[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1402 Received in Senate (RDS)]
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1402
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
December 11, 2013
Received
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To amend title 38, United States Code, to extend certain expiring
provisions of law, 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; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``VA Expiring
Authorities Extension Act of 2013''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as
follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. References to title 38, United States Code.
Sec. 3. Scoring of budgetary effects.
Sec. 4. Extension of authorization of appropriations for payment of a
monthly assistance allowance to disabled
veterans training or competing in large-
scale adaptive sports programs.
Sec. 5. Reauthorization and modification of adaptive sports assistance
program.
Sec. 6. Extension of authority to transport certain individuals to and
from Department of Veterans Affairs
facilities.
Sec. 7. Extension of authority for operation of the Department of
Veterans Affairs regional office in Manila,
the Republic of the Philippines.
Sec. 8. Extension of requirement to provide nursing home care to
certain veterans with service-connected
disabilities.
Sec. 9. Extension of treatment and rehabilitation services for
seriously mentally ill and homeless
veterans.
Sec. 10. Extension of authority to provide housing assistance for
homeless veterans.
Sec. 11. Extension of authority for the Advisory Committee on Homeless
Veterans.
Sec. 12. Extension of authority for the Veterans' Advisory Commission
on Education.
Sec. 13. Extension of requirements relating to vendee loans.
Sec. 14. Extension of authority for the performance of medical
disabilities examinations by contract
physicians.
SEC. 2. REFERENCES TO TITLE 38, UNITED STATES CODE.
Except as otherwise expressly provided, whenever in this Act an
amendment or repeal is expressed in terms of an amendment to, or repeal
of, a section or other provision, the reference shall be considered to
be made to a section or other provision of title 38, United States
Code.
SEC. 3. SCORING OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS.
The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of complying
with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall be determined by
reference to the latest statement titled ``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO
Legislation'' for this Act, submitted for printing in the Congressional
Record by the Chairman of the House Budget Committee, provided that
such statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.
SEC. 4. EXTENSION OF AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR PAYMENT OF A
MONTHLY ASSISTANCE ALLOWANCE TO DISABLED VETERANS
TRAINING OR COMPETING IN LARGE-SCALE ADAPTIVE SPORTS
PROGRAMS.
(a) Reauthorization and Use of Certain Funds.--Subsection (d)(4) of
section 322 is amended by striking ``through 2013'' and all that
follows and inserting ``through 2015.''.
(b) Cooperation With Organization.--Subsection (b)(4) of such
section is amended by striking ``cooperate with the United States
Olympic Committee'' and all that follows through ``its partners;'' and
inserting ``cooperate with entities with significant experience in
managing large-scale adaptive sports programs;''.
(c) Applicability to Commonwealths and Territories of the United
States.--Such section is further amended by redesignating subsection
(e) as subsection (f) and inserting after subsection (d) the following
new subsection (e):
``(e) Applicability to Commonwealths and Territories of the United
States.--The provisions of this subsection shall apply in the same
manner and to the same degree as to the United States Olympic Committee
to the Paralympic sport entities the Secretary considers appropriate to
represent the interests of each of the following:
``(1) American Samoa.
``(2) Guam.
``(3) Puerto Rico.
``(4) The Northern Mariana Islands.
``(5) The United States Virgin Islands.''.
SEC. 5. REAUTHORIZATION AND MODIFICATION OF ADAPTIVE SPORTS ASSISTANCE
PROGRAM.
(a) Reauthorization.--Subsection (a) of section 521A is amended to
read as follows:
``(a) Adaptive Sports Program.--(1) The Secretary may carry out a
program under which the Secretary may make grants to eligible entities
for planning, developing, managing, and implementing programs to
provide adaptive sports opportunities for disabled veterans and
disabled members of the Armed Forces.
``(2) For purposes of this section, an eligible entity is an entity
with significant experience in managing a large-scale adaptive sports
program.''.
