H.R. 203: Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019

116th Congress · introduced 2019-01-03 · Armed Forces and National Security · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2019-01-03 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Roe, David P. [R-TN-1] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019

Plain summary

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.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Roe, David P. [R-TN-1] · 18 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Gus M. Bilirakis (R-FL), Mike Bost (R-IL), Bruce Westerman (R-AR), Vern Buchanan (R-FL), Brian J. Mast (R-FL), John Joyce (R-PA), Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ), Harold Rogers (R-KY), Jim Banks (R-IN), Troy Balderson (R-OH), John W. Rose (R-TN), Lucy McBath (D-GA)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (2)

Appraisal: An estimate of what property is worth. In Texas, county appraisal districts set the value that property taxes are based on.
Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-116hr203.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/116/hr>

Record fed-us-cong116-hr203 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116