[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 603 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 603

To amend title 38, United States Code, to make permanent the authority 
 of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to transport individuals to and 
  from facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs in connection 
with rehabilitation, counseling, examination, treatment, and care, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 26, 2015

Mr. Tester (for himself and Mrs. Murray) 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 make permanent the authority 
 of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to transport individuals to and 
  from facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs in connection 
with rehabilitation, counseling, examination, treatment, and care, 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 ``Rural Veterans Travel Enhancement 
Act of 2015''.

SEC. 2. MAKING PERMANENT AUTHORITY FOR SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO 
              TRANSPORT INDIVIDUALS TO AND FROM FACILITIES OF 
              DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

    Section 111A(a) of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by striking paragraph (2); and
            (2) in paragraph (1), by striking ``(1)''.

SEC. 3. TREATMENT OF VET CENTERS AS DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 
              FACILITIES FOR PURPOSES OF PAYMENTS OR ALLOWANCES FOR 
              BENEFICIARY TRAVEL.

    (a) In General.--Section 111 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(h)(1) Vet Centers shall be treated as Department facilities for 
purposes of providing payment of actual expenses of travel or allowance 
for travel to or from a Department facility under this section.
    ``(2) In this subsection, the term `Vet Center' means a center for 
readjustment counseling and related mental health services for veterans 
under section 1712A of this title.''.
    (b) Applicability.--Section 111(h) of such title, as added by 
subsection (a), shall apply with respect to travel occurring on or 
after the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 4. REAUTHORIZATION OF GRANTS FOR VETERANS SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS 
              FOR TRANSPORTATION OF HIGHLY RURAL VETERANS.

    Section 307(d) of the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health 
Services Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-163; 38 U.S.C. 1710 note) is 
amended by striking ``through 2014'' and inserting ``through 2020''.
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