Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 93.djvu/95

 PUBLIC LAW 96-22—JUNE 13, 1979

93 STAT. 63

"(III) is not in the custody of such person's natural parent, unless such natural parent is such veteran's spouse; and "(IV) is residing with such veteran (or in the case of divorce following adoption, with the divorced spouse who is also an adoptive or natural parent) except for periods during which such person is residing apart from such veteran (or such divorced spouse) for purposes of full-time attendance at an educational institution or during which such person or such veteran (or such divorced spouse) is confined in a hospital, nursing home, other health-care facility, or other institution; and "(ii) a person shall not be considered to have been a legally adopted child of a veteran as of the date of such veteran's death and thereafter unless— "(I) at any time within the one-year period immediately preceding such veteran's death, such veteran was entitled to and was receiving a dependent's allowance or similar monetary benefit under this title for such person; or "(II) for a period of at least one year prior to such veteran's death, such person met the requirements of clause (i) of this subparagraph.". STUDY OF BENEFITS PAYABLE TO PERSONS RESIDING OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES

SEC. 402. (a) The Administrator of Veterans' Affairs, in consultation with the Secretary of State, shall carry out a comprehensive study of benefits payable under the provisions of title 38, United States Code, to persons who reside outside the fifty States and the District of Columbia. The Administrator shall include in such study— (1) an analysis of the issues involved in the payment of such benefits to persons who reside outside the fifty States and the District of Columbia, together with analyses of such aspects of the economy of each foreign country and each territory, possession, and Commonwealth of the United States in which a substantial number of persons receiving such benefits reside as are relevant to such issues (such as the rate of inflation, the standard of living, and health care, educational, housing, and burial costs); (2) an analysis of the issues involved in the payment of such benefits as the result of adoptions under laws other than the laws of any of the fifty States or the District of Columbia; (3) an analysis of the amounts and method of payment of benefits payable to persons entitled, by virtue of sections 107 and 1765 of such title, to benefits under chapters 11,13, and 35 of such title; (4) estimates of the present and future costs of paying monetary benefits under such title to persons described in clauses (1) and (3); (5) an evaluation of the desirability of continuing to maintain the Veterans' Administration Regional Office in the Republic of the Philippines, taking into consideration (A) the current and expected future workloads of such office, (B) the estimated cost in fiscal years 1981 through 1985 of continuing to maintain such regional office, (C) the feasibility and desirability of transferring appropriate functions of such regional office to the United States

38 USC 101 note.

38 USC 101 et seq.

38 USC 107, 1765. 38 USC 301, 401, 1700. Veterans' Administration Regional Office in the Republic of the Philippines, continuance evaluation.

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