To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the automobile assistance program for disabled veterans.

Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in providing automobile purchase assistance to certain service-disabled veterans, to: (1) make a payment to the lender of the automobile loan, rather than to the seller of the car; and (2) provide such assistance directly to a veteran after such veteran purchases a car if the Secretary determines the veteran did not apply in a timely manner due to a lack of knowledge of such assistance.

[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 294 Introduced in House (IH)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 294

   To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the automobile 
               assistance program for disabled veterans.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 8, 2003

  Mrs. Kelly introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the automobile 
               assistance program for disabled veterans.

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

SECTION 1. AUTHORITY TO PROVIDE AUTOMOBILE ADAPTIVE ASSISTANCE BENEFIT 
              DIRECTLY TO FINANCIAL INSTITUTION.

    (a) Authority To Provide Payment to Lender Rather Than Seller.--
Section 3902(a) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding 
at the end the following new sentence: ``Under regulations prescribed 
by the Secretary, a payment under this subsection may be made to the 
lender of a loan made for the purpose of financing the purchase of the 
automobile or other conveyance, rather than to the seller.''.
    (b) Authority To Provide Payment After Purchase.--Section 3902 of 
such title is further amended by adding at the end the following new 
subsection:
    ``(e) In the case of an eligible person who makes a purchase for 
which assistance could be provided under subsection (a) but who, as 
determined by the Secretary, does not apply for such assistance in a 
timely manner due to lack of knowledge of the availability of such 
assistance, the Secretary may provide such assistance after the 
purchase by payment directly to that person upon application made 
within 90 days after the date of the purchase.''.
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