TASK DEFINITION: In this task, you are given text for US Congressional and California state bills, your task is to generate a summary for this bill.
PROBLEM: SECTION 1. ELIGIBILITY FOR PAYMENT OF BOTH RETIRED PAY AND VETERANS'
DISABILITY COMPENSATION FOR CERTAIN ADDITIONAL MILITARY
RETIREES WITH COMPENSABLE SERVICE-CONNECTED DISABILITIES.

(a) Extension of Concurrent Receipt Authority to Retirees With
Service-Connected Disabilities Rated Less Than 50 Percent.--Subsection
(a) of section 1414 of title 10, United States Code, is amended--
(1) by striking ''Compensation'' in the subsection heading
and all that follows through ''Subject'' and inserting
''Compensation.--Subject''; and
(2) by striking paragraph (2).
(b) Repeal of Phase-In of Concurrent Receipt of Retired Pay and
Veterans' Disability Compensation.--Such section is further amended--
(1) in subsection (a), as amended by subsection (a) of this
section, by striking the final sentence;
(2) by striking subsection (c) and redesignating
subsections (d) and (e) as subsections (c) and (d),
respectively; and
(3) in subsection (d), as so redesignated, by striking
paragraphs (3) and (4).
(c) Clerical Amendments.--
(1) Section heading.--The heading for section 1414 of such
title is amended to read as follows:
''Sec. 1414. Members eligible for retired pay who are also eligible for
veterans' disability compensation: concurrent payment of
retired pay and disability compensation''.
(2) Table of sections.--The item relating to such section
in the table of sections at the beginning of chapter 71 of such
title is amended to read as follows:

''1414. Members eligible for retired pay who are also eligible for
veterans' disability compensation:
concurrent payment of retired pay and
disability compensation.''.
(d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall take
effect as of January 1, 2012, and shall apply to payments for months
beginning on or after that date.

SEC. 2. COORDINATION OF SERVICE ELIGIBILITY FOR COMBAT-RELATED SPECIAL
COMPENSATION AND CONCURRENT RECEIPT.

(a) Eligibility for TERA Retirees.--Subsection (c) of section 1413a
of title 10, United States Code, is amended by striking ''entitled to
retired pay who--'' and all that follows through the end of paragraph
(1) and inserting ''who--
''(1) is entitled to retired pay, other than a member
retired under chapter 61 of this title with less than 20 years
of service creditable under section 1405 of this title and less
than 20 years of service computed under section 12732 of this
title; and''.
(b) Amendments To Standardize Similar Provisions.--
(1) Clerical and conforming amendments.--Section 1413a of
such title is further amended--
(A) in the heading for paragraph (3) of subsection
(b), by striking ''rules'' and inserting ''rule''; and
(B) in subsection (f), by striking ''Subsection
(d)'' and inserting ''Subsection (c)''.
(2) Specification of qualified retirees for concurrent
receipt purposes.--Section 1414 of such title, as amended by
section 3, is amended--
(A) in subsection (a)--
(i) by striking ''a member or'' and all
that follows through ''is entitled'' and
inserting ''an individual who is a qualified
retiree for any month is entitled''; and
(ii) by inserting ''retired pay and
veterans' disability compensation'' after
''both''; and
(B) in subsection (d), by adding at the end the
following new paragraph:
''(3) Qualified retiree.--The term 'qualified retiree'
means a member or former member of the uniformed services who,
with respect to any month--
''(A) is entitled to retired pay, other than in the
case of a member retired under chapter 61 of this title
with less than 20 years of service creditable under
section 1405 of this title and less than 20 years of
service computed under section 12732 of this title; and
''(B) is entitled to veterans' disability
compensation.''.
(3) Standardization with crsc rule for chapter 61
retirees.--Subsection (b) of section 1414 of such title is
amended--
(A) by striking ''Special Rules'' in the subsection
heading and all that follows through ''is subject to''
and inserting ''Special Rule for Chapter 61 Disability
Retirees.--In the case of a qualified retiree who is
retired under chapter 61 of this title, the retired pay
of the member is subject to''; and
(B) by striking paragraph (2).
(c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall take
effect as of January 1, 2012, and shall apply to payments for months
beginning on or after that date.

SEC. 3. REPEAL OF REQUIREMENT OF REDUCTION OF SBP SURVIVOR ANNUITIES BY
DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY COMPENSATION.

