,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #aed  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of   
,,representatives  ,january #c1         
#bjai,mr4 ,green of ,texas 7for himself1
 ,mr4 ,sean ,patrick ,maloney of ,new   
,york1 ,mrs4 ,dingell1 ,mr4 ,garamendi1 
,mr4 ,kilmer1 ,mrs4 ,bustos1 ,ms4       
,pingree1 ,mr4 ,mc,govern1 ,mr4         
,hastings1 ,mr4 ,perlmutter1 and ,mr4   
,king of ,new ,york7 introduced the     
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs   
,a ,,bill  ,to amend title #ch1 ,united 
,states ,code1 to direct the ,secretary 
of ,veterans ,affairs to establish the  
,merchant ,mariner ,equity ,compensation
 ,fund to provide benefits to certain   
individuals who served in the ,united   
,states merchant marine 7including the  
,army ,transport ,service and the ,naval
 ,transport ,service7 during ,world ,war
 ,,ii4  #a4 ,short ,title ,this ,act may
 be cited as the ,honoring ,our ,,wwii  
,merchant ,mariners ,act of #bjai4  #b4 
,payments to individuals who served     

during ,world ,war ,,ii in the ,united  
,states ,merchant ,marine  7a7          
,establishment of ,compensation ,fund   
,subchapter ,,ii of chapter #e of title 
#ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended  
by adding at the end the following new  
section3  #ecc4 ,merchant ,mariner      
,equity ,compensation ,fund  7a7        
,compensation ,fund  7#a7 ,there is in  
the general fund of the ,treasury a fund
 to be known as the ,merchant ,mariner  
,equity ,compensation ,fund 7in this    
section referred to as the compensation 
fund74  7#b7 ,subject to the            
availability of appropriations for such 
purpose1 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     
section4  7b7 ,eligible ,individuals    
7#a7 ,an eligible individual is an      
individual who-- 7,a7 during the        
one-year period beginning on the date of
 the enactment of this section1 submits 

to the ,secretary an application        
containing such information and         
assurances as the ,secretary may        
require2  7,b7 has not received benefits
 under the ,servicemen's ,readjustment  
,act of #aidd 7,public ,law #gh-cdf72   
and  7,c7 has engaged in qualified      
service4  7#b7 ,for purposes of         
paragraph 7#a71 a person has engaged in 
qualified service if1 between ,december 
#g1 #aida1 and ,december #ca1 #aidf1 the
 person--  7,a7 was a member of the     
,united ,states merchant marine         
7including the ,army ,transport ,service
 and the ,naval ,transport ,service7    
serving as a crewmember of a vessel that
 was--  7i7 operated by the ,war        
,shipping ,administration or the ,office
 of ,defense ,transportation 7or an     
agent of the ,administration or         
,office72  7ii7 operated in waters other
 than inland waters1 the ,great ,lakes1 
and other lakes1 bays1 and harbors of   
the ,united ,states2  7iii7 under       
contract or charter to1 or property of1 

the ,government of the ,united ,states2 
and  7iv7 serving the ,armed ,forces2   
and  7,b7 while so serving1 was licensed
 or otherwise documented for service as 
a crewmember of such a vessel by an     
officer or employee of the ,united      
,states authorized to license or        
document the person for such service4   
7#c7 ,in determining the information and
 assurances required in the application 
pursuant to paragraph 7#a77;,a71 the    
,secretary shall accept a ,,dd-#bad form
 as proof of qualified service4  7c7    
,amount of ,payment ,the ,secretary     
shall make one payment out of the       
compensation fund in the amount of      
#be1jjj to an eligible individual4 ,the 
,secretary shall make such a payment to 
eligible individuals in the order in    
which the ,secretary receives the       
applications of the eligible            
individuals4  7d7 ,authorization of     
,appropriations ,there is authorized to 
be appropriated for fiscal year #bjbj   
#abe1jjj1jjj for the compensation fund4 

,such amount shall remain available     
until expended4  7e7 ,reports ,the      
,secretary shall include1 in documents  
submitted to ,congress by the ,secretary
 in support of the ,president's budget  
for each fiscal year1 detailed          
information on the operation of the     
compensation fund1 including the number 
of applicants1 the number of eligible   
individuals receiving benefits1 the     
amounts paid out of the compensation    
fund1 the administration of the         
compensation fund1 and an estimate of   
the amounts necessary to fully fund the 
compensation fund for that fiscal year  
and each of the three subsequent fiscal 
years4  7f7 ,regulations ,the ,secretary
 shall prescribe regulations to carry   
out this section4  4  7b7 ,regulations  
,not later than #ahj days after the date
 of the enactment of this ,act1 the     
,secretary shall prescribe the          
regulations required under section      
#ecb7;f7 of title #ch1 ,united ,states  
,code1 as added by subsection 7a74  7c7 

,clerical ,amendment ,the table of      
sections at the beginning of such       
chapter is amended by inserting after   
the item related to section #ecb the    
following new item3  #ecc4 ,merchant    
,mariner ,equity ,compensation ,fund44