S.Amdt. 554

SA 554. Mr. FLAKE submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by
him to the bill H.R. 2810, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year
2018 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy,
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the end of subtitle B of title V, add the following:

SEC. 513. REPORT ON COORDINATION BETWEEN DEPARTMENT OF
DEFENSE AND DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS ON
TIMING OF CESSATION OF VETERANS BENEFITS FOR
MEMBERS OF THE RESERVE COMPONENTS WHOSE ACTIVE
DUTY INTERRUPTS RECEIPT OF BENEFITS.

(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act,

[[Page S4533]]

the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs shall jointly submit to Congress a report setting
forth a description of a mechanism through which the
Department of Defense may provide timely notice to the
Department of Veterans Affairs of the commencement and period
of active duty of members of the reserve components of the
Armed Forces described in subsection (b) in order to ensure
the following:
(1) That such members, while on active duty in the Armed
Forces, do not receive veterans' benefits which they are not
eligible to receive while on active duty.
(2) That such members recommence receipt of such benefits
as soon as practicable after cessation of active duty.
(b) Covered Members.--The members of the reserve components
of the Armed Forces described in this subsection are members
who, while on active duty in the Armed Forces, are not
eligible to receive veterans' benefits to which such members
are otherwise entitled during other periods.
(c) Veterans' Benefits Defined.--In this section, the term
``veterans' benefits'' means benefits for veterans under the
laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
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