(b) Additional Application Requirements.--Subsection (c)(2)(A) of
such section is amended--
(1) by striking ``of all partnerships'' and all that
follows through the end and inserting ``of--''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new clauses:
``(i) all partnerships referred to in paragraph (3)
at the national and local levels that will be
participating in such activities and the amount of
grant funds that the eligible entity proposes to make
available for each of such partnerships;
``(ii) the anticipated personnel, travel, and
administrative costs that will be paid for by the
eligible entity using grant funds;
``(iii) the financial controls implemented by the
eligible entity, including methods to track
expenditures of grant funds;
``(iv) the performance metrics to be used by the
eligible entity to evaluate the effectiveness of the
activities to be carried out using grant funds; and
``(v) the anticipated personnel, travel, and
administrative costs that will be paid for by grantees
under this subsection using grant funds; and''.
(c) Use of Funds for Administrative Expenses.--Paragraph (4) of
subsection (d) of such section is amended to read as follows:
``(4)(A) At the discretion of the Secretary, an eligible entity
that receives a grant under this section may use a portion of the grant
for the administrative expenses and personnel expenses of the eligible
entity. The amount that may be used for such expenses may not exceed--
``(i) in the case of a grant made for adaptive sports
opportunities taking place during fiscal year 2014, 10 percent
of the total amount of the grant;
``(ii) in the case of a grant made for adaptive sports
opportunities taking place during fiscal year 2015, 7.5 percent
of the total amount of the grant; and
``(iii) in the case of a grant made for adaptive sports
opportunities taking place during any subsequent fiscal year, 5
percent of the total amount of the grant.
``(B) For purposes of this paragraph, personnel expenses include
any costs associated with an employee of the eligible entity other than
reimbursement for time spent by such an employee directly providing
coaching or training for disabled veterans or members of the Armed
Forces.''.
(d) Funding.--Subsection (g) of such section is amended--
(1) by striking ``There is'' and inserting ``(1) There
is'';
(2) by striking ``through 2013'' and all that follows and
inserting ``through 2015.''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(2) Amounts appropriated pursuant to this subsection shall remain
available without fiscal year limitation.''.
(e) Reauthorization.--Subsection (l) of such section is amended by
striking ``may not provide assistance under this section after December
31, 2013'' and inserting ``may only provide assistance under this
section for adaptive sports opportunities occurring during fiscal years
2010 through 2016''.
(f) Comptroller General Report.--Not later than 18 months after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the
United States shall submit to Congress a report on the use of the
grants, if any, awarded under section 521A of title 38, United States
Code, as amended by this section, during the first program year that
begins after the date of the enactment of this Act. Such report shall
include each of the following:
(1) An assessment of how the Secretary of Veterans Affairs,
eligible entities that received grants under such section, and
grantees under subsection (c) of such section have provided
adaptive sports opportunities to veterans and members of the
Armed Forces through grants awarded under such section.
(2) An assessment of how the Secretary oversees the use of
funds provided under such section.
(3) A description of the benefit provided to veterans and
members of the Armed Forces through programs and activities
developed through grants awarded under such section.
(g) Technical and Conforming Amendments.--Section 521A, as amended
by this section, is further amended--
(1) in subsection (b)--
(A) in the first sentence, by striking ``the United
States Olympic Committee'' and inserting ``an eligible
entity''; and
(B) in the second sentence, by striking ``The
United States Olympic Committee'' and inserting ``An
eligible entity that receives a grant under this
section'';
(2) in subsection (c)--
(A) in paragraph (1)--
(i) by striking ``the United States Olympic
Committee'' the first time it appears and
inserting ``an eligible entity''; and
(ii) by striking ``the United States
Olympic Committee'' the second time it appears
and inserting ``the eligible entity''; and
(B) in paragraphs (2) and (3), by striking ``the
United States Olympic Committee'' each place it appears
and inserting ``the eligible entity'';
(3) in subsection (d)--
(A) in paragraph (1)--
(i) by striking ``The United States Olympic
Committee'' and inserting ``An eligible entity
that receives a grant under this section,'';
(ii) by striking ``a grant under this
section'' and inserting ``the grant''; and
(iii) by striking ``the United States
Olympic Committee'' and inserting ``the
eligible entity''; and
(B) in paragraph (5), by striking ``the United
States Olympic Committee'' and inserting ``an eligible
entity that receives a grant under this section'';
(4) in subsection (e)--
(A) by striking ``the United States Olympic
Committee'' and inserting ``an eligible entity''; and
(B) by striking ``the integrated adaptive sports
program'' and inserting ``the adapted sports
opportunities funded by the grant'';
(5) in subsection (f), by striking ``the integrated
adaptive sports program'' and inserting ``adapted sports
opportunities funded under this section''; and
(6) in subsection (j)--
(A) in paragraph (1)--
(i) by striking ``the United States Olympic
Committee'' the first place it appears and
inserting ``an eligible entity'';
(ii) by striking ``the United States
Olympic Committee'' the second place it appears
and inserting ``the eligible entity'';
(iii) by striking ``the integrated adaptive
sports program,'' and inserting ``the adapted
sports opportunities funded by the grant,'';
and
(iv) by striking ``the integrated adaptive
sports program.'' and inserting ``such
opportunities and programs.'';
(B) by striking paragraph (3) and inserting the
following new paragraph (3):
``(3) If an eligible entity that receives a grant under this
section for any fiscal year does not submit the report required by
paragraph (1) for such fiscal year, the entity shall not be eligible to
receive a grant under this section for the subsequent fiscal year.'';
and
(7) by striking subsection (m).
