jiayi-li23/proxann_data huggingface dataset:
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-03-09 00:00:00

Department of Veterans Affairs Claims Backlog Reduction Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a three-year pilot program to reduce the backlog of claims for benefits pending with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Requires the Secretary to: (1) conduct the pilot program with County Veterans Service Officers in California, Florida, Ohio, South Carolina, and Texas; and (2) refer certain claims requiring further development to such Officers. Requires such Officers to: (1) act as claimant advocates in developing such claims; and (2) have access to client information contained in the VA's Benefits Delivery Network.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-03-09 00:00:00

Retired Pay Restoration Act - Allows the receipt of both military retired pay and veterans' disability compensation with respect to any service-connected disability (currently, only a disability rated at 50 percent or more). Makes the 2004 through 2013 phase-in limitations for the concurrent receipt of such pay for qualified retirees with service-connected disabilities rated as total applicable: (1) only during 2004 for retirees with a 100 percent disability; and (2) only during 2004 through 2007 for retirees with a total disability by reason of unemployability. Makes eligible for the full concurrent receipt of both veterans' disability compensation and either military retired pay or combat-related special pay those individuals who were retired or separated from military service due to a service-connected disability.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-03-09 00:00:00

Supply Our Soldiers Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Defense to provide for a program under which postal benefits are provided to a member of the Armed Forces who is on active duty and who is either: (1) serving in Iraq or Afghanistan; or (2) hospitalized at a military medical facility as a result of such service. Provides the postal benefits in the form of coupons or other evidence of credit (vouchers) to use for postal-free mailings.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-03-09 00:00:00

Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to pay an interim benefit of $500 per month when a claim for veterans' benefits is remanded by either the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims or the Board of Veterans' Appeals and the Secretary does not make a decision on the matter within 180 days of the date of the remand.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-03-12 00:00:00

Disabled Veterans Fairness Act - Eliminates a $3 per round trip deductible charged by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in connection with the veterans beneficiary travel program (a program authorizing a travel allowance or reimbursement for beneficiaries providing transportation for veterans to obtain medical care). Directs the Secretary, in determining the amount of such allowance or reimbursement, to use the mileage reimbursement rates for the use of privately owned vehicles by government employees traveling on official business.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-03-12 00:00:00

Disabled Veterans Commissary and Exchange Store Benefits Act - Permits a veteran with any compensable service-connected disability (and the veteran's dependents) to use commissary and exchange stores on the same basis as a member of the Armed Forces entitled to retired or retainer pay.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-03-13 00:00:00

Presumes a claimant presenting a claim for veterans' benefits with respect to a service-connected disability or death to have presented a valid claim of service-connectedness, unless the Secretary of Veterans Affairs determines there is positive evidence to the contrary. Requires the claimant to support the claim with proof of service in a conflict referred to in the claim, as well as a brief description of the nature, including service-connection, of the disability or claim. Directs the Secretary to redeploy, for the purpose of assisting veterans applying for benefits, those employees involved with processing claims that are no longer needed to evaluate claims due to the above presumption.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2007-03-19 00:00:00

Armed Forces Tax Relief Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from gross income all compensation received for active service as a member of the Armed Forces, not including pensions and retirement pay. (Terminates the current limited exclusion from gross income for combat pay.)
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-03-19 00:00:00

Samuel B. Moody Bataan Death March Compensation Act - Directs the Secretary of the military department concerned to pay certain compensation to individuals (or their survivors) who, as members of the armed forces during World War II: (1) were captured on the peninsula of Bataan or the island of Corregidor in the Philippines by Japanese forces; and (2) participated in and survived the Bataan Death March. Allows a survivor payment to be made to the nearest surviving relative of such individual.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-03-20 00:00:00

Wounded Warriors Joint Health Care Patient Navigators Act - Directs the Secretary of Defense to establish a Department of Defense (DOD)-wide patient navigator program and assign responsibility for overseeing the program to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs. Requires patient navigators to be assigned as representatives to medical holdover patients and their families in order to improve health care outcomes. Prohibits the ratio of navigators to patients from being higher than one to ten.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-03-20 00:00:00

