Autonomy for Disabled Veterans Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1644 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1644

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to modify the authority of the 
 Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish improvements and structural 
   alterations as part of home health services for disabled veterans.


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                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 7, 2025

Ms. Cortez Masto (for herself and Mr. Boozman) introduced the following 
 bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' 
                                Affairs

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                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 38, United States Code, to modify the authority of the 
 Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish improvements and structural 
   alterations as part of home health services for disabled veterans.

    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 ``Autonomy for Disabled Veterans 
Act''.

SEC. 2. MODIFICATION TO AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO 
              FURNISH IMPROVEMENTS AND STRUCTURAL ALTERATIONS AS PART 
              OF HOME HEALTH SERVICES FOR DISABLED VETERANS.

    (a) Increase.--Paragraph (2) of subsection (a) of section 1717 of 
title 38, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by inserting 
        ``in the case of a veteran'' before the em dash; and
            (2) by striking subparagraphs (A) and (B) and inserting the 
        following:
            ``(A) who first applied for benefits under this paragraph 
        for a non-service-connected disability before the date of the 
        enactment of the Autonomy for Disabled Veterans Act and whose 
        disability the Secretary determines is service-connected after 
        such date, $6,800; or
            ``(B) who first applied for benefits under this paragraph 
        on or after the date of the enactment of the Autonomy for 
        Disabled Veterans Act, $10,000.''.
    (b) Adjustment for Inflation; Cap on Benefits.--Such subsection is 
further amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (5); and
            (2) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following new 
        paragraphs:
    ``(3) On the first day of each fiscal year, the dollar amounts in 
effect under paragraph (2) shall--
            ``(A) increase by a percentage equal to the percentage by 
        which the residential home cost of construction index 
        established under section 2102(e)(3) of this title increased 
        during the previous fiscal year; or
            ``(B) if such index did not increase during such previous 
        fiscal year, remain the same.
    ``(4) The Secretary may not furnish more than three improvements or 
structural alterations under paragraph (2) to a veteran.''.
    (c) Rule of Construction.--A veteran who, before the date of the 
enactment of this Act, exhausted the eligibility of such veteran for 
benefits under section 1717 of title 38, United States Code, shall not 
be entitled to additional benefits under such section by reason of the 
amendments made by this Act.
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