[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 83 (Tuesday, May 20, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H4196-H4197]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




REQUIRING REGULAR UPDATES TO HANDBOOK FOR DESIGN FURNISHED TO VETERANS 
           ELIGIBLE FOR SPECIALLY ADAPTED HOUSING ASSISTANCE

  Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 5664) to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs to update at least once every six years 
the plans and specifications for specially adapted housing furnished to 
veterans by the Secretary, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 5664

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

     SECTION 1. REQUIREMENT FOR REGULAR UPDATES TO HANDBOOK FOR 
                   DESIGN FURNISHED TO VETERANS ELIGIBLE FOR 
                   SPECIALLY ADAPTED HOUSING ASSISTANCE BY 
                   SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

       Section 2103 of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
       (1) by striking ``The Secretary'' and inserting ``(a) Plans 
     and Specifications.--The Secretary''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
       ``(b) Handbook for Design.--The Secretary shall make 
     available to veterans eligible for assistance under this 
     chapter, without cost to the veterans, a handbook containing 
     appropriate designs for specially adapted housing. The 
     Secretary shall update such handbook at least once every six 
     years to take into account any new or unique disabilities, 
     including vision impairments, impairments specific to the of 
     upper limbs, and burn injuries.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Filner) and the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Buyer) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.
  Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, again we thank and we draw on the expertise of Mr. 
Rodriguez of Texas for this bill. It's a commonsense solution to assist 
our Nation's veterans.
  We would simply require the Secretary of the VA to furnish and update 
a handbook for designs of specially adapted housing to include vision 
impairments, impairments to the upper limbs, and burn injuries.
  Ensuring that our brave men and women have a comfortable home to heal 
from the injuries of war is the very least we can do for our veterans. 
This is especially true since the last time this VA pamphlet was 
published was 30 years ago, in 1978.
  I feel confident that with this legislation the VA can provide 
improved guidance to incorporate today's medical breakthroughs in 
health care and any advanced technologies. I hope all my colleagues 
will support H.R. 5664.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BUYER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise in support of H.R. 5664, as amended, a bill which would amend 
title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs to update at least once every 6 years the plans and 
specifications for specially adapted housing furnished to veterans by 
the Secretary.
  I thank my colleague, Mr. Rodriguez of Texas, for introducing this 
bill, and Subcommittee Chairwoman Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, Ranking 
Member Boozman and full committee Chairman Filner for their efforts to 
bring the bill before the House.
  Madam Speaker, many of our most severely disabled veterans qualify 
for the specially adapted housing program that provides grants for up 
to $50,000 to modify the veteran's home. This bill would require the VA 
to update the handbook on adapted homes designs on a 6-year cycle, to 
include adaptations for a wider variety of disabilities and to provide 
the handbook to qualified veterans.

                              {time}  1415

  In the previous Congress, we allowed the homes of a family member to 
be adapted where the veteran temporarily resides. I think that was a 
good move that we had done that, and this measure that Mr. Rodriguez 
has brought is one that is prudent and it should be passed.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
author of the legislation, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Rodriguez).
  Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Chairman Filner and Ranking Member Buyer, thank you 
very much for this opportunity regarding H.R. 5664, a bill that I 
introduced to correct a bureaucratic oversight in the way that the 
Veterans Administration advises contractors as they deal with 
renovating housing for disabled veterans.
  Madam Speaker, our veterans have made difficult sacrifices and 
secured our freedom and the way of life. This Memorial Day we honor 
veterans with our words and our actions, and this bill is a reflection 
of that.
  My bill seeks to ensure that veterans whose homes are updated under 
the program benefit from all that modern technology and construction 
practice can provide. Today's veterans, particularly those from Iraq 
and Afghanistan, are sustaining injuries that in past conflicts would 
have resulted in their death. The variety of these injuries requires a 
fresh look at the ways the VA provides guidance to veterans in using 
special adaptive housing grants. The primary guidance that the VA 
provides contractors who modify homes under this grant program is VA 
pamphlet 26-13, titled ``Handbook for Design: Specially Adaptive 
Housing.'' The guide was last updated in 1978. This bill requires an 
update of this guide at least every 6 years.
  I would like to thank also Congressman Hall for his assistance in 
getting the bill in the Economic Opportunity Subcommittee and being 
able to make it happen as quickly as possible, getting the cost of it 
assessed, and I believe that the bill will go a long way in

[[Page H4197]]

assisting our veterans and making sure that we have good housing.
  Let me just give you one of the examples that we had. For example, 
the particular bill required that arm bars be built in these homes, 
that arm bars be installed in a restroom for a veteran who had his arms 
amputated, and there are other types of options that can be utilized, 
keyless entries and other forms. So this is definitely a bill that is 
helpful, and the purpose is to allow construction contractors who are 
updating disabled veterans' homes to be more flexible in employing 
state-of-the-art technology.
  Once again thank you very much for allowing me this opportunity, 
Chairman Filner.
  Mr. BUYER. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill.


                             General Leave

  Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on H.R. 5664, as amended.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 
5664, a bill to direct the VA to update the plans and specifications 
for specially adapted housing furnished to veterans.
  As the Chairwoman of the Veterans' Affairs Economic Opportunity 
Subcommittee, I would like to thank Representative Rodriguez for 
introducing this important bill. I also would like to thank Veterans' 
Affairs Committee Chairman Filner and Ranking Member Buyer for their 
support of the bill.
  The VA's main grant program guide, which is provided to contractors 
to draw up plans and specifications to modify homes, was last updated 
in 1978. H.R. 5664 will ensure that the 30-year-old guide contains up-
to-date directions and is applicable for today's veterans, who often 
come home from battle with injuries different than servicemembers from 
previous military conflicts.
  Again, I thank Representative Rodriguez for introducing this 
important bill. I encourage my colleagues to support it.
  Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Filner) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 5664, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________