[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 171 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 171

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for coverage under 
the beneficiary travel program of the Department of Veterans Affairs of 
certain disabled veterans for travel in connection with certain special 
          disabilities rehabilitation, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 13, 2015

  Mr. Tester 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 provide for coverage under 
the beneficiary travel program of the Department of Veterans Affairs of 
certain disabled veterans for travel in connection with certain special 
          disabilities rehabilitation, 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. COVERAGE UNDER DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS BENEFICIARY 
              TRAVEL PROGRAM OF TRAVEL IN CONNECTION WITH CERTAIN 
              SPECIAL DISABILITIES REHABILITATION.

    (a) In General.--Section 111(b)(1) of title 38, United States Code, 
is amended by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
            ``(G) A veteran with vision impairment, a veteran with a 
        spinal cord injury or disorder, or a veteran with double or 
        multiple amputations whose travel is in connection with care 
        provided through a special disabilities rehabilitation program 
        of the Department (including programs provided by spinal cord 
        injury centers, blind rehabilitation centers, and prosthetics 
        rehabilitation centers) if such care is provided--
                    ``(i) on an in-patient basis; or
                    ``(ii) during a period in which the Secretary 
                provides the veteran with temporary lodging at a 
                facility of the Department to make such care more 
                accessible to the veteran.''.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit 
to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the Committee 
on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives a report on the 
beneficiary travel program under section 111 of title 38, United States 
Code, as amended by subsection (a), that includes the following:
            (1) The cost of the program.
            (2) The number of veterans served by the program.
            (3) Such other matters as the Secretary considers 
        appropriate.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall 
take effect on the first day of the first fiscal year that begins after 
the date of the enactment of this Act.
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