mentation of section 1116B of title 38, United 
States Code, as added by subsection (a). 
(2) CLAIMS DESCRIBED.—A claim described in 
this subparagraph is a claim for disability compensa-
tion— 
(A) relating to the service and diseases 
covered by such section 1116B; and 
(B) that is pending at the Veterans Bene-
fits Administration or the Board of Veterans’ 
Appeals on or after the date of the enactment 
of this Act and before the date on which the 
Secretary commences the implementation of 
such section 1116B. 
(d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall take effect on January 1, 2019. 
SEC. 4. BENEFITS FOR CHILDREN OF CERTAIN THAILAND 
SERVICE 
VETERANS 
BORN 
WITH 
SPINA 
BIFIDA. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter III of chapter 18 of 
title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following new section: 
‘‘§ 1822. Benefits for children of certain Thailand 
service veterans born with spina bifida 
‘‘(a) BENEFITS AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary may 
provide to any child of a veteran of covered service in
Thailand who is suffering from spina bifida the health 
care, vocational training and rehabilitation, and monetary 
allowance required to be paid to a child of a Vietnam vet-
eran who is suffering from spina bifida under subchapter 
I of this chapter as if such child of a veteran of covered 
service in Thailand were a child of a Vietnam veteran who 
is suffering from spina bifida under such subchapter. 
‘‘(b) SPINA BIFIDA CONDITIONS COVERED.—This 
section applies with respect to all forms and manifesta-
tions of spina bifida, except spina bifida occulta. 
‘‘(c) VETERAN
OF COVERED SERVICE
IN THAI-
LAND.—For purposes of this section, a veteran of covered 
service in Thailand is any individual, without regard to 
the characterization of that individual’s service, who— 
‘‘(1) served in the active military, naval, or air 
service in Thailand, as determined by the Secretary 
in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, dur-
ing the period beginning on January 9, 1962, and 
ending on May 7, 1975; and 
‘‘(2) is determined by the Secretary, in con-
sultation with the Secretary of Defense, to have been 
exposed to a herbicide agent during such service in 
Thailand. 
‘‘(d) HERBICIDE AGENT.—For purposes of this sec-
tion, the term ‘herbicide agent’ means a chemical in a her-
bicide used in support of United States and allied military 
operations in Thailand, as determined by the Secretary in 
consultation with the Secretary of Defense, during the pe-
riod beginning on January 9, 1962, and ending on May 
7, 1975.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT TO DEFINITION OF 
‘‘CHILD’’.—Section 1831(1) of such title is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (B)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘subchapter III of this 
chapter’’ and inserting ‘‘section 1821 of this 
title’’; and 
(B) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘section 1821 
of this title’’ and inserting ‘‘that section’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
paragraph: 
‘‘(C) For purposes of section 1822 of this 
title, an individual, regardless of age or marital 
status, who— 
‘‘(i) is the natural child of a veteran 
of covered service in Thailand (as deter-
mined for purposes of that section); and 
‘‘(ii) was conceived after the date on 
which that veteran first entered service de-
scribed in subsection (c) of that section.’’. 
(c) CLERICAL AMENDMENTS.—
(1) SUBCHAPTER HEADING.—The heading for 
subchapter III of chapter 18 of such title is amend-
ed 
by 
inserting 
‘‘AND 
THAILAND’’ 
after 
‘‘KOREA’’. 
(2) TABLE OF SECTIONS.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of chapter 18 of such title is 
amended— 
(A) by striking the item relating to sub-
chapter III and inserting the following new 
item: 
‘‘SUBCHAPTER III—CHILDREN OF CERTAIN KOREA AND THAILAND SERVICE 
VETERANS BORN WITH SPINA BIFIDA’’; 
and 
(B) by inserting after the item relating to 
section 1821 the following new item: 
‘‘1822. Benefits for children of certain Thailand service veterans born with spina 
bifida.’’. 
(d) PENDING CASES.— 
(1) AUTHORITY TO STAY.—The Secretary may 
stay a claim described in subparagraph (B) until the 
date on which the Secretary commences the imple-
mentation of section 1822 of title 38, United States 
Code, as added by subsection (a). 
(2) CLAIMS DESCRIBED.—A claim described in 
this subparagraph is a claim for benefits— 
(A) relating to the spina bifida and service 
covered by such section 1822; and
(B) that is pending at the Veterans Bene-
fits Administration or the Board of Veterans’ 
Appeals on or after the date of the enactment 
of this Act and before the date on which the 
Secretary commences the implementation of 
such section 1822. 
