Dr. James Allen Veteran Vision Equity Act of 2007
Public Law 110-157 · H.R. 797 · 110th Congress · began in the House
Signed by George W. Bush (R) on Dec 26, 2007 · Armed Forces and National Security
Sponsor: Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI-2)
Cosponsors (64): Rep. John Boozman, Rep. Bob Filner,
Passage votes
- HouseMethod not stated
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Dr. James Allen Veteran Vision Equity Act of 2007 - Title I: Low-Vision Benefits Matters - (Sec. 101) Modifies the standard for awarding disability compensation to veterans for loss of vision to require payment of compensation for impairment of vision due to a service-connected disability resulting in 20/200 (currently, 5/200) visual acuity or less.
(Sec. 102) Modifies the above standard in the case of impairment of vision (currently, blindness) involving both eyes due to a service-connected disability in one eye and a non-service-connected disability in the other eye to require payment in the case of impairment resulting in a visual acuity of 20/200 or less or of a peripheral field of 20 degrees or less in each eye.
Title II: Matters Relating to Burial and Memorial Affairs - (Sec. 201) Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in lieu of furnishing a headstone or marker for the grave of certain individuals buried in a private cemetery, to furnish a medallion or other device to signify the deceased's status as a veteran, to be attached to a headstone or marker furnished at private expense.
(Sec. 202) Repeals, as of October 1, 2006, the time limit for a state's filing of a request for reimbursement for interment costs for veterans buried in cemeteries other than national cemeteries.
Authorizes the Secretary to make a grant to a state for operating and maintaining a veterans' cemetery owned by such state. Limits to $5 million the amount of such grants awarded in a fiscal year.
(Sec. 203) Makes permanent the authority of the Secretary to furnish government headstones or markers for the burial of veterans at private cemeteries.
Title III: Other Matters - (Sec. 301) Requires the Secretary to provide the Secretary of Health and Human Services with information for comparison with the National Directory of New Hires for income verification purposes in order to determine eligibility for certain veteran benefits and services. Requires the Secretary to: (1) seek only the minimum information necessary to make such determination; (2) receive prior written consent of the individual before seeking, using, or disclosing any such information; (3) independently verify any information received prior to terminating, denying, or reducing a benefit or service; and (4) allow an opportunity for an individual to contest negative findings. Terminates such authority at the end of FY2011.
(Sec. 302) Extends, through June 30, 2010, the Secretary's authority to provide an educational allowance to persons performing qualifying work-study activities.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Veterans' Affairs Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
2 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.Res. 855Procedurally-relatedRelated bill
Dr. James Allen Veteran Vision Equity Act of 2007
S. 1163Procedurally-relatedRelated document
Blinded Veterans Paired Organ Act of 2007
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 34 actions.
- Dec 26, 2007Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 110-157.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Dec 19, 2007FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Dec 17, 2007Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendments (text and title) to Senate amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- OtherOther · Cleared for White House.
- OtherOther · Resolving differences -- Senate actions: Senate agreed to House amendments (text and title) to Senate amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- Dec 12, 2007FloorFloor · Message on House action received in Senate and at desk: House amendments to Senate amendment.
- Dec 11, 2007FloorFloor · House agreed to Senate amendment with amendments pursuant to H. Res. 855.
- OtherOther · Resolving differences -- House actions: House agreed to Senate amendment with amendments pursuant to H. Res. 855.
- Nov 2, 2007FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- FloorFloor · See also S. 1163.
- FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Senate struck all after the Enacting Clause and substituted the language of S.1163 as amended.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs discharged by Unanimous Consent.
- Mar 22, 2007CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- Mar 21, 2007FloorFloor · The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 424 - 0 (Roll no. 175).House roll call 175
- FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
- FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 797.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Filner moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Mar 20, 2007CalendarCalendar · Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 28.
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. H. Rept. 110-57.
- Mar 15, 2007CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
- Mar 13, 2007CommitteeCommittee · Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote .
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
No amendments to this bill are on record.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.