Wounded Warriors Joint Health Care Performance Metrics and Transparency Act - Assigns the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs responsibility for establishing performance standards for each step of the medical holdover patient process. Defines "medical holdover patient" as a member of the Armed Forces, including a member of the National Guard or other reserve component, who is undergoing medical treatment, recuperation, or therapy, or who is otherwise in medical hold or holdover status, for an injury, illness, or disease incurred or aggravated while on active duty.Directs the Secretary of Defense to require each military medical installation to perform a quarterly inspection based on the performance standards established by this Act. Requires the Assistant Secretary to provide reports on such inspections to the Secretary, the Inspector General of the Department of Defense, and other military officials. Requires the Assistant Secretary to develop and enforce standards for: (1) security and medical personnel to perform daily rounds of each medical inpatient and outpatient facility, including a requirement for 24-hour access for patients with medical emergencies or needs; (2) responding to patient questions and scheduling medical appointments; and (3) in-processing and out-processing, counseling, and information for patients and family members. Requires the Assistant Secretary to: (1) submit monthly reports to the Secretary and the Inspector General on military service performance in all categories of medical holdover patient care; and (2) meet semi-annually with the Secretaries of the military departments to address medical holdover program execution issues.Requires the Inspector General to audit and review the medical holdover system and the performance standards developed by this Act.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-03-20 00:00:00

Military Surviving Spouses Equity Act - Repeals, as of the later of October 1, 2007, or the date of enactment of this Act, certain provisions which require the offset of amounts paid in dependency and indemnity compensation from Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuities for the surviving spouses of former military personnel who are entitled to military pay or who would be entitled to retired pay except for being under 60 years of age. Provides for the recoupment of certain amounts previously paid to SBP recipients in the form of a retired pay refund. Authorizes the Secretary of Defense to waive the recoupment requirement in certain cases. Repeals the optional authority of (and instead requires) the Secretary of the military department concerned to pay an annuity to a member's dependent children when there is no eligible surviving spouse. Directs the Secretary to restore annuity eligibility to a surviving spouse who earlier agreed to transfer such eligibility to a surviving child or children of a member.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-03-20 00:00:00

Servicemembers Credit Protection Act - Amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to direct the Secretary of Defense, in case of the deployment of a servicemember away from their usual duty station to duty for which the servicemember is entitled to special pay, to notify each consumer reporting agency (agency): (1) of the deployment of such servicemember within 30 days after the deployment; and (2) within 30 days after the end of such deployment. Requires the Secretary, in providing such notice, to take measures to ensure agency compliance with provisions of the Fair Credit Reporting Act with respect to the servicemember. Increases penalties for consumer credit reporting violations involving servicemembers deployed to an overseas combat zone. Amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act to require each agency that receives a combat zone duty alert from the Secretary with respect to a servicemember to: (1) include the alert in the file of that consumer and provide such alert along with any credit score, until notified by the Secretary that the consumer no longer qualifies for such alert; and (2) during the period of the alert, exclude the consumer from any list provided to a third party to offer credit or insurance to such consumer as part of a transaction not initiated by the consumer. Requires the combat zone duty alert included in any consumer's file to include a summary of the consumer's rights under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act and the duties of creditors and other persons to the consumer.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-03-21 00:00:00

Improving Veterans' Reemployment Act of 2007 - Requires the Secretary of Labor to include, in a currently-required annual report to Congress concerning the enforcement of veterans' reemployment rights: (1) the number of cases reviewed by the Secretary of Defense under the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve of the Department of Defense; and (2) the number of cases which are disability-related. Directs the Secretary to: (1) ensure that the information required to be submitted is categorized in a uniform way; and (2) also submit all reported information to the Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs, the Attorney General, and the Office of Special Counsel.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-03-23 00:00:00