(e) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, 
shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of 
the House of Representatives and the Senate a report 
identifying— 
(1) the military installations of the United 
States located in Thailand during the period begin-
ning on January 9, 1962, and ending on May 7, 
1975, at which an herbicide agent (as defined in sec-
tion 1822 of title 38, United States Code, as added 
by subsection (a)) was actively used; and 
(2) the period of such use. 
(f) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall take effect on January 1, 2019. 
SEC. 5. UPDATED REPORT ON CERTAIN GULF WAR ILLNESS 
STUDY. 
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the 
House of Representatives and the Senate an updated re-
port on the findings, as of the date of the updated report, 
of the Follow-up Study of a National Cohort of Gulf War 
and Gulf Era Veterans under the epidemiology program 
of the Department of Veterans Affairs. 
SEC. 6. LOANS GUARANTEED UNDER HOME LOAN PRO-
GRAM OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AF-
FAIRS. 
(a) 
ADJUSTMENT
OF
LOAN
LIMIT.—Section 
3703(a)(1) of title 38, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (A)(i)(IV)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘the lesser of’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘or 25 percent of the 
loan’’; and 
(2) in subparagraph (C), by striking ‘‘Freddie 
Mac’’ and all that follows through the period at the 
end and inserting ‘‘amount of the loan.’’. 
(b) LOAN FEES.—Section 3729(b)(2) of such title is 
amended by striking the loan fee table and inserting the 
following:
‘‘Type of loan 
Active duty 
veteran 
Reservist 
Other obli-
gor 
(A)(i) Initial loan described in section 
3710(a) to purchase or construct a 
dwelling with 0-down, or any other 
initial loan described in section 
3710(a) other than with 5-down or 
10-down (closed on or after October 
1, 2004, and before January 1, 
2019) 
2.15 
2.40 
NA 
(A)(ii) Initial loan described in section 
3710(a) to purchase or construct a 
dwelling with 0-down, or any other 
initial loan described in section 
3710(a) other than with 5-down or 
10-down (closed on or after January 
1, 2019, and before December 1, 
2027) 
2.40 
2.40 
NA 
(A)(iii) Initial loan described in section 
3710(a) to purchase or construct a 
dwelling with 0-down, or any other 
initial loan described in section 
3710(a) other than with 5-down or 
10-down (closed on or after Decem-
ber 1, 2027, and before October 1, 
2028) 
2.15 
2.15 
NA 
(A)(iv) Initial loan described in section 
3710(a) to purchase or construct a 
dwelling with 0-down, or any other 
initial loan described in section 
3710(a) other than with 5-down or 
10-down (closed on or after October 
1, 2028) 
1.40 
1.40 
NA 
(B)(i) Subsequent loan described in 
section 3710(a) to purchase or con-
struct a dwelling with 0-down, or 
any other subsequent loan described 
in section 3710(a) (closed on or 
after October 1, 2004, and before 
January 1, 2019) 
3.30 
3.30 
NA 
(B)(ii) Subsequent loan described in 
section 3710(a) to purchase or con-
struct a dwelling with 0-down, or 
any other subsequent loan described 
in section 3710(a) (closed on or 
after January 1, 2019, and before 
December 1, 2027) 
3.80 
3.80 
NA 
(B)(iii) Subsequent loan described in 
section 3710(a) to purchase or con-
struct a dwelling with 0-down, or 
any other subsequent loan described 
in section 3710(a) (closed on or 
after December 1, 2027, and before 
October 1, 2028) 
3.30 
3.30 
NA
‘‘Type of loan 
Active duty 
veteran 
Reservist 
Other obli-
gor 
(B)(iv) Subsequent loan described in 
section 3710(a) to purchase or con-
struct a dwelling with 0-down, or 
any other subsequent loan described 
in section 3710(a) (closed on or 
after October 1, 2028) 
1.25 
1.25 
NA 
(C)(i) 
Loan 
described 
in 
section 
3710(a) to purchase or construct a 
dwelling with 5-down (closed before 
January 1, 2019) 
1.50 
1.75 
NA 
(C)(ii) Loan described in section 
3710(a) to purchase or construct a 
dwelling with 5-down (closed on or 
after January 1, 2019, and before 
December 1, 2027) 
1.75 
1.75 
NA 
(C)(iii) Loan described in section 
3710(a) to purchase or construct a 
dwelling with 5-down (closed on or 
