[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1017 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1017

   To amend title 38, United States Code, to increase assistance for 
 disabled veterans who are temporarily residing in housing owned by a 
                 family member, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 17, 2011

  Mr. Sanders introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
             referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend title 38, United States Code, to increase assistance for 
 disabled veterans who are temporarily residing in housing owned by a 
                 family member, and for other purposes.

    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 Veteran Caregiver Housing 
Assistance Act of 2011''.

SEC. 2. INCREASED ASSISTANCE FOR DISABLED VETERANS RESIDING IN HOUSING 
              OWNED BY A FAMILY MEMBER.

    (a) In General.--Section 2102A of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``$14,000'' and 
                inserting ``$28,000''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``$2,000'' and 
                inserting ``$5,000'';
            (2) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (f); and
            (3) by inserting after subsection (d) the following new 
        subsection (e):
    ``(e) Adjustment.--(1) Effective on October 1 of each year 
(beginning in 2011), the Secretary shall increase the amounts described 
in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (b) in accordance with this 
subsection.
    ``(2) The increase in amounts under paragraph (1) to take effect on 
October 1 of a year shall be by an amount of such amounts equal to the 
percentage by which--
            ``(A) the residential home cost-of-construction index for 
        the preceding calendar year, exceeds
            ``(B) the residential home cost-of-construction index for 
        the year preceding the year described in subparagraph (A).
    ``(3) For the purposes of this subsection, the Secretary shall use 
the residential home cost-of-construction index established under 
section 2102(e)(3) of this title.''.
    (b) Permanent Authority.--Such section is further amended by 
striking subsection (f), as redesignated by subsection (a)(2).
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall take 
effect on the date of the enactment of this Act and shall apply with 
respect to payments made in accordance with section 2102A of title 38, 
United States Code, on or after that date.

SEC. 3. EXPANSION OF ELIGIBILITY FOR SPECIALLY ADAPTED HOUSING 
              ASSISTANCE FOR VETERANS WITH VISION IMPAIRMENT.

    Paragraph (2) of section 2101(b) of title 38, United States Code, 
is amended to read as follows:
    ``(2) A veteran is described in this paragraph if the veteran is 
entitled to compensation under chapter 11 of this title for a service-
connected disability that meets any of the following criteria:
            ``(A) The disability is due to blindness in both eyes, 
        having central visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better 
        eye with the use of a standard correcting lens. For the 
        purposes of this subparagraph, an eye with a limitation in the 
        fields of vision such that the widest diameter of the visual 
        field subtends an angle no greater than 20 degrees shall be 
        considered as having a central visual acuity of 20/200 or less.
            ``(B) A permanent and total disability that includes the 
        anatomical loss or loss of use of both hands.
            ``(C) A permanent and total disability that is due to a 
        severe burn injury (as so determined).''.

SEC. 4. REVISED LIMITATIONS ON ASSISTANCE FURNISHED.

    Section 2102(d) of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``under sections 2101(a) 
        and 2102A'' and inserting ``under section 2101(a)''; and
            (2) in paragraph (2), by striking ``under sections 2101(b) 
        and 2102A'' and inserting ``under section 2101(b)''.
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