I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3219 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements in 
the laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs relating 
to insurance and health care, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 15, 2009 
Mr. FILNER (for himself, Mr. BUYER, Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida, Mr. 
STEARNS, Mr. SNYDER, Mr. MORAN of Kansas, Mr. MICHAUD, Mr. 
BROWN of South Carolina, Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN, Mr. MILLER of Flor-
ida, Mr. MITCHELL, Mr. BOOZMAN, Mr. HALL of New York, Mr. 
BILBRAY, Mrs. HALVORSON, Mr. LAMBORN, Mr. PERRIELLO, Mr. BILI-
RAKIS, Mr. TEAGUE, Mr. BUCHANAN, Mr. RODRIGUEZ, Mr. ROE of Ten-
nessee, Mr. DONNELLY of Indiana, Mr. MCNERNEY, Mr. SPACE, Mr. 
WALZ, Mr. ADLER of New Jersey, Mrs. KIRKPATRICK of Arizona, and 
Mr. NYE) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain 
improvements in the laws administered by the Secretary 
of Veterans Affairs relating to insurance and health care, 
and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Veterans’ Insurance and Health Care Improvements Act 
of 2009’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
TITLE I—MATTERS RELATING TO INSURANCE 
Sec. 101. Permanent extension of duration of Servicemembers’ Group Life In-
surance coverage for totally disabled veterans. 
Sec. 102. Increased amount of Veterans’ Group Life Insurance. 
Sec. 103. Elimination of reduction in amount of accelerated death benefit for 
terminally-ill persons insured under Servicemembers’ Group 
Life Insurance and Veterans’ Group Life Insurance. 
TITLE II—MATTERS RELATING TO HEALTH CARE 
Sec. 201. Higher priority status for certain veterans who are medal of honor 
recipients. 
Sec. 202. Provision of hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care 
for certain Vietnam-era veterans exposed to herbicide and vet-
erans of the Persian Gulf War. 
Sec. 203. Prohibition on collection of copayments from catastrophically disabled 
veterans. 
Sec. 204. Establishment of Director of Physician Assistant Services at Veterans 
Health Administration of Department of Veterans Affairs. 
Sec. 205. Committee on Care of Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury. 
Sec. 206. Revision of certain requirements for the pilot program of enhanced 
contract care authority for health care needs of veterans in 
highly rural areas. 
TITLE III—MATTERS RELATING TO BENEFITS 
Sec. 301. Benefits for qualified World War II veterans. 
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TITLE I—MATTERS RELATING 
TO INSURANCE 
SEC. 101. PERMANENT EXTENSION OF DURATION OF 
SERVICEMEMBERS’ GROUP LIFE INSURANCE 
COVERAGE FOR TOTALLY DISABLED VET-
ERANS. 
(a) EXTENSION.—Section 1968(a) of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1)(A), by striking clause (ii) 
and inserting the following new clause (ii): 
‘‘(ii) The date that is two years after 
the date of separation or release from such 
active duty or active duty for training.’’; 
and 
(2) in paragraph (4), by striking subparagraph 
(B) and inserting the following new subparagraph 
(B): 
‘‘(B) The date that is two years after the 
date of separation or release from such assign-
ment.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
subsection (a) shall apply with respect to a person who 
is separated or released on or after June 15, 2005. 
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SEC. 102. INCREASED AMOUNT OF VETERANS’ GROUP LIFE 
INSURANCE. 
Section 1977(a) of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘Except as 
provided in paragraph (3),’’ before ‘‘Veterans’ Group 
Life Insurance shall be’’; and 
(2) by adding after paragraph (2) the following 
new paragraph: 
‘‘(3) Not more than once in each five-year period be-
ginning on the date a person becomes insured under Vet-
erans’ Group Life Insurance, such person may elect in 
writing to increase the amount for which the person is in-
sured if— 
‘‘(A) the person is under the age of 60; 
‘‘(B) the increased amount is not more than 
$25,000; and 
‘‘(C) the amount for which the person is in-
sured does not exceed the amount provided for 
under section 1967(a)(3)(A)(i) of this title.’’. 
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SEC. 103. ELIMINATION OF REDUCTION IN AMOUNT OF AC-
CELERATED DEATH BENEFIT FOR TERMI-
NALLY-ILL 
PERSONS 
INSURED 
UNDER 
SERVICEMEMBERS’ GROUP LIFE INSURANCE 
AND VETERANS’ GROUP LIFE INSURANCE. 
(a) 
ELIMINATION
OF
REDUCTION.—Section 
1980(b)(1) of title 38, United States Code, is amended 
by striking ‘‘reduced by’’ and all that follows through ‘‘the 
Secretary’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 
subsection (a) shall apply with respect to a payment of 
an accelerated death benefit under section 1980 of title 
38, United States Code, made on or after the date of the 
enactment of this Act. 