(a) Repeal.--
(1) Repeal.--Subchapter II of chapter 73 of title 10,
United States Code, is amended as follows:
(A) In section 1450, by striking subsection (c).
(B) In section 1451(c)--
(i) by striking paragraph (2); and
(ii) by redesignating paragraphs (3) and
(4) as paragraphs (2) and (3), respectively.
(2) Conforming amendments.--Such subchapter is further
amended as follows:
(A) In section 1450--
(i) by striking subsection (e); and
(ii) by striking subsection (k).
(B) In section 1451(g)(1), by striking subparagraph
(C).
(C) In section 1452--
(i) in subsection (f)(2), by striking
''does not apply--'' and all that follows and
inserting ''does not apply in the case of a
deduction made through administrative error.'';
and
(ii) by striking subsection (g).
(D) In section 1455(c), by striking '',
1450(k)(2),''.
(b) Prohibition on Retroactive Benefits.--No benefits may be paid
to any person for any period before the effective date provided under
subsection (f) by reason of the amendments made by subsection (a).
(c) Prohibition on Recoupment of Certain Amounts Previously
Refunded to SBP Recipients.--A surviving spouse who is or has been in
receipt of an annuity under the Survivor Benefit Plan under subchapter
II of chapter 73 of title 10, United States Code, that is in effect
before the effective date provided under subsection (f) and that is
adjusted by reason of the amendments made by subsection (a) and who has
received a refund of retired pay under section 1450(e) of title 10,
United States Code, shall not be required to repay such refund to the
United States.
(d) Repeal of Authority for Optional Annuity for Dependent
Children.--Section 1448(d)(2) of such title is amended--
(1) by striking ''Dependent children.--'' and all that
follows through ''In the case of a member described in
paragraph (1),'' and inserting ''Dependent children.--In the
case of a member described in paragraph (1),''; and
(2) by striking subparagraph (B).
(e) Restoration of Eligibility for Previously Eligible Spouses.--
The Secretary of the military department concerned shall restore
annuity eligibility to any eligible surviving spouse who, in
consultation with the Secretary, previously elected to transfer payment
of such annuity to a surviving child or children under the provisions
of section 1448(d)(2)(B) of title 10, United States Code, as in effect
on the day before the effective date provided under subsection (f).
Such eligibility shall be restored whether or not payment to such child
or children subsequently was terminated due to loss of dependent status
or death. For the purposes of this subsection, an eligible spouse
includes a spouse who was previously eligible for payment of such
annuity and is not remarried, or remarried after having attained age
55, or whose second or subsequent marriage has been terminated by
death, divorce or annulment.
(f) Effective Date.--This section and the amendments made by this
section shall take effect on the later of--
(1) October 1, 2011; or
(2) the first day of the first month that begins after the
date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 4. ELIMINATION OF FISCAL YEAR LIMITATION IN CONSIDERING ACTIVE
DUTY AND ACTIVE SERVICE FOR EARLY ELIGIBILITY FOR RECEIPT
OF NON-REGULAR SERVICE RETIRED PAY.

(a) Consideration of 90-Day Periods of Service.--Section
12731(f)(2)(A) of title 10, United States Code, is amended by striking
''below 60 years of age by three months for each aggregate of 90 days
on which such person so performs in any fiscal year after such date,
subject to subparagraph (C)'' and inserting '', subject to subparagraph
(C), below 60 years of age by three months for each aggregate of 90
days on which such person serves on such active duty or performs such
active service after such date''.
(b) Retroactive Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection
(a) shall take effect as of January 28, 2008, and as if included in the
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law
110-181) as enacted.

SOLUTION: Allows the receipt of both military retired pay and veterans' disability compensation with respect to any service-connected disability (under current law, only a disability rated at 50% or more). Repeals provisions phasing in the full concurrent receipt of such pay through December 31, 2013.

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.

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 who would be entitled to retired pay except for being under 60 years of age.

Prohibits requiring repayment 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.

Removes the requirement that days of active duty or active service used to reduce the minimum age at which a member of the reserves may retire for non-regular (reserve) service must occur in the same fiscal year.

PROBLEM: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ''Educational Technology Utilization
Extension Assistance Act''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

It is the purpose of this Act to improve the utilization of
educational technologies in elementary and secondary education by
creating an educational technology extension service based at
undergraduate institutions of higher education.

SEC. 3. FINDINGS.

