What This Bill Does
This bill directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to create a new fund called the Merchant Mariner Equity Compensation Fund. The fund will provide one-time payments to certain people who served in the U.S. merchant marine during World War II but did not receive certain veteran benefits in the past.
Who It Affects
- Individuals who served in the United States merchant marine, Army Transport Service, or Naval Transport Service during World War II
- The Secretary of Veterans Affairs
- Congress
Key Provisions
- A special fund will be created in the Treasury to make payments to eligible individuals. (Sec. 2(a))
- Eligible individuals must apply within one year of the bill becoming law, must never have received benefits under the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, and must have served in qualified merchant marine service between December 7, 1941, and December 31, 1946. (Sec. 2(b))
- Each eligible individual receives one payment of $25,000, paid in the order applications are received. (Sec. 2(c))
- The Secretary must create rules to carry out this program within 180 days of the bill becoming law. (Sec. 2(b))
- The Secretary must report yearly to Congress about how many people applied, how many received payments, and how much money was spent. (Sec. 2(e))
What Changes
If this becomes law, a new compensation fund will be added to federal law, allowing World War II merchant mariners to apply for and receive $25,000 payments if they meet the eligibility requirements.
Important Definitions
- Qualified service: service as a crewmember on a vessel operated by the War Shipping Administration or Office of Defense Transportation, operating in ocean waters (not inland), contracted to the U.S. government, and serving the Armed Forces, between December 7, 1941, and December 31, 1946. The person must have been licensed or documented by a U.S. official for this service. (Sec. 2(b))
Effective Date
Not specified in bill text
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 39
To amend title 38, United States Code, 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 (including the Army Transport Service and the Naval
Transport Service) during World War II.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 9, 2023
Mr. GREEN of Texas introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Sec-
retary 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 (including the Army Transport Service
and the Naval Transport Service) during World War
II.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Honoring Our WWII
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Merchant Mariners Act of 2023’’.
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•HR 39 IH
SEC. 2. PAYMENTS TO INDIVIDUALS WHO SERVED DURING
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WORLD WAR II IN THE UNITED STATES MER-
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CHANT MARINE.
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(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF COMPENSATION FUND.—
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Subchapter II of chapter 5 of title 38, United States Code,
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is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
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‘‘§ 533. Merchant Mariner Equity Compensation Fund
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‘‘(a) COMPENSATION FUND.—(1) There is in the gen-
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eral fund of the Treasury a fund to be known as the ‘Mer-
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chant Mariner Equity Compensation Fund’ (in this sec-
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tion referred to as the ‘compensation fund’).
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‘‘(2) Subject to the availability of appropriations for
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such purpose, amounts in the compensation fund shall be
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available to the Secretary without fiscal year limitation to
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make payments to eligible individuals in accordance with
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this section.
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‘‘(b) ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS.—(1) An eligible indi-
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vidual is an individual who—
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‘‘(A) during the one-year period beginning on
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the date of the enactment of this section, submits to
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the Secretary an application containing such infor-
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mation and assurances as the Secretary may require;
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‘‘(B) has not received benefits under the Serv-
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icemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944 (Public Law
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78–346); and
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‘‘(C) has engaged in qualified service.
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•HR 39 IH
‘‘(2) For purposes of paragraph (1), a person has en-
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gaged in qualified service if, between December 7, 1941,
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and December 31, 1946, the person—
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‘‘(A) was a member of the United States mer-
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chant marine (including the Army Transport Service
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and the Naval Transport Service) serving as a crew-
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member of a vessel that was—
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‘‘(i) operated by the War Shipping Admin-
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istration or the Office of Defense Transpor-
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tation (or an agent of the Administration or Of-
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fice);
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‘‘(ii) operated in waters other than inland
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waters, the Great Lakes, and other lakes, bays,
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and harbors of the United States;
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‘‘(iii) under contract or charter to, or prop-
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erty of, the Government of the United States;
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and
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‘‘(iv) serving the Armed Forces; and
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‘‘(B) while so serving, was licensed or otherwise
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documented for service as a crewmember of such a
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vessel by an officer or employee of the United States
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authorized to license or document the person for
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such service.
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‘‘(3) In determining the information and assurances
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required in the application pursuant to paragraph (1)(A),
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•HR 39 IH
the Secretary shall accept a DD–214 form as proof of
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qualified service.
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‘‘(c) AMOUNT OF PAYMENT.—The Secretary shall
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make one payment out of the compensation fund in the
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amount of $25,000 to an eligible individual. The Secretary
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shall make such a payment to eligible individuals in the
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order in which the Secretary receives the applications of
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the eligible individuals.
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‘‘(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There
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is authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 2024
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$125,000,000 for the compensation fund. Such amount
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shall remain available until expended.
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‘‘(e) REPORTS.—The Secretary shall include, in docu-
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ments submitted to Congress by the Secretary in support
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of the President’s budget for each fiscal year, detailed in-
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formation on the operation of the compensation fund, in-
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cluding the number of applicants, the number of eligible
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individuals receiving benefits, the amounts paid out of the
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compensation fund, the administration of the compensa-
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tion fund, and an estimate of the amounts necessary to
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fully fund the compensation fund for that fiscal year and
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each of the three subsequent fiscal years.
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‘‘(f) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary shall prescribe
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regulations to carry out this section.’’.
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•HR 39 IH
(b) REGULATIONS.—Not later than 180 days after
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the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall
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prescribe the regulations required under section 532(f) of
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title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (a).
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(c) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections
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at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting
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after the item related to section 532 the following new
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item:
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‘‘533. Merchant Mariner Equity Compensation Fund.’’.
Æ
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