ERRONEOUS CROSS REFERENCE.—
Section 1729B(b) is amended—
(1) by striking paragraph (1); and
(2) by redesignating paragraphs (2), (3), and
(4) as paragraphs (1), (2), and (3), respectively.
(d) CORRECTION OF CROSS REFERENCE.—Section
3695(a)(5) is amended by striking ‘‘1610’’ and inserting
‘‘1611’’.
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(e) STYLISTIC CORRECTION.—Section 1001(a)(2) of
the Veterans’ Benefits Improvements Act of 1994 (Public
Law 103–446; 38 U.S.C. 7721 note) is amended by strik-
ing ‘‘and’’ at the end of subparagraph (C).
(f) CORRECTION OF PREVIOUS AMENDMENT.—Effec-
tive November 30, 1999, and as if included therein as
originally enacted, section 204(e)(3) of the Veterans Mil-
lennium Health Care and Benefits Act (Public Law 106–
117; 113 Stat. 1563) is amended by striking ‘‘and insert-
ing ‘a’;’’ and inserting ‘‘the first place it appears and in-
serting ‘an’;’’.
TITLE 
VI—UNITED 
STATES
COURT OF APPEALS FOR VET-
ERANS CLAIMS
SEC. 601. FACILITATION OF STAGGERED TERMS OF JUDGES
THROUGH TEMPORARY EXPANSION OF THE
COURT.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 7253 is amended by add-
ing at the end the following new subsection:
‘‘(h) TEMPORARY EXPANSION OF COURT.—(1) Dur-
ing the period from January 1, 2002, through August 15,
2005, the authorized number of judges of the Court speci-
fied in subsection (a) is increased by two.
‘‘(2)(A) Of the two additional judges authorized by
this subsection—
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‘‘(i) only one may be appointed pursuant to a
nomination made in 2002; and
‘‘(ii) only one may be appointed pursuant to a
nomination made in 2003.
‘‘(B) If a judge is not appointed under this subsection
pursuant to a nomination made in 2002, a judge may be
appointed under this subsection pursuant to a nomination
made in 2004. If a judge is not appointed under this sub-
section pursuant to a nomination made in 2003, a judge
may be appointed under this subsection pursuant to a
nomination made in 2004. In either case, such an appoint-
ment may be made only pursuant to a nomination made
before October 1, 2004.
‘‘(3) The term of office and the eligibility for retire-
ment of a judge appointed under this subsection, other
than a judge described in paragraph (4), are governed by
the provisions of section 1012 of the Court of Appeals for
Veterans Claims Amendments of 1999 (title X of Public
Law 106–117; 113 Stat. 1590; 38 U.S.C. 7296 note) if
the judge is one of the first two judges appointed to the
Court after November 30, 1999.
‘‘(4) A judge of the Court as of the date of the enact-
ment of this subsection who was appointed to the Court
before January 1, 1991, may accept appointment as a
judge of the Court under this subsection notwithstanding
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that the term of office of the judge on the Court has not
yet expired under this section. The term of office of an
incumbent judge who receives an appointment as de-
scribed in the preceding sentence shall be 15 years, which
includes any period remaining in the unexpired term of
the judge. Any service following an appointment under
this subsection shall be treated as though served as part
of the original term of office of that judge on the Court.
‘‘(5) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), an appointment
may not be made to the Court if the appointment would
result in there being more than seven judges on the Court
who were appointed after January 1, 1997. For the pur-
poses of this paragraph, a judge serving in recall status
under section 7257 of this title shall be disregarded in
counting the number of judges appointed to the Court
after such date.’’.
(b) STYLISTIC AMENDMENTS.—That section is fur-
ther amended—
(1) in subsection (b), by inserting ‘‘APPOINT-
MENT.—’’ before ‘‘The judges’’;
(2) in subsection (c), by inserting ‘‘TERM OF
OFFICE.—’’ before ‘‘The term’’;
(3) in subsection (f), by striking ‘‘(f)(1)’’ and
inserting ‘‘(f) REMOVAL.—(1)’’; and
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(d) APPLICABILITY.—The repeals made by sub-
sections (a) and (b) shall apply to any appeal filed with
the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims—
(1) on or after the date of the enactment of this
Act; or
(2) before the date of the enactment of this Act
but in which a final decision has not been made
under section 7291 of title 38, United States Code,
as of that date.
SEC. 604. REGISTRATION FEES.
(a) FEES
FOR COURT-SPONSORED ACTIVITIES.—
Subsection (a) of section 7285 is amended by adding at
the end the following new sentence: ‘‘The Court may also
impose a registration fee on persons (other than judges
of the Court) participating at judicial conferences con-
vened pursuant to section 7286 of this title or in any other
court-sponsored activity.’’.
(b) USE OF FEES.—Subsection (b) of such section
is amended by striking ‘‘for the purposes of (1)’’ and all
that follows through the period and inserting ‘‘for the fol-
lowing purposes:
‘‘(1) Conducting investigations and proceedings,
including employing independent counsel, to pursue
disciplinary matters.
‘‘(2) Defraying the expenses of—
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‘‘(A) judicial conferences convened pursu-
ant to section 7286 of this title; and
‘‘(B) other activities and programs of the
Court that are intended to support and foster
communication and relationships between the
Court and persons practicing before the Court
or the study, understanding, public commemo-
ration, or improvement of veterans law or of the
work of the Court.’’.
(c) CLERICAL AMENDMENTS.—(1) The heading for
such section is amended to read as follows:
‘‘§ 7285. Practice and registration fees’’.
(2) The item relating to such section in the table of
sections at the beginning of chapter 72 is amended to read
as follows:
‘‘7285. Practice and registration fees.’’.
SEC. 605. ADMINISTRATIVE AUTHORITIES.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter III of chapter 72 is
amended by inserting after section 7286 the following new
section:
‘‘§ 7287. Administration
‘‘Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the
Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims may exercise, for
purposes of management, administration, and expenditure
of funds of the Court, the authorities provided for such
purposes by any provision of law (including any limitation
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with respect to such provision of law) applicable to a court
of the United States (as that term is defined in section
451 of title 28), except to the extent that such provision
of law is inconsistent with a provision of this chapter.’’.
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections
at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting
after the item related to section 7286 the following new
item:
‘‘7287. Administration.’’.
Attest:
Clerk.