[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 102 (Tuesday, June 19, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S4039]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 2918. Mr. BENNET submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to 
amendment SA 2910 proposed by Mr. Shelby to the bill H.R. 5895, making 
appropriations for energy and water development and related agencies 
for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, and for other purposes; 
which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of title II of division C, add the following:

     SEC. 2__. CARE FOR SPOUSES OF VETERANS AT CERTAIN STATE HOMES 
                   FOR WHICH PAYMENT IS MADE BY THE SECRETARY OF 
                   VETERANS AFFAIRS.

       (a) In General.--If a State home for which payment is made 
     by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs under subchapter V of 
     chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code, is below 90 
     percent occupancy, the State home may provide care to spouses 
     of veterans such that the percentage of individuals receiving 
     care at the State home who are veterans is not less than 60 
     percent.
       (b) Application for Construction or Acquisition.--Section 
     8135(a)(4) of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
       (1) by striking ``Reasonable assurance'' and inserting 
     ``(A) Reasonable assurance'';
       (2) by inserting ``, except as provided in subparagraph 
     (B),'' after ``and that''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
       ``(B) Reasonable assurance that, for purposes of providing 
     care to spouses of veterans, during a period in which a 
     facility is operating with a bed occupancy rate of 90 percent 
     or less, not more than 40 percent of the bed occupancy at any 
     one time will consist of patients who are not receiving such 
     level of care as veterans.''.
       (c) State Home Defined.--In this section, the term ``State 
     home'' has the meaning given that term in section 101 of 
     title 38, United States Code.
                                 ______