[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 38 (Monday, March 1, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S919]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                         AUTO for Veterans Act

  Ms. COLLINS. Madam President, last week, I was pleased to join my 
colleague from West Virginia, Senator Joe Manchin, in introducing the 
Advancing Uniform Transportation Opportunities for Veterans Act, better 
known as the AUTO for Veterans Act. I am pleased that Senators Boozman, 
Hassan, and Blunt have joined as original cosponsors.
  Our bill would lessen the financial burden on severely disabled 
veterans who require special adaptive equipment to drive a motor 
vehicle. It would do so by increasing access to the Department of 
Veterans Affairs automobile grant program.
  The VA currently provides eligible veterans with a one-time grant of 
approximately $21,400 to be used to purchase a new or used automobile 
and necessary adaptive equipment, such as specialized pedals and 
switches. This grant is often used in conjunction with the VA's special 
adaptive equipment grants, which help our veterans purchase additional 
adaptive equipment, such as powered lifts, for example, for an existing 
automobile to make it safe and feasible for a veteran with 
disabilities.
  Although veterans can receive multiple special adaptive equipment 
grants over the course of their lives, for some reason they are limited 
to just a single automobile grant. The current limitation fails to take 
into account that a veteran is likely to need more than one vehicle in 
his or her lifetime. In fact, the Department of Transportation reports 
that, in 2019, the average age of a household vehicle was 11.8 years, 
and a vehicle that has been modified structurally tends to have a 
shorter useful life.
  According to the VA independent budget prepared by Disabled American 
Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America, and the VFW, the substantial 
costs of modified vehicles, coupled with inflation, present a financial 
hardship for many disabled veterans who need to replace their primary 
mode of transportation once their car or van or truck reaches its 
lifespan. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates 
that a new vehicle modified with adaptive equipment will cost anywhere 
from $20,000 to $80,000. These are significant costs for a veteran with 
disabilities to incur to replace his or her primary mode of 
transportation. That is why veterans should be eligible to receive a 
vehicle grant every 10 years and our legislation, the Collins-Manchin 
bill, would do just that.
  A Maine veteran whom I know well, Neal Williams of Shirley, ME, used 
a VA automobile grant in 1999 to purchase an adaptive vehicle, a Ford 
Econoline van. He has also had to purchase several adaptive vehicles 
since 1999, with each one lasting over 250,000 miles until they simply 
were no longer roadworthy. His current vehicle now has over 100,000 
miles, and soon he will need a new one. He told me that purchasing a 
new van will cost him well over $50,000, which is more than he paid for 
his home in rural Maine. This is an enormous burden on our disabled 
veterans who need to purchase expensive adaptive vehicles in order to 
drive safely or to drive at all.
  Madam President, I feel like I am preaching to the choir here. Our 
Nation owes our veterans such an enormous debt. It is a debt that truly 
can never be fully repaid. Let's honor our commitment to our veterans 
by continuing to support their needs, including the needs of veterans 
who are disabled and need this adaptive technology for their vehicles 
long after they have been discharged or retire from Active Duty.
  This is a simple bill, but it is a bill that would make such a 
difference for so many of our disabled veterans who need vehicles with 
adaptive equipment so that they can drive themselves and drive safely. 
The AUTO for Veterans Act is an important step that we can take to meet 
this need and help those who have made so many sacrifices to serve our 
Nation.
  I urge all of my colleagues to join us in helping our Nation's 
veterans by supporting this bill.
  Thank you.