H.R. 203 · 116th Congress
Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019
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Never voted on. It didn't reach a floor vote before the 116th Congress ended, so it expired. A bill has to be introduced again to be considered in a new Congress.
R
RoeSponsor18 cosponsors · 1 D, 17 R
R
Bilirakis
VB
R
Buchanan
MB
R
Bost
JW
R
Walorski
BW
R
Westerman
BM
R
Mast
VH
R
Hartzler
JJ
R
Joyce
CS
R
Smith
JD
R
Duncan
CM
R
McMorris Rodgers
SW
R
Watkins
JB
R
Banks
HR
R
Rogers
TB
R
Balderson
JR
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Rose
SC
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Chabot
LM
D
McBath0 signed on when it was introduced; the rest joined later. Cosponsors who withdrew aren't shown.
This bill addresses certain health benefit and home loan programs for veterans.
What it does: CRS summary · Introduced in House · Jan 3, 2019
Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019
This bill addresses certain health benefit and home loan programs for veterans.
Specifically, the bill extends the presumption of service-connection for certain diseases associated with herbicide (e.g., Agent Orange) exposure to veterans who served (1) offshore of Vietnam between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975, or (2) in or near the Korean Demilitarized Zone between September 1, 1967, and August 31, 1971. Under a presumption of service-connection, specific disabilities or diseases diagnosed in certain veterans are presumed to have been caused by the circumstances of their military service. Health care benefits and disability compensation may then be awarded.
The bill extends eligibility for health care, vocational training and rehabilitation, and monetary allowance to children with spina bifida who have at least one veteran parent who may have been exposed to an herbicide agent while serving in Thailand between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975.
Additionally, the bill revises the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) home loan guaranty program to adjust loan fee rates and eliminate the limit on the amount of a loan for which the VA may provide a guaranty of 25%. Under current law, these loan guarantees are subject to a limit on loan size determined by Freddie Mac.
The bill also waives loan fees for active duty Purple Heart recipients.
The VA shall permit a VA-approved appraiser to make a housing loan appraisal based solely on information gathered by a person with whom the appraiser has entered into an agreement for such services.
Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov
About this bill and sources
Official title: Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019
Latest action (Feb 1, 2019): Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security · Origin: House · Introduced: Jan 3, 2019
Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)
No recorded floor vote found.