Requires that, in case of a review conducted by the Department of Defense (DOD) regarding the circumstances surrounding the death of a member of the Armed Forces who is killed in action by weapon fire other than as the result of an act of an enemy (friendly fire death), the Secretary of Defense shall ensure that a summary of review results are provided to the primary next of kin at least 24 hours before such results are released to the public. Authorizes the primary next of kin to waive the notice requirement to expedite the public release of such results.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-03-27 00:00:00

Amends the Floyd D. Spence National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001 to increase the amount of back pay received by members of the Navy and Marine Corps selected for promotion while interned as prisoners of war during World War II to reflect increases in the cost of living since basic pay was paid to or for that person.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-03-28 00:00:00

Directs the Secretary of the military department concerned, in the case of a regular or reserve member of the Armed Forces with a combat-related disability who is entitled to monthly retired pay, to permit such member to elect an alternative retired pay rate based on $2,917, the average monthly salary for high school graduates in the United States. Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, with respect to veterans with service-connected disabilities, to permit such veterans to elect to receive a monthly compensation of $2,917 (in the case of a service-connected disability rated as total) or a percentage of such amount (depending on the percentage rating of the disability).
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-03-28 00:00:00

Veterans' Care Advocate Act - Directs the Secretary of Defense to establish within each Department of Defense (DOD) military medical treatment facility an Ombudsman for Recovering Servicemembers to act as a liaison for recovering servicemembers and their families with respect to their evaluation and care under the physical disability evaluation systems. Defines as "recovering servicemembers" those in a medical hold or holdover status due to an injury, illness, or disease incurred or aggravated while on active duty.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-03-28 00:00:00

Amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act of 1940 to extend from 90 days to one year the period following release from active duty during which a member of the Armed Forces shall be protected from mortgage foreclosure.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-04-17 00:00:00

Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a two-year pilot program in three states to use a mobile processing unit to conduct outreach, take applications from veterans for benefits, and determine the status of veterans' benefits claims.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-04-17 00:00:00

Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to develop a rules-based expert system to automate the adjudication of veterans' disability compensation claims. Requires such system to: (1) provide a disability rating recommendation based on the applicable rate of disability compensation; and (2) be implemented at no less than two regional offices of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) within four years after the enactment of this Act.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-04-17 00:00:00

Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to convey to the state of Texas the Thomas T. Conally Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Marlin, Texas.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-04-17 00:00:00

Redefines the term "period of war" for purposes of eligibility for veterans' pension benefits to include any period of active military, naval, or air service not specifically referenced for which a veteran received an expeditionary medal.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-04-17 00:00:00

Amends the definition of "period of war" to extend eligibility for veterans' pension benefits to those veterans who served during specified time periods in the Republic of Korea, Lebanon, Granada, or Panama.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-04-18 00:00:00

Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a separate Veterans Affairs Service Network for the Gulf Coast region of the United States, which shall include specified counties in Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-04-18 00:00:00

Repeals certain provisions which require the offset of amounts paid in dependency and indemnity compensation from Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuities for the surviving spouses of former military personnel who are entitled to military retired pay or would be entitled to such pay except for being under 60 years of age. Prohibits recoupment by the Secretary of Defense of certain amounts previously paid to SBP recipients in the form of a retired pay refund. Repeals the optional authority of (and instead requires) the Secretary of the military department concerned to pay an annuity to a member's dependent children when there is no eligible surviving spouse. Directs the Secretary concerned to restore annuity eligibility to a surviving spouse who earlier agreed to transfer such eligibility to a surviving child or children of a member. Changes to October 1, 2007 (previously October 1, 2008) the effective date for paid-up coverage provisions under the SBP and the Retired Serviceman's Family Protection Plan.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2007-04-23 00:00:00

Amends federal law to provide that the National Security Personnel System shall not apply with respect to certain Department of Defense laboratories (under current law the system would have applied in specified circumstances on or after October 1, 2008.)
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-04-25 00:00:00

