II 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4721 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to increase the amount paid by 

the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to veterans for improvements and 

structural alterations furnished as part of home health services. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

AUGUST 2, 2022 

Ms. CORTEZ MASTO introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 

referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to increase the 

amount paid by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to 

veterans for improvements and structural alterations furnished as part of home health services. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Autonomy for Disabled 

5 Veterans Act’’. 


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•S 4721 IS

1 SEC. 2. INCREASE IN AMOUNT AVAILABLE TO DISABLED 

2 VETERANS FOR IMPROVEMENTS AND STRUC3 TURAL ALTERATIONS FURNISHED AS PART 

4 OF HOME HEALTH SERVICES. 

5 (a) INCREASE.— 

6 (1) IN GENERAL.—Paragraph (2) of section 

7 1717(a) of title 38, United States Code, is amend8 ed— 

9 (A) in subparagraph (A)— 

10 (i) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘; or’’ and 

11 inserting a semicolon; 

12 (ii) in clause (ii)— 

13 (I) by inserting ‘‘and before the 

14 date of the enactment of the Auton15 omy for Disabled Veterans Act’’ after 

16 ‘‘May 5, 2010,’’; and 

17 (II) by striking ‘‘; and’’ and in18 serting ‘‘; or’’; and 

19 (iii) by adding at the end the fol20 lowing new clause: 

21 ‘‘(iii) in the case of a veteran who first ap22 plies for benefits under this paragraph on or 

23 after the date of the enactment of the Auton24 omy for Disabled Veterans Act, $10,000; and’’. 

25 (B) in subparagraph (B)— 


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•S 4721 IS

1 (i) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘; or’’ and 

2 inserting a semicolon; 

3 (ii) in clause (ii)— 

4 (I) by inserting ‘‘and before the 

5 date of the enactment of the Auton6 omy for Disabled Veterans Act’’ after 

7 ‘‘May 5, 2010,’’; and 

8 (II) by striking the period at the 

9 end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 

10 (iii) by adding at the end the fol11 lowing new clause: 

12 ‘‘(iii) in the case of a veteran who first ap13 plies for benefits under this paragraph on or 

14 after the date of the enactment of the Auton15 omy for Disabled Veterans Act, $5,000.’’. 

16 (2) APPLICABILITY.—A veteran who exhausts 

17 the eligibility of the veteran for benefits under sec18 tion 1717(a)(2) of title 38, United States Code, be19 fore the date of the enactment of this Act is not en20 titled to additional benefits under such section by 

21 reason of the amendments made by paragraph (1). 

22 (b) ADJUSTMENT FOR INFLATION.—Section 1717(a) 

23 of title 38, United States Code, is further amended by 

24 adding at the end the following new paragraph: 


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•S 4721 IS

1 ‘‘(4) On an annual basis, the Secretary shall increase 

2 the dollar amounts in effect under paragraph (2) by a per3 centage equal to the percentage by which the consumer 

4 price index for all urban consumers (United States city 

5 average) increased during the 12-month period ending 

6 with the last month for which consumer price index data 

7 is available. In the event that such consumer price index 

8 does not increase during such period, the Secretary shall 

9 maintain the dollar amounts in effect under paragraph (2) 

10 during the previous fiscal year.’’. 

Æ 


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