The Congress finds the following:
(1) Extension services such as the Manufacturing Extension
Partnership and the Agricultural Extension Service have proven
to be effective public/private partnerships to integrate new
technologies and to improve utilization of existing
technologies by small to medium sized manufacturers and the
United States agricultural community.
(2) Undergraduate institutions of higher education working
with non-profit organizations, State, and Federal agencies can
tailor educational technology extension programs to meet
specific local and regional requirements.
(3) Undergraduate institutions of higher education, often
with the assistance of the National Science Foundation, have
for the past 20 years been integrating educational technologies
into their curricula, and as such they can draw upon their own
experiences to advise elementary and secondary school educators
on ways to integrate a variety of educational technologies into
the educational process.
(4) Many elementary and secondary school systems,
particularly in rural and traditionally under served areas,
lack general information on the most effective methods to
integrate their existing technology infrastructure, as well as
new educational technology, into the educational process and
curriculum.
(5) Most Federal and State educational technology programs
have focused on acquiring educational technologies with less
emphasis on the utilization of those technologies in the
classroom and the training and infrastructural requirements
needed to efficiently support those types of technologies. As a
result, in many instances, the full potential of educational
technology has not been realized.
(6) Our global economy is increasingly reliant on a
workforce not only comfortable with technology, but also able
to integrate rapid technological changes into the production
process. As such, in order to remain competitive in a global
economy, it is imperative that we maintain a work-ready labor
force.
(7) According to ''Teacher Quality: A Report on the
Preparation and Qualifications of Public School Teacher'',
prepared by the Department of Education, only 1 in 5 teachers
felt they were well prepared to work in a modern classroom.
(8) The most common form of professional development for
teachers continue to be workshops that typically last no more
than one day and have little relevance to teachers' work in the
classroom.
(9) A 1998 national survey completed by the Department of
Education found that only 19 percent of teachers had been
formally mentored by another teacher, and that 70 percent of
these teachers felt that this collaboration was very helpful to
their teaching.

SEC. 4. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.

(a) General Authority.--The Director of the National Science
Foundation, in cooperation with the Secretary of Education and the
Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, shall
provide assistance for the creation and support of regional centers for
the utilization of educational technologies (hereinafter in this Act
referred to as ''ETU Centers'').
(b) Functions of Centers.--
(1) Establishment.--ETU Centers may be established at any
institution of higher education, but such centers may include
the participation of non-profit entities, organizations, or
groups thereof.
(2) Objectives of centers.--The objective of the ETU
Centers is to enhance the utilization of educational
technologies in elementary and secondary education through--
(A) advising of elementary and secondary school
administrators, school boards, and teachers on the
adoption and utilization of new educational
technologies and the utility of local schools' existing
educational technology assets and infrastructure;
(B) participation of individuals from the private
sector, universities, State and local governments, and
other Federal agencies;
(C) active dissemination of technical and
management information about the use of educational
technologies; and
(D) utilization, where appropriate, of the
expertise and capabilities that exists in Federal
laboratories and Federal agencies.
(3) Activities of centers.--The activities of the ETU
Centers shall include the following:
(A) The active transfer and dissemination of
research findings and ETU Center expertise to local
school authorities, including but not limited to school
administrators, school boards, and teachers.
(B) The training of teachers in the integration of
local schools existing educational technology
infrastructure into their instructional design.
(C) The training and advising of teachers,
administrators, and school board members in the
acquisition, utilization, and support of educational
technologies.
(D) Support services to teachers, administrators,
and school board members as agreed upon by ETU Center
representatives and local school authorities.
(E) The advising of teachers, administrators, and
school board members on current skill set standards
employed by private industry.
(c) Program Administration.--
(1) Proposed rules.--The Director of the National Science
Foundation, after consultation with the Secretary of Education
and the Director of the National Institute of Standards and
Technology, shall publish in the Federal Register, within 90
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, a proposed
rules for the program for establishing ETU Centers, including--
(A) a description of the program;
(B) the procedure to be followed by applicant;
(C) the criteria for determining qualified
applicants; and
(D) the criteria, including those listed in the
following sections, for choosing recipients of
financial assistance under this section from among
qualified applicants.
(2) Final rules.--The Director of the National Science
Foundation shall publish final rules for the program under this
Act after the expiration of a 30-day comment period on such
proposed rules.
(d) Eligibility and Selection.--
(1) Applications required.--Any undergraduate institution
of higher education, consortia of such institutions, non-profit
organizations, or groups thereof may submit an application for
financial support under this section in accordance with the
procedures established under subsection (c). In order to
receive assistance under this Act, an applicant shall provide
adequate assurances that will contribute 50 percent or more of
the proposed Center's capital and annual operating and
maintenance costs.
(2) Selection.--The Director of the National Science
Foundation, in conjunction with the Secretary of Education and
the Director of the National Institute of Standards and
Technology, shall subject each application to competitive,
merit review. In making a decision whether to approve such
application and provide financial support under this section,
the Director of the National Science Foundation shall consider
at a minimum--
(A) the merits of the application, particularly
those portions of the application regarding the
adaption of training and educational technologies to
the needs of particular regions;
(B) the quality of service to be provided;
(C) the geographical diversity and extent of
service area, with particular emphasis on rural and
traditionally underdeveloped areas; and
(D) the percentage of funding and amount of in-kind
commitment from other sources.
(3) Evaluation.--Each ETU Center which receives financial
assistance under this section shall be evaluated during its
third year of operation by an evaluation panel appointed by the
Director of the National Science Foundation. Each evaluation
panel shall measure the involved Center's performance against
the objectives specified in this section. Funding for an ETU
Center shall not be renewed unless the evaluation is positive.

