Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 108 Part 6.djvu/89

 PUBLIC LAW 103-446—NOV. 2, 1994 108 STAT. 4657 38 USC 7101A note. 38 USC 7101. by reason of the amendments made by tMs section to a rate below the rate payable to such individual on the day before such date. (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.— Section 7101A(b) of title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), shall take effect on the first day of the first pay period beginning aPber December 31, 1994. (d) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— Section 7101(b) is amended— (1) by striking out paragraph (2); (2) by deagnatLng as paragraph (2) the text in paragraph (1) beginning "The Chairman may be removed"; and (3) by striking out "Members (including the Chairman)" in paragraph (3) and inserting in heu thereof "The Chairman". SEC. 202. DEADLINE FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF PERFORMANCE 38 USC 7101A EVALUATION CSirrERIA FOR BOARD MEMBERS. "o ^. (a) DEADLINE.— The job performance standards required to be established by section 710lA(f) of title 38, United States Code, as added by section 201(a), shall be established not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. (b) SUBMISSION TO CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES. —Not later Reports. than the date on which the standards referred to in subsection (a) take effect, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a report describing the standards established by the Chairman of the Board of Veterans' Appeals. SEC. 203. CONTINUATION IN OFFICE OF CHAIRMAN PENDING APPOINTMENT OF SUCCESSOR. Section 7101(b)(3) is amended by adding at the end the following new sentence: "If, upon the expiration of the term of office for which the Chairman was appointed, the position of Chairman woilid become vacant, the individual serving as Chairman may, with the approval of the Secretary, continue to serve as Chairman until either appointed to another term or a successor is appointed, but not beyond the end of the Congress during which the term of office expired.". TITLE III—ADJUDICATION IMPROVEMENTS SEC. 301. ACCEPTANCE OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTATION FOR CLAIMS PURPOSES. (a) STATEMENTS OF CLAIMANT TO BE ACCEPTED AS PROOF OF RELATIONSHIPS. — Chapter 51 is amended by adding at the end the following new section:: ''§ 5124. Acceptance of claimant's statement as proof of relationship "(a) For purposes of benefits under laws administered by the Secretary, the Secretary may accept the written statement of a claimant as proof of the existence of any relationship specified in subsection (b) for the purpose of acting on such individual's claim for benefits. "(b) Subsection (a) appHes to proof of the existence of any of the following relationships between a claimant and another person:

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