HR660-119

2. Programs to provide compensation benefit and discharge status upgrades for certain veterans who are women discharged pursuant to Executive Order 10240 Subject to the availability of amounts made available in advance in appropriations Acts, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, shall establish and carry out a program to, subject to the eligibility criteria under subsection (c) and conditions to be prescribed by the Secretary of Defense, upgrade the discharge status of covered veterans. A covered veteran desiring to participate in such program shall submit to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of Defense an application in such form, at such time, and containing such information and assurances as such Secretaries determine appropriate. With respect to the provision of benefits under the laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, such Secretary shall treat a covered veteran who receives a discharge status upgrade pursuant to such program as if such covered veteran completed the duty to which such covered veteran was assigned at the time such covered veteran was separated from active military, naval, air, or space service. The Secretary of Defense shall establish and carry out a program to provide to covered veterans, subject to the eligibility criteria under subsection (c) and paragraph (2), a one-time compensation benefit in the amount of $25,000. If a covered veteran who satisfies the eligibility criteria under subsection (c) dies after the date of the enactment of this Act, the surviving spouse of such covered veteran shall be eligible for participation in the program under paragraph (1). A covered veteran, or the surviving spouse of a covered veteran, desiring to participate in such program shall submit to the Secretary of Defense an application in such form, at such time, and containing such information and assurances as the Secretary determines appropriate. There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Defense such sums as may be necessary to carry out this subsection. There is an irrebuttable presumption of eligibility for participation in the programs under subsections (a) and (b) for a covered veteran who was involuntarily separated from active military, naval, air, or space service pursuant to Executive Order 10240. There is a rebuttable presumption for eligibility for participation in such programs for a covered veteran who— gave birth to a child, obtained legal or physical custody of a child, or adopted a child during the 10-month period beginning after the date the veteran was separated from active military, naval, air, or space service; or experienced an incomplete pregnancy (including due to an abortion or miscarriage) during such 10-month period. In this section: The term active military, naval, air, or space service has the meaning given such term in section 101 of title 10, United States Code. The term covered veteran means a veteran who— is a woman; and performed active military, naval, air, or space service during the period beginning on April 27, 1951 and ending on February 23, 1976.