[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1188 Introduced in House (IH)]






109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1188

To amend title 10, United States Code, to support disabled veterans by 
  extending military commissary and exchange store privileges to such 
veterans and their dependents and by authorizing space-available travel 
      on military aircraft for such veterans and their dependents.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 9, 2005

  Mr. Filner introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 10, United States Code, to support disabled veterans by 
  extending military commissary and exchange store privileges to such 
veterans and their dependents and by authorizing space-available travel 
      on military aircraft for such veterans and their dependents.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Disabled Veterans Right to 
Commissaries and Space Available Travel Act''.

SEC. 2. COMMISSARY AND EXCHANGE STORE PRIVILEGES FOR DISABLED VETERANS 
              AND THEIR DEPENDENTS.

    (a) Extension of Privileges.--Chapter 54 of title 10, United States 
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 1065. Use of commissary and exchange stores: disabled veterans 
              and their dependents
    ``(a) Disabled Veterans.--A veteran with a service-connected 
disability rated by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs at 30 percent or 
more shall be permitted to use commissary and exchange stores on the 
same basis as a member of the armed forces entitled to retired or 
retainer pay.
    ``(b) Dependents.--A dependent of a veteran described in subsection 
(a) shall be permitted to use commissary and exchange stores on the 
same basis as a dependent of a member of the armed forces entitled to 
retired or retainer pay.
    ``(c) Definitions.--In this section, the terms `veteran' and 
`service-connected' have the meanings given those terms in section 101 
of title 38.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
such chapter is amended by adding at the end the following new item:

``1065. Use of commissary and exchange stores: disabled veterans and 
                            their dependents.''.

SEC. 3. TRANSPORTATION ON MILITARY AIRCRAFT ON A SPACE-AVAILABLE BASIS 
              FOR DISABLED VETERANS AND THEIR DEPENDENTS.

    (a) Availability of Transportation.--Chapter 157 of title 10, 
United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 2641a the 
following new section:
``Sec. 2641b. Space-available travel on Department of Defense aircraft: 
              disabled veterans and their dependents
    ``(a) Disabled Veterans.--The Secretary of Defense shall provide 
transportation on Department of Defense aircraft on a space-available 
basis for any veteran with a service-connected disability rated by the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs at 50 percent or more on the same basis 
as such transportation is provided to members of the armed forces 
entitled to retired or retainer pay.
    ``(b) Dependents.--A dependent of a veteran described in subsection 
(a) shall be permitted to travel on Department of Defense aircraft on a 
space-available basis on the same basis as a dependent of a member of 
the armed forces entitled to retired pay or retainer pay.
    ``(c) Definitions.--In this section, the terms `veteran' and 
`service-connected' have the meanings given those terms in section 101 
of title 38.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 
2641a the following new item:

``2641b. Space-available travel on Department of Defense aircraft: 
                            disabled veterans and their dependents.''.

SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    Sections 1065 and 2641b of title 10, United States Code, as added 
by this Act, shall take effect at the end of the 90-day period 
beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act.
                                 <all>