108TH LEGISLATION
108th Congress Legislation
Veterans Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2003 Legislation to provide cost-of-living (COLA) increases for disability compensation payments for veterans. Signed by President Bush on December 3, 2003, Public Law 108-363 |
Veterans Health Programs Improvement Act of 2004 Legislation to increase the authorization of appropriations for grants to benefit homeless veterans, to improve programs for management and administration of veterans’ facilities and health care programs, and for other purposes. Signed by President Bush on November 30, 2004, Public Law 108-422 |
Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel Enhancement Act of 2004 Legislation to simplify and improve pay provisions for physicians and dentists and to authorize alternate work schedules and executive pay for nurses, and for other purposes. Signed by President Bush on December 3, 2004, Public Law 108-445 |
Veterans Benefits Improvement Act of 2004 Legislation to improve and enhance education, housing, employment, medical, and other benefits for veterans and to improve and extend certain authorities relating to the administration or benefits for veterans, and for other purposes. Signed by President Bush on December 10, 2004, Public Law 108-454. |
Veterans Benefits Act of 2003 Legislation to expand and improve certain readjustment benefits for disabled veterans, their surviving spouses and children. Signed by President Bush on December 16, Public Law 108-183 |
Veterans Health Care, Capital Asset, and Business Improvement Act of 2003 Legislation to improve and enhance provision of health care for veterans, to authorize major construction projects and other facilities matters for the Department of Veterans Affairs, to enhance and improve authorities relating to the administration of personnel of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. Signed by President Bush on December 6, Public Law 108-170. |
| Servicemembers Civil Relief Act H.R. 100 (Bill | Summary) Legislation to strengthen the rights and protections afforded military personnel called to action duty, including the provision of automatic 90-day stays for civil proceedings, protections against evictions due to nonpayment of rent, and limiting interest to 6 percent on outstanding loan balances. Signed by President Bush on December 19, Public Law 108-189. |
National Cemetery Expansion Act of 2003 Legislation to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish six new national cemeteries for veterans. Signed by President Bush on November 11, 2003, Public Law 108-109. |
| Veterans Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2003 H.R. 1683 (Bill | Summary) Legislation to provide cost-of-living (COLA) increases for disability compensation payments for veterans. Signed by President Bush on December 3, 2003, Public Law 108-147. |
Columbia Orbiter Memorial Act Legislation to require the construction at Arlington National Cemetery of a memorial to the crew of the Columbia Orbiter. Reported by the Committee on April 8, H. Rept. 108-62, Part I. |
Bills Passed by the House
| Enhancing Cooperation and Resource Sharing Between the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense H.R. 1911 (Bill | Summary) Legislation to enhance cooperation and the sharing of resources between the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense. Passed the House on May 21 by vote of 426-0; Incorporated into Public Law 108-136. |
| Selected Reserve Home Loan Equity Act H.R. 1257 (Bill | Summary) Legislation to amend title 38, United States Code, to make permanent the authority for qualifying members of the Selected Reserve to have access to home loans guaranteed by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and to provide for uniformity in fees charged qualifying members of the Selected Reserve and active duty veterans for such home loans. Passed the House on May 22 by vote of 428-0; referred to the Senate Committee on Veteran’s Affairs on May 22. Incorporated into H.R. 2297, as amended. |
| Veterans Entrepreneurship and Benefits Improvement Act of 2003 H.R. 1460 (Bill | Summary) Legislation to allow veterans to use VA education benefits to enroll in a non-degree, non-credit entrepreneurship courses offered by SBA funded Small Business Development Centers and allow disabled veterans enrolled in school under a vocational rehabilitation program to establish self-employment in a small business enterprise as a vocational goal. Passed the House amended on June 24 by vote of 421-0; referred to the Senate Committee on Veteran’s Affairs on June 25. Certain provisions incorporated into H.R. 2297, as amended. |
| Veterans Health Care Facilities Capital Improvement Act H.R. 1720 (Bill | Summary) Legislation to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out construction projects for the purpose of improving, renovating, establishing, and updating patient care facilities at Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers. Passed the House amended on October 29 by vote of 417-0; referred to the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs on October 30. Incorporated into S. 1156. |
| Veterans Health Care Improvement Act of 2003 H.R. 2357 (Bill | Summary) Introduced by Ms. Brown-Waite, Chairman Smith and Mr. Jeff Miller on June 5, 2003. Legislation to establish standards of access to care for veterans seeking health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. Passed the House amended on July 21 by voice vote; referred to the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs on July 22. Certain provisions incorporated into S. 1156. |
Health Care for Veterans of Project 112/Project SHAD Act of 2003 Legislation to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide veterans who participated in certain Department of Defense chemical and biological warfare testing to be provided health care for illness without requirement for proof of service-connection. Passed the House amended on September 10 by voice vote; referred to the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs on September 11. Certain provisions incorporated into S. 1156. |
Restore the operation of the Native American Veteran Housing Loan Program Legislation to restore the operation of the Native American Veteran Housing Loan Program during fiscal year 2003 to the scope of that program as in effect on September 30, 2002. Passed the House amended on September 10 by voice vote; referred to the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs on September 11. |
Declaring Emporia, Kansas, to be the founding city of the Veterans Day holiday Legislation declaring Emporia, Kansas, to be the founding city of the Veterans Day holiday and recognizing the contributions of Alvin J. King and Representative Ed Rees to the enactment into law of the observance of Veterans Day. Passed the House on September 30 by voice vote; referred to the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs on October 1. |
Recognizing and supporting the goals and ideals of the Year of the Korean War Veteran Legislation recognizing and supporting the goals and ideals of the Year of the Korean War Veteran, and for other purposes. House agreed to the resolution on July 21; referred to the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs on July 22. |
Other Bills Considered by the Committee
Veterans Health Care Cost Recovery Act of 2003 Legislation to enhance the authority of the Department of Veterans Affairs to recover costs of medical care furnished to veterans and other persons by the Department from third parties that provide health insurance coverage to such veterans and other persons. Reported by the Committee amended on May 19, H. Rept. 108-114, Part I. |
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Legislation to enhance the authority of the Department of Veterans Affairs to recover from third parties costs of medical care furnished to veterans and other persons by the Department. Committee ordered reported to the House on May 15. |
New Fitzsimons Regional Federal Medical Center Act of 2003 Legislation to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to construct, lease, or modify major medical facilities at the site of the former Fitzsimons Army Medical Center in Aurora, Colorado. Incorporated into H.R. 1720, as amended. |
Veterans Beneficiary Fairness Act Legislation to expand the right of veterans’ beneficiaries to collect disability compensation payments owed to veterans who died prior to VA’s determination of a service connected disability. Committee ordered reported to the House on May 15. Incorporated into H.R. 1460, as amended. Incorporated into H.R. 1460, as amended. (See H.R. 1460 above) |
Disabled Veterans’ Return-to-Work Act of 2003 Legislation to reinstate a pilot program, which expired in December 1995, to ensure the availability of vocational training to newly eligible VA non-service-connected pension recipients age 45 or younger. The program will afford pension recipients the opportunity to receive training, along with a stipend, in order to return to the job market rather than requiring these veterans to rely solely on the VA pension program for the remainder of their lives. Committee ordered reported to the House on May 15. Incorporated into H.R. 1460, as amended. (See H.R. 1460 above) |
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Legislation to establish an office to oversee research compliance and assurance within the Veterans Health Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Incorporated into H.R 1720, as amended. (See H.R. 1720 above) |
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Legislation to name the Department of Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic located in New London, Connecticut, as the "John P. McGuirk Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic". Incorporated into H.R. 1720, as amended. (See H.R. 1720 above) |
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Legislation to name the health care facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs located at 820 South Damen Avenue in Chicago, Illinois, as the "Jesse Brown Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center". Incorporated into H.R. 1720, as amended. (See H.R. 1720 above) |
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Legislation to amend title 38, United States Code, to reinstate minimum requirements with respect to the sale of vendee loans. Committee ordered reported to the House on May 15. Incorporated into H.R. 2297, as amended. (See H.R. 2297 above) |
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Legislation to provide for the establishment of new Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities for veterans in the area of Columbus, Ohio, and in south Texas. Incorporated into H.R. 1720, as amended. (See H.R. 1720 above) |
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Legislation to authorize certain major medical facility projects for the Department of Veterans Affairs. Incorporated into H.R. 1720, as amended. (See H.R. 1720 above) |
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Legislation to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide eligibility for Department of Veterans Affairs health care for certain Filipino World War II veterans residing in the United States. Incorporated into H.R. 2357, as amended. |
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Legislation to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the appointment of chiropractors in the Veterans Health Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. Incorporated into H.R. 2357, as amended. |
Former Prisoners of War Special Compensation Act of 2003 Legislation to establish a three-tiered special monthly pension to former prisoners of war, to be based upon the length of captivity. Those who were detained 30-120 days would receive $150 per month, those detained 121-540 days would receive $300 per month, and those detained 540 or more days would receive $450 per month. Legislation will also extend VA dental benefits to all former prisoners of war, regardless of their length of captivity. Hearing held by Subcommittee on Benefits on April 10. |
Disabled Veterans Adaptive Benefits Improvement Act of 2003 Legislation to increase the auto allowance to $11,000, to increase the grant for specially adapted housing for severely disabled veterans to $50,000, and for less severely disabled veterans to $10,000. Hearing held by Subcommittee on Benefits on April 10. |
Veterans Earn and Learn Act Legislation to modernize apprenticeship and on-the-job training programs eligible under MGIB and other Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) educational assistance programs. The GI Jobs Act would increase job training program opportunities for veterans through enhanced applicability and expanded eligibility of MGIB education and training programs. Hearing held by Subcommittee on Benefits on April 30. |