(h) Clerical Amendments.--
(1) Section heading.--The heading of such section is
amended to read as follows:
``Sec. 521A. Adaptive sports programs for disabled veterans and members
of the Armed Forces''.
(2) Table of sections.--The table of sections at the
beginning of chapter 5 is amended by striking the item relating
to section 521A and inserting the following new item:
``512A. Adaptive sports programs for disabled veterans and members of
the Armed Forces.''.
(i) Implementation.--To ensure the uninterrupted provision of
adaptive sports for disabled veterans and disabled members of the Armed
Forces, any regulations that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
determines are necessary to implement the amendments made by this
section may be promulgated by interim final rules to ensure the award
of grants under section 521A of title 38, United States Code, as
amended by this section, before the end of fiscal year 2014.
SEC. 6. EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY TO TRANSPORT CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS TO AND
FROM DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS FACILITIES.
Section 111A(a)(2) is amended by striking ``the date that is one
year after the date of the enactment of this section'' and inserting
``December 31, 2014''.
SEC. 7. EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY FOR OPERATION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF
VETERANS AFFAIRS REGIONAL OFFICE IN MANILA, THE REPUBLIC
OF THE PHILIPPINES.
Section 315(b) is amended by striking ``December 31, 2013'' and
inserting ``December 31, 2014''.
SEC. 8. EXTENSION OF REQUIREMENT TO PROVIDE NURSING HOME CARE TO
CERTAIN VETERANS WITH SERVICE-CONNECTED DISABILITIES.
Section 1710A(d) is amended by striking ``December 31, 2013'' and
inserting ``December 31, 2014''.
SEC. 9. EXTENSION OF TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION SERVICES FOR
SERIOUSLY MENTALLY ILL AND HOMELESS VETERANS.
(a) General Treatment.--Section 2031(b) is amended by striking
``December 31, 2013'' and inserting ``December 31, 2014''.
(b) Additional Services at Certain Locations.--Section 2033(d) is
amended by striking ``December 31, 2013'' and inserting ``December 31,
2014''.
SEC. 10. EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY TO PROVIDE HOUSING ASSISTANCE FOR
HOMELESS VETERANS.
Section 2041(c) is amended by striking ``December 31, 2013'' and
inserting ``December 31, 2014''.
SEC. 11. EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY FOR THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON HOMELESS
VETERANS.
Section 2066(d) is amended by striking ``December 31, 2013'' and
inserting ``December 31, 2014''.
SEC. 12. EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY FOR THE VETERANS' ADVISORY COMMISSION
ON EDUCATION.
Section 3692(c) is amended by striking ``December 31, 2013'' and
inserting ``December 31, 2014''.
SEC. 13. EXTENSION OF REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO VENDEE LOANS.
Section 3733(a)(7) is amended by striking ``September 30, 2013''
each place it appears and inserting ``September 30, 2014''.
SEC. 14. EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY FOR THE PERFORMANCE OF MEDICAL
DISABILITIES EXAMINATIONS BY CONTRACT PHYSICIANS.
Section 704(c) of the Veterans Benefits Act of 2003 (Public Law
108-183; 38 U.S.C. 5101 note) is amended by striking ``December 31,
2013'' and inserting ``December 31, 2014''.
Passed the House of Representatives December 10, 2013.
Attest:
KAREN L. HAAS,
Clerk.