Disabled Veterans Insurance Act of 2007 - Increases from $20,000 to $40,000 the maximum amount of supplemental service disabled veterans' insurance for totally disabled veterans.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-04-25 00:00:00

Military Pay Improvement Act of 2007 - Waives, during FY2008, the basic military pay adjustment tied to increases in the Employment Cost Index. Increases, effective January 1, 2008, such basic pay by 3.5%.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: International affairs
Date: 2007-04-25 00:00:00

Directs the President to transition the mission of U.S. forces in Iraq to the following purposes: (1) conducting limited scope and duration operations against al Qaeda and other international terrorist organizations; (2) providing security for U.S. infrastructure and personnel; and (3) training and equipping Iraqi security services. Exempts such activities from the funding and redeployment provisions of this Act. Directs the President to begin the phased redeployment of U.S. forces from Iraq not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of this Act. Prohibits funds from being obligated or expended to continue the U.S. Armed Forces deployment in Iraq after March 31, 2008.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-04-25 00:00:00

Cadet and Midshipman Disability Fairness Act - Extends eligibility for disability retired pay and separation pay to former cadets and midshipmen who were discharged from an enlisted grade in order to accept an appointment as a cadet or midshipman, and who incurred physical disabilities after January 1, 2000.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-04-26 00:00:00

Traumatic Brain Injury Access to Options Act - Directs the Secretary of Defense to ensure that each member of the Armed Forces who incurs a traumatic brain injury (where the member is unable to perform activities of daily living for at least five consecutive days from the date of a medical assessment) while on active duty shall be retained on active duty for one year after the date of the assessment. Prohibits such member from being evaluated during the one-year period by a physical evaluation board for determining eligibility for retirement or separation due to such disability. Allows a member (or his or her guardian or legal advocate) to choose to make such requirements inapplicable to the member. Authorizes the Secretary of the military department concerned to extend the one-year period as appropriate in light of medical progress. Requires annual Comptroller General assessments of traumatic brain injury care and services provided by the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-04-26 00:00:00

Provides that if a member of the National Guard serves on active duty for one year or more in support of a contingency operation or homeland defense mission, that member shall be given the option of serving on full-time National Guard duty for up to 90 days upon being relieved from that active duty, in order to ease the transition to civilian life. Allows reintegration (transition) programs for such members to include: (1) mandatory decompression time; (2) education and employment workshops; (3) financial counseling; (4) health and welfare briefings; and (5) disaster mitigation or emergency response duties.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-05-03 00:00:00

Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to: (1) establish and operate centers for traumatic brain injury (TBI) research, education, and clinical activities; (2) ensure the geographic distribution of such centers; and (3) designate no more than five centers. Requires the: (1) official within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) responsible for TBI care to establish a peer review panel to assess the scientific and clinical merit of proposals submitted for the designation of such centers; and (2) Under Secretary of Health to ensure the dissemination throughout the VHA of information produced through the research, education, and clinical activities of the centers.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-05-07 00:00:00

Advisory Committee on Rural Veterans Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish the Advisory Committee on Rural Veterans to consult with and advise the Secretary on the administration of benefits by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for rural veterans, reports and studies relating to rural veterans, and the needs of rural veterans with respect to primary care, mental health care, and long-term care.
Topic: Defense — Personnel Issues
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2007-05-07 00:00:00

Establishes in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) an Office of the Ombudsman, headed by a Director. Outlines Office and Director duties, including: (1) serving as a last resort for veterans' health care and benefits complaints and issues that cannot be resolved at a local or regional level; and (2) maintaining a public website with contact information for each patient advocate at each VA medical center. Requires the Director to: (1) appoint three regional administrators to support VHA facilities and veterans integrated service networks in their patient advocacy activities; and (2) establish a board to hear appeals from veterans dissatisfied with efforts of their local medical center and service network, and issue letters outlining possible solutions. Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to designate the Ombudsman within 180 days after enactment of this Act.