H. R. 1291—21
‘‘(3) The term ‘dependent’ means a spouse, surviving spouse,
child, or dependent parent of a veteran.
‘‘(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.
‘‘(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 maintained 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 apprehending such per-
son is within the official duties of such official.
‘‘(2) The Secretary shall enter into memoranda of understanding
with Federal law enforcement agencies, and may enter into agree-
ments with State and local law enforcement 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 MEMORANDA OF UNDER-
STANDING AND AGREEMENTS.—It is the sense of Congress that the
memoranda of understanding 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 practicable 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 VET-
ERANS 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 compensation 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 beginning on or after
the end of the 90-day period beginning on the date of the enactment
of this Act.
H. R. 1291—22
(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 SECRETARY OF VET-
ERANS 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 subsection (b);
(3) by redesignating paragraph (3) as subsection (c) and
redesignating subparagraphs (A) and (B) thereof as paragraphs
(1) and (2); and
(4) by redesignating paragraph (4) as subsection (d) and
by striking ‘‘paragraph (3)(B)’’ therein and inserting ‘‘subsection
(c)(2)’’.
SEC. 508. INCREASE IN FISCAL YEAR LIMITATION ON NUMBER OF
VETERANS IN PROGRAMS OF INDEPENDENT LIVING
SERVICES AND ASSISTANCE.
(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 ‘‘November 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 para-
graphs (1), (2), and (3), respectively.
(d) CORRECTION OF CROSS REFERENCE.—Section 3695(a)(5) is
amended by striking ‘‘1610’’ and inserting ‘‘1611’’.
(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 striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of subparagraph
(C).
(f) CORRECTION OF PREVIOUS AMENDMENT.—Effective November
30, 1999, and as if included therein as originally enacted, section
204(e)(3) of the Veterans Millennium Health Care and Benefits
Act (Public Law 106–117; 113 Stat. 1563) is amended by striking
‘‘and inserting ‘a’;’’ and inserting ‘‘the first place it appears and
inserting ‘an’;’’.
H. R. 1291—23
TITLE VI—UNITED STATES COURT OF
APPEALS FOR VETERANS CLAIMS
SEC. 601. FACILITATION OF STAGGERED TERMS OF JUDGES THROUGH
TEMPORARY EXPANSION OF THE COURT.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 7253 is amended by adding at the
end the following new subsection:
‘‘(h) TEMPORARY EXPANSION OF COURT.—(1) During the period
from January 1, 2002, through August 15, 2005, the authorized
number of judges of the Court specified in subsection (a) is increased
by two.
‘‘(2)(A) Of the two additional judges authorized by this
subsection—
‘‘(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 subsection 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
appointment may be made only pursuant to a nomination made
before October 1, 2004.
‘‘(3) The term of office and the eligibility for retirement 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 enactment
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 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
described 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 purposes 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 further amended—
(1) in subsection (b), by inserting ‘‘APPOINTMENT.—’’ before
‘‘The judges’’;
(2) in subsection (c), by inserting ‘‘TERM OF OFFICE.—’’
before ‘‘The term’’;
H. R. 1291—24
(3) in subsection (f), by striking ‘‘(f)(1)’’ and inserting ‘‘(f)
REMOVAL.—(1)’’; and
(4) in subsection (g), by striking ‘‘(g)(1)’’ and inserting ‘‘(g)
RULES.—(1)’.
SEC. 
602. 
REPEAL 
OF 
REQUIREMENT 
FOR 
WRITTEN 
NOTICE
REGARDING 
ACCEPTANCE 
OF 
REAPPOINTMENT 
AS
CONDITION TO RETIREMENT FROM THE COURT.
Section 7296(b)(2) is amended by striking the second sentence.
SEC. 603. TERMINATION OF NOTICE OF DISAGREEMENT AS JURISDIC-
TIONAL REQUIREMENT FOR THE COURT.
(a) TERMINATION.—Section 402 of the Veterans’ Judicial Review
Act (division A of Public Law 100–687; 102 Stat. 4122; 38 U.S.C.
7251 note) is repealed.
(b) ATTORNEY FEES.—Section 403 of the Veterans’ Judicial
Review Act (102 Stat. 4122; 38 U.S.C. 5904 note) is repealed.
(c) CONSTRUCTION.—The repeal in subsection (a) may not be
construed to confer upon the United States Court of Appeals for
Veterans Claims jurisdiction over any appeal or other matter not
within the jurisdiction of the Court as provided in section 7266(a)
of title 38, United States Code.
(d) APPLICABILITY.—The repeals made by subsections (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 convened 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 following purposes:
‘‘(1) Conducting investigations and proceedings, including
employing independent counsel, to pursue disciplinary matters.
‘‘(2) Defraying the expenses of—
‘‘(A) judicial conferences convened pursuant 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
commemoration, 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: