,,ii  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #fij  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,april #i1 #bjac    
,mr4 ,schatz 7for himself and ,ms4      
,hirono7 introduced the following bill2 
which was read twice and referred to the
 ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs  ,a  
,,bill  ,to amend title #ch1 ,united    
,states ,code1 to deem certain service  
in the organized military forces of the 
,government of the ,commonwealth of the 
,philippines and the ,philippine ,scouts
 to have been active service for        
purposes of benefits under programs     
administered by the ,secretary of       
,veterans ,affairs4  #a4 ,short title   
,this ,act may be cited as the ,filipino
 ,veterans ,fairness ,act of #bjac4  #b4
 ,certain service in the organized      
military forces of the ,philippines and 
the ,philippine ,scouts deemed to be    
active service  7a7 ,in ,general        
,section #ajg of title #ch1 ,united     
,states ,code1 is amended--  7#a7 in    
subsection 7a7--  7,a7 by striking not  

after ,army of the ,united ,states1     
shall2 and  7,b7 by striking 1 except   
benefits under-- and all that follows in
 that subsection and inserting a period2
  7#b7 in subsection 7b7--  7,a7 by     
striking not after ,armed ,forces       
,voluntary ,recruitment ,act of #aide   
shall2 and  7,b7 by striking except--   
and all that follows in that subsection 
and inserting a period2  7#c7 by        
amending subsection 7c7 to read as      
follows3  7c7 ,determination of         
eligibility  7#a7 ,in general ,in       
determining the eligibility of the      
service of an individual under this     
section1 the ,secretary shall take into 
account any alternative documentation   
regarding such service1 including       
documentation other than the ,missouri  
,list1 that the ,secretary determines   
relevant4  7#b7 ,report ,not later than 
,march #a of each year1 the ,secretary  
shall submit to the ,committee on       
,veterans' ,affairs of the ,senate and  
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs of the

 ,house of ,representatives a report    
that includes--  7,a7 the number of     
individuals applying for benefits       
pursuant to this section during the     
previous year2 and  7,b7 the number of  
such individuals that the ,secretary    
approved for benefits4  2 and  7#d7 by  
amending subsection 7d7 to read as      
follows3  7d7 ,relation to ,filipino    
,veterans ,equity ,compensation ,fund   
,section #ajjb7;h7 of the ,american     
,recovery and ,reinvestment ,act of     
#bjji 7title ,x of division ,a of       
,public ,law #aaa-e2 #abc ,stat4 #bjj2  
#ch ,u4,s4,c4 #ajg note7 shall not apply
 to an individual described in          
subsection 7a7 or 7b7 of this section4  
4  7b7 ,conforming ,amendments  7#a7    
,the heading of such section is amended 
to read as follows3  #ajg4 ,certain     
service deemed to be active service3    
service in organized military forces of 
the ,philippines and in the ,philippine 
,scouts  4  7#b7 ,the item relating to  
such section in the table of sections at

 the beginning of chapter #a of such    
title is amended to read as follows3    
#ajg4 ,certain service deemed to be     
active service3 service in organized    
military forces of the ,philippines and 
in the ,philippine ,scouts4  4  #c4     
,effective date  7a7 ,in general ,the   
amendments made by this ,act shall take 
effect on the date that is #ij days     
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act4  7b7 ,applicability ,no benefits  
shall accrue to any person for any      
period before the effective date of this
 ,act by reason of the amendments made  
by this ,act4