Rural Veterans Transportation to Care Act
This bill expands and makes permanent the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) grant program that provides transportation options to veterans for medical purposes.
First, the bill expands the program to cover transportation for veterans in rural areas, in addition to veterans in highly rural areas (who are already eligible under the program).
The bill also authorizes the VA to award such grants to county veterans service organizations and tribal organizations to assist veterans with transportation for medical care.
Further, the bill increases the maximum grant amount to $60,000. However, if a grant recipient is required to purchase a vehicle to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, such grant amount may be increased to not more than $80,000.
Finally, the bill defines rural and highly rural in the same manner as the terms are given under the Rural-Urban Commuting Areas (RUCA) coding system of the Department of Agriculture. RUCA uses population density and commuting patterns to assign designations.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1733 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1733
To expand and modify the grant program of the Department of Veterans
Affairs to provide innovative transportation options to veterans in
highly rural areas, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 27, 2025
Ms. Perez (for herself, Mr. Ciscomani, Mr. Vasquez, Mr. Davis of North
Carolina, Mr. Johnson of South Dakota, Mr. Joyce of Ohio, Mr. Golden of
Maine, and Ms. Pettersen) introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To expand and modify the grant program of the Department of Veterans
Affairs to provide innovative transportation options to veterans in
highly rural areas, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Rural Veterans Transportation to
Care Act''.
SEC. 2. EXPANSION AND MODIFICATION OF TRANSPORTATION GRANT PROGRAM OF
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
Section 307 of the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services
Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-163; 38 U.S.C. 1710 note) is amended--
(1) in the section heading, by inserting ``rural or''
before ``highly'';
(2) in subsection (a)--
(A) by inserting ``rural or'' before ``highly''
each place it appears;
(B) in paragraph (2)--
(i) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as
subparagraph (C);
(ii) by inserting after subparagraph (A)
the following new subparagraph (B):
``(B) County veterans service organizations.''; and
(iii) by adding at the end the following
new subparagraph:
``(D) Tribal organizations.'';
(C) in paragraph (3), by striking ``A State
veterans service agency or veterans service
organization awarded'' and inserting ``A recipient
of''; and
(D) by striking paragraph (4) and inserting the
following new paragraph (4):
``(4) Maximum amount.--
``(A) In general.--Except as provided in
subparagraph (B), the amount of a grant under this
section may not exceed $60,000.
``(B) Additional amount to purchase a vehicle.--The
amount of a grant under this section to a recipient may
be increased to an amount not to exceed $80,000 if the
recipient is required to purchase a vehicle to comply
with the requirements of the Americans with
Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.) in
carrying out this section.'';
(3) in subsection (c), by striking paragraph (1) and
inserting the following:
``(1) Rural; highly rural.--The terms `rural' and `highly
rural' have the meanings given those terms under the Rural-
Urban Commuting Areas (RUCA) coding system of the Department of
Agriculture.''; and
(4) in subsection (d), by striking ``$3,000,000 for each of
fiscal years 2010 through 2022'' and inserting ``such sums as
may be necessary''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
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