after December 1, 2027, and before 
October 1, 2028) 
1.50 
1.50 
NA 
(C)(iv) Loan described in section 
3710(a) to purchase or construct a 
dwelling with 5-down (closed on or 
after October 1, 2028) 
0.75 
0.75 
NA 
(D)(i) 
Loan 
described 
in 
section 
3710(a) to purchase or construct a 
dwelling with 10-down (closed before 
January 1, 2019) 
1.25 
1.50 
NA 
(D)(ii) Loan described in section 
3710(a) to purchase or construct a 
dwelling with 10-down (closed on or 
after January 1, 2019, and before 
December 1, 2027) 
1.45 
1.45 
NA 
(D)(iii) Loan described in section 
3710(a) to purchase or construct a 
dwelling with 10-down (closed on or 
after December 1, 2027, and before 
October 1, 2028) 
1.25 
1.25 
NA 
(D)(iv) Loan described in section 
3710(a) to purchase or construct a 
dwelling with 10-down (closed on or 
after October 1, 2028) 
0.50 
0.50 
NA 
(E) Interest rate reduction refinancing 
loan 
0.50 
0.50 
NA 
(F) Direct loan under section 3711 
1.00 
1.00 
NA 
(G) Manufactured home loan under 
section 3712 (other than an interest 
rate reduction refinancing loan) 
1.00 
1.00 
NA 
(H) Loan to Native American veteran 
under section 3762 (other than an 
interest rate reduction refinancing 
loan) 
1.25 
1.25 
NA
‘‘Type of loan 
Active duty 
veteran 
Reservist 
Other obli-
gor 
(I) Loan assumption under section 
3714 
0.50 
0.50 
0.50 
(J) Loan under section 3733(a) 
2.25 
2.25 
2.25’’. 
(c) WAIVER OF FEES FOR PURPLE HEART RECIPI-
ENTS; COLLECTION OF CERTAIN LOAN FEES.—Section 
3729(c) of such title is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘A fee’’ and inserting 
‘‘Subject to paragraph (3), a fee’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘or from a surviving 
spouse’’ and inserting ‘‘, from a surviving 
spouse’’; and 
(C) by inserting before the period at the 
end the following: ‘‘, or from a member of the 
Armed Forces serving on active duty who was 
awarded the Purple Heart’’. 
(2) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(3) A fee shall be collected under this section from 
any veteran with a service-connected disability rated as 
less than total, any surviving spouse of such a veteran, 
and any member of the Armed Forces who, on or after 
January 1, 2019, receives a loan in an amount that ex-
ceeds the Freddie Mac conforming loan limit limitation de-
termined under section 305(a)(2) of the Federal Home
Loan Mortgage Corporation Act (12 U.S.C. 1454(a)(2)) 
for a single-family residence, as adjusted for the year in-
volved.’’. 
(d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall apply with respect to a loan guaranteed 
under section 3710 of title 38, United States Code, on 
or after January 1, 2019. 
(e) GUIDANCE.—Notwithstanding section 501 of such 
title, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs may issue guidance 
to implement this section before prescribing new regula-
tions under sections 3703 and 3729 of such title, as 
amended by subsections (a), (b), and (c). 
SEC. 7. INFORMATION GATHERING FOR DEPARTMENT OF 
VETERANS AFFAIRS HOME LOAN APPRAIS-
ALS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 3731(b) of title 38, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following new paragraph: 
‘‘(3) The Secretary shall permit an appraiser on a 
list developed and maintained under subsection (a)(3) to 
make an appraisal for the purposes of this chapter based 
solely on information gathered by a person with whom the 
appraiser has entered into an agreement for such serv-
ices.’’.
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall apply with respect to an appraisal under 
section 3731 of such title, on or after January 1, 2019. 
(c) GUIDANCE.—Notwithstanding section 501 of such 
title, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs may issue guidance 
to implement this section before prescribing new regula-
tions under sections 3731 of such title, as amended by 
subsection (a). 
Passed the House of Representatives June 25, 2018. 
Attest: 
Clerk.
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 299 
AN ACT 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify 
presumptions relating to the exposure of certain 
veterans who served in the vicinity of the Repub-
lic of Vietnam, and for other purposes.