SEC. 6. DEFINITION.

As used in this Act, the term ''institution of higher education''
has the meaning given that term by section 101 of the Higher Education
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001).

SOLUTION: Educational Technology Utilization Extension Assistance Act - Requires the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF), in cooperation with the Secretary of Education and the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), to provide assistance for the creation and support of regional centers for the utilization of educational technologies (ETU Centers). Allows ETU Centers to be established at any institution of higher education, and to include the participation of non-profit entities and organizations.
Requires ETU Centers to enhance the use of educational technologies in elementary and secondary education through: (1) advising school administrators, school boards, and teachers on adopting and using new educational technologies and the usefulness of local schools' existing educational technology assets and infrastructure; (2) participation of individuals from the private sector, universities, State and local governments, and other Federal agencies; (3) active dissemination of technical and management information about the use of educational technologies; and (4) appropriate use of the expertise and capabilities that exist in Federal laboratories and Federal agencies.
Requires ETU Centers' activities to include: (1) active transfer and dissemination of research findings and ETU Center expertise to local school authorities; (2) training teachers in integrating schools' existing educational technology infrastructure into their instructional design; (3) training and advising teachers, administrators, and school board members in acquiring, using, and supporting educational technologies; (4) support services to teachers, administrators, and school board members; and (5) advising teachers, administrators, and school board members on current skill set standards employed by private industry.
Sets forth requirements for program administration and application and selection procedures. Allows any undergraduate institution of higher education, consortia of such institutions and non-profit organizations to apply for financial support in accordance with the procedures. Requires each applicant to provide adequate assurances that it will contribute 50 percent or more of the proposed ETU Center's capital and annual operating and maintenance costs.
Requires the NSF Director, in conjunction with the Secretary of Education and the NIST Director, to subject each application to competitive merit review, including specified considerations. Requires each ETU Center to be evaluated during its third year of operation. Requires a positive evaluation for renewal of funding.

PROBLEM: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ''Health Benefits Claims Prompt
Payment Act of 2002''.

SEC. 2. PROMPT PAYMENT OF CLAIMS.

(a) Group Health Plans.--
(1) Public health service act amendments.--Subpart 2 of
part A of title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act is
amended by adding at the end the following new section:

''SEC. 2707. PROMPT PAYMENT OF CLAIMS.

''(a) In General.--A group health plan, and a health insurance
issuer offering health insurance coverage in connection with a group
health plan, shall provide for prompt payment of claims submitted for
health care services or supplies furnished to a participant,
beneficiary, or enrollee with respect to benefits covered by the plan
or issuer, in a manner that is no less protective than the provisions
referred to in subsection (b).
''(b) Provisions.--The provisions referred to in this subsection
are the provisions of section 1842(c)(2) of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 1395u(c)(2)), as modified as follows:
''(1) Alternative interest rate.--Instead of applying the
interest rate calculated under section 3902(a) of title 31,
United States Code, the interest rate shall be 1 percent of the
payment amount due plus, in the case of payments not made
within 25 days of the due date, an additional 1 percent
interest due for every month the payment is past due.
''(2) Coverage of 100 percent of claims.--The reference in
such section 1842(c)(2) to 'not less than 95 percent of all
claims submitted under this part' shall be deemed to be a
reference to '100 percent of all claims submitted under the
plan or coverage involved'.
''(c) Permitting Additional Penalties.--State Insurance
Commissioners may establish and impose monetary penalties or other
penalties for failure by a group health plan, and a health insurance
issuer offering health insurance coverage in connection with a group
health plan, to comply with the provisions referred to in subsection
(b).''.
(2) ERISA amendments.--(A) Subpart B of part 7 of subtitle
B of title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of
1974 is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

''SEC. 714. PROMPT PAYMENT OF CLAIMS.

