Bill > HR39

This bill, the Honoring Our WWII Merchant Mariners Act of 2021, establishes the Merchant Mariner Equity Compensation Fund within the U.S. Treasury. The fund will provide one-time payments of $25,000 to eligible individuals who served as crewmembers of vessels operated by the U.S. government during World War II, between December 7, 1941, and December 31, 1946. To be eligible, individuals must apply within one year of the bill's enactment and have not previously received benefits under the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944. The bill authorizes $125 million in appropriations for the fund, which will remain available until expended. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs is required to provide detailed reports to Congress on the fund's operations.