[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 5088]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT FOR H.R. 1292--SPECIALLY ADAPTED HOUSING 
                               CORRECTION

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. STEVE BUYER

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 15, 2005

  Mr. BUYER. Mr. Speaker, Chapter 21 of title 38, United States Code, 
provides for grants to adapt or acquire suitable housing for certain 
severely disabled veterans, including veterans who are unable to 
ambulate without assistance. The maximum grant amount for a severely 
disabled veteran is $50,000.
  Public Law 108-183 extended eligibility for the adaptive housing 
grant to severely disabled servicemembers who have not yet been 
processed for discharge from military service, but who will qualify for 
the benefit upon discharge due to the severity of their disabilities. 
Prior to Public Law 108-183, qualifying servicemembers were not allowed 
to apply for or receive the grant until they were actually discharged 
from military service.
  Section 401 of S. 2486, Public Law 108-454, extends eligibility for 
specially adapted housing grants to veterans with permanent and total 
service-connected disabilities due to the loss, or loss of use, of both 
arms at or above both elbows.
  An inadvertent error occurred in the drafting of the Veterans 
Benefits Improvement Act of 2004, which the Committee discovered too 
late to be corrected without jeopardizing passage of the same bill in 
both the House and Senate before adjournment. The error resulted in the 
omission of the change made by Public Law 108-183 for catastrophically 
disabled servicemembers. H.R. 1292 serves to correct that oversight.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a necessary correction to ensure the Department 
of Veterans Affairs continues to assist those severely disabled 
servicemembers who require their homes be adapted to their disability. 
I urge my colleagues to support it.

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