TITLE II—MATTERS RELATING 
TO HEALTH CARE 
SEC. 201. HIGHER PRIORITY STATUS FOR CERTAIN VET-
ERANS WHO ARE MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPI-
ENTS. 
Section 1705(a)(3) of title 38, United States Code, 
is amended by inserting ‘‘veterans who were awarded the 
medal of honor under section 3741, 6241, or 8741 of title 
10 or section 491 of title 14,’’ after ‘‘Veterans who are 
former prisoners of war or who were awarded the Purple 
Heart,’’. 
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SEC. 202. PROVISION OF HOSPITAL CARE, MEDICAL SERV-
ICES, AND NURSING HOME CARE FOR CER-
TAIN VIETNAM-ERA VETERANS EXPOSED TO 
HERBICIDE AND VETERANS OF THE PERSIAN 
GULF WAR. 
Section 1710(e) of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) in paragraph (3)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘subsection (a)(2)(F)—’’ 
and all that follows through ‘‘(C) in the case’’ 
and inserting ‘‘subsection (a)(2)(F) in the case 
of’’; and 
(B) by redesignating clauses (i) and (ii) of 
the former subparagraph (C) as subparagraphs 
(A) and (B) of such paragraph (3) and by mov-
ing such new subparagraphs two ems to the 
left; and 
(2) in paragraph (1)(C)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘paragraphs (2) and (3)’’ 
and inserting ‘‘paragraph (2)’’; and 
(B) by inserting after ‘‘on active duty’’ the 
following: ‘‘between August 2, 1990, and No-
vember 11, 1998,’’. 
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SEC. 203. PROHIBITION ON COLLECTION OF COPAYMENTS 
FROM CATASTROPHICALLY DISABLED VET-
ERANS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter III of chapter 17 of 
title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following new section: 
‘‘§ 1730A. Prohibition on collection of copayments 
from catastrophically disabled veterans 
‘‘Notwithstanding subsections (f) and (g) of section 
1710 of this title, subsection (a) of section 1722A of this 
title, and any other provision of law, the Secretary may 
not require a veteran who is catastrophically disabled to 
make any copayment for the receipt of hospital care or 
medical services under the laws administered by the Sec-
retary.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting 
after the item relating to section 1730 the following new 
item: 
‘‘1730A. Prohibition on collection of copayments from catastrophically disabled 
veterans.’’. 
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SEC. 204. ESTABLISHMENT OF DIRECTOR OF PHYSICIAN 
ASSISTANT SERVICES AT VETERANS HEALTH 
ADMINISTRATION OF DEPARTMENT OF VET-
ERANS AFFAIRS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 7306(a) of title 38, 
United States Code, is amended by striking paragraph (9) 
and inserting the following new paragraph (9): 
‘‘(9) The Director of Physician Assistant Serv-
ices, who shall serve in a full-time capacity at the 
Central Office of the Department and who shall be 
a qualified physician assistant, who shall be respon-
sible to and report directly to the Under Secretary 
for Health on all matters relating to the education 
and training, employment, appropriate utilization, 
and optimal participation of physician assistants 
within the programs and initiatives of the Adminis-
tration.’’. 
(b) DEADLINE
FOR IMPLEMENTATION.—The Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that an individual 
is serving as the Director of Physician Assistant Services 
under section 7306(a)(9) of title 38, United States Code, 
as added by subsection (a), by not later than 120 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
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SEC. 205. COMMITTEE ON CARE OF VETERANS WITH TRAU-
MATIC BRAIN INJURY. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMITTEE.—Subchapter 
II of chapter 73 of title 38, United States Code, is amend-
ed by inserting after section 7321 the following new sec-
tion: 
‘‘§ 7321A. Committee on Care of Veterans with Trau-
matic Brain Injury 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall estab-
lish in the Veterans Health Administration a committee 
to be known as the ‘Committee on Care of Veterans with 
Traumatic Brain Injury’. The Under Secretary for Health 
shall appoint employees of the Department with expertise 
in the care of veterans with traumatic brain injury to serve 
on the committee. 
‘‘(b) RESPONSIBILITIES OF COMMITTEE.—The com-
mittee shall assess, and carry out a continuing assessment 
of, the capability of the Veterans Health Administration 
to meet effectively the treatment and rehabilitation needs 
of veterans with traumatic brain injury. In carrying out 
that responsibility, the committee shall— 
‘‘(1) evaluate the care provided to such veterans 
through the Veterans Health Administration; 
‘‘(2) identify systemwide problems in caring for 
such veterans in facilities of the Veterans Health 
Administration; 
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‘‘(D) regarding the appropriate allocation 
of resources for all such activities. 
‘‘(d) ANNUAL REPORT.—Not later than June 1 of 
2010, and each subsequent year, the Secretary shall sub-
mit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate 
and House of Representatives a report on the implementa-
tion of this section. Each such report shall include the fol-
lowing for the calendar year preceding the year in which 
the report is submitted: 
‘‘(1) A list of the members of the committee. 