''(a) In General.--A group health plan, and a health insurance
issuer offering health insurance coverage in connection with a group
health plan, shall provide for prompt payment of claims submitted for
health care services or supplies furnished to a participant or
beneficiary with respect to benefits covered by the plan or issuer, in
a manner that is no less protective than the provisions referred to in
subsection (b).
''(b) Provisions.--The provisions referred to in this subsection
are the provisions of section 1842(c)(2) of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 1395u(c)(2)), as modified as follows:
''(1) Alternative interest rate.--Instead of applying the
interest rate calculated under section 3902(a) of title 31,
United States Code, the interest rate shall be 1 percent of the
payment amount due plus, in the case of payments not made
within 25 days of the due date, an additional 1 percent
interest due for every month the payment is past due.
''(2) Coverage of 100 percent of claims.--The reference in
such section 1842(c)(2) to 'not less than 95 percent of all
claims submitted under this part' shall be deemed to be a
reference to '100 percent of all claims submitted under the
plan or coverage involved'.
''(c) Permitting Additional Penalties.--State Insurance
Commissioners may establish and impose monetary penalties or other
penalties for failure by a group health plan, and a health insurance
issuer offering health insurance coverage in connection with a group
health plan, to comply with the provisions referred to in subsection
(b).''.
(B) The table of contents in section 1 of such Act is
amended by inserting after the item relating to section 713 the
following new item:

''Sec. 714. Prompt payment of claims.''.
(3) Internal revenue code amendments.--
(A) In general.--Subchapter B of chapter 100 of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended--
(i) in the table of sections, by inserting
after the item relating to section 9812 the
following new item:

''Sec. 9813. Prompt payment of claims.'';
and
(ii) by inserting after section 9812 the
following:

''SEC. 9813. PROMPT PAYMENT OF CLAIMS.

''(a) A group health plan shall provide for prompt payment of
claims submitted for health care services or supplies furnished to a
participant or beneficiary with respect to benefits covered by the
plan, in a manner that is no less protective than the provisions
referred to in subsection (b).
''(b) Provisions.--The provisions referred to in this subsection
are the provisions of section 1842(c)(2) of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 1395u(c)(2)), as modified as follows:
''(1) Alternative interest rate.--Instead of applying the
interest rate calculated under section 3902(a) of title 31,
United States Code, the interest rate shall be 1 percent of the
payment amount due plus, in the case of payments not made
within 25 days of the due date, an additional 1 percent
interest due for every month the payment is past due.
''(2) Coverage of 100 percent of claims.--The reference in
such section 1842(c)(2) to 'not less than 95 percent of all
claims submitted under this part' shall be deemed to be a
reference to '100 percent of all claims submitted under the
plan involved'.
''(c) Permitting Additional Penalties.--State Insurance
Commissioners may establish and impose monetary penalties or other
penalties for failure by a group health plan to comply with the
provisions referred to in subsection (b).''.
(b) Individual Health Insurance.--Part B of title XXVII of the
Public Health Service Act is amended by inserting after section 2752
the following new section:

''SEC. 2753. PROMPT PAYMENT OF CLAIMS.

''The provisions of section 2707 shall apply to health insurance
coverage offered by a health insurance issuer in the individual market
in the same manner as they apply to health insurance coverage offered
by a health insurance issuer in connection with a group health plan in
the small or large group market.''.
(c) Protection of States' Rights.--Any issue relating to prompt
payment for health care services or supplies that is not governed by
any provision of law as amended by this section shall be governed by
otherwise applicable State or Federal law. This section (and the
provisions amended by this section) does not preempt or supercede any
law that imposes shorter time frames for payment, greater penalties for
non-payment, and, in general, provides greater assurances that group
health plans and health insurance issuers provide for prompt payment of
claims submitted for health care services or supplies furnished to a
participant, beneficiary, or enrollee with respect to benefits covered
by the plan or issuer.
(d) Effective Dates.--
(1) Group health plans and group health insurance
coverage.--The amendments made by subsection (a) apply with
respect to group health plans for plan years beginning on or
after January 1, 2003.
(2) Individual health insurance coverage.--The amendment
made by subsection (b) apply with respect to health insurance
coverage offered, sold, issued, renewed, in effect, or operated
in the individual market on or after such date.

SOLUTION:
Health Benefits Claims Prompt Payment Act of 2002 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, the Internal Revenue Code, and the Public Health Service Act to require that group and individual health insurance coverage and group health plans provide for prompt payment for health benefits claims.