‘‘(2) The assessment of the Under Secretary for 
Health, after review of the initial findings of the 
committee, regarding the capability of the Veterans 
Health Administration, on a systemwide and facility- 
by-facility basis, to meet effectively the treatment 
and rehabilitation needs of veterans with traumatic 
brain injury. 
‘‘(3) The plans of the committee for further as-
sessments. 
‘‘(4) The findings and recommendations made 
by the committee to the Under Secretary for Health 
and the views of the Under Secretary on such find-
ings and recommendations. 
‘‘(5) A description of the steps taken, plans 
made (and a timetable for the execution of such 
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plans), and resources to be applied toward improving 
the capability of the Veterans Health Administration 
to meet effectively the treatment and rehabilitation 
needs of veterans with traumatic brain injury.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting 
after the item relating to section 7321 the following new 
item: 
‘‘7321A. Committee on Care of Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury.’’. 
SEC. 206. REVISION OF CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS FOR THE 
PILOT PROGRAM OF ENHANCED CONTRACT 
CARE AUTHORITY FOR HEALTH CARE NEEDS 
OF VETERANS IN HIGHLY RURAL AREAS. 
Subsection (b) of section 403 of the Veterans’ Mental 
Health and other Care Improvements Act of 2008 (Public 
Law 110–387; 38 U.S.C. 1703 note) is amended to read 
as follows: 
‘‘(b) COVERED VETERANS.—For purposes of the 
pilot program under this section, a covered veteran is any 
veteran who— 
‘‘(1) is— 
‘‘(A) enrolled in the system of patient en-
rollment established under section 1705(a) of 
title 38, United States Code, as of the date of 
the commencement of the pilot program under 
subsection (a)(2); or 
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‘‘(B) eligible for health care under section 
1710(e)(3)(C) of title 38, United States Code; 
and 
‘‘(2) resides in a location that is— 
‘‘(A) more than 60 minutes’ driving dis-
tance, as determined by the Secretary, from the 
nearest Department health care facility pro-
viding primary care services, in the case of a 
veteran seeking such services; 
‘‘(B) more than 120 minutes’ driving dis-
tance, as determined by the Secretary, from the 
nearest Department health care facility pro-
viding acute hospital care, in the case of a vet-
eran seeking such care; or 
‘‘(C) more than 240 minutes’ driving dis-
tance, as determined by the Secretary, from the 
nearest Department health care facility pro-
viding tertiary care, in the case of a veteran 
seeking such care.’’. 
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TITLE III—MATTERS RELATING 
TO BENEFITS 
SEC. 301. BENEFITS FOR QUALIFIED WORLD WAR II VET-
ERANS. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF COMPENSATION FUND.— 
Subchapter II of chapter 5 of title 38, United States Code, 
is amended by adding at the end the following new section: 
‘‘§ 533. Qualified World War II Veterans Equity Com-
pensation Fund 
‘‘(a) COMPENSATION FUND.—(1) There is in the gen-
eral fund of the Treasury a fund to be known as the 
‘Qualified World War II Veterans Equity Compensation 
Fund’ (in this section referred to as the ‘compensation 
fund’). 
‘‘(2) Subject to the availability of appropriations for 
such purpose, amounts in the compensation fund shall be 
available to the Secretary without fiscal year limitation to 
make payments to eligible individuals in accordance with 
this section. 
‘‘(b) ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS.—(1) An eligible indi-
vidual is an individual who— 
‘‘(A) during the 1-year period beginning on the 
date of the enactment of the Benefits for Qualified 
World War II Veterans Act of 2009, submits to the 
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Secretary an application containing such information 
and assurances as the Secretary may require; 
‘‘(B) has not received benefits under the Serv-
icemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944 (Public Law 
78–346); and 
‘‘(C) has engaged in qualified service. 
‘‘(2) For purposes of paragraph (1), a person has en-
gaged in qualified service if the service of the person has 
been determined to have been active duty service pursuant 
to section 1401 of the GI Bill Improvement Act of 1977 
(38 U.S.C. 106 note). 
‘‘(c) AMOUNT OF PAYMENTS.—The Secretary shall 
make a monthly payment out of the compensation fund 
in the amount of $1,000 to an eligible individual. The Sec-
retary shall make such payments to eligible individuals in 
the order in which the Secretary receives the applications 
of the eligible individuals. 
‘‘(d) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.—(1) 
There are authorized to be appropriated to the compensa-
tion fund amounts as follows: 
‘‘(A) For fiscal year 2010, $222,000,000. 
‘‘(B) For fiscal year 2011, $193,000,000. 
‘‘(C) For fiscal year 2012, $170,000,000. 
‘‘(D) For fiscal year 2013, $146,000,000. 
‘‘(E) For fiscal year 2014, $124,000,000. 
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