I 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7138 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish an inter-agency 

task force on the use of Federal lands for medical treatment and therapy 

through outdoor recreation for veterans. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 15, 2018 

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey (for himself and Mr. SMITH of Washington) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish an 

inter-agency task force on the use of Federal lands for 

medical treatment and therapy through outdoor recreation for veterans. 

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 ‘‘Accelerating Veterans 

5 Recovery Outdoors Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. INTER-AGENCY TASK FORCE ON OUTDOOR RECRE2 ATION FOR VETERANS. 

3 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 180 days after 

4 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 

5 Veterans Affairs shall establish a task force to be known 

6 as the ‘‘Task Force on Outdoor Recreation for Veterans’’ 

7 (in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Task Force’’). 

8 (b) COMPOSITION.—The Task Force shall be com9 posed of the following members or their designees: 

10 (1) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs. 

11 (2) The Secretary of the Interior. 

12 (3) The Secretary of Health and Human Serv13 ices. 

14 (4) The Secretary of Agriculture. 

15 (5) The Secretary of Defense. 

16 (6) The Chief of the Army Corps of Engineers. 

17 (7) Any other members that the Secretary of 

18 Veterans Affairs determines to be appropriate. 

19 (c) CHAIRPERSONS.—The Secretary of Veterans Af20 fairs and the Secretary of the Interior shall serve as co21 chairpersons of the Task Force. 

22 (d) DUTIES.— 

23 (1) TASK FORCE.—The duties of the Task 

24 Force shall be— 

25 (A) to identify opportunities to formalize 

26 coordination between the Department of VetVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:57 Nov 16, 2018 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7138.IH H7138

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1 erans Affairs, public land agencies, and partner 

2 organizations regarding the use of Federal 

3 lands for medical treatment and therapy for 

4 veterans; 

5 (B) to identify barriers that exist to pro6 viding veterans with opportunities for medical 

7 treatment and therapy through the use of out8 door recreation on Federal lands; and 

9 (C) to develop recommendations to better 

10 facilitate the use of Federal lands for preventa11 tive care, medical treatment, and therapy for 

12 veterans. 

13 (2) CONSULTATION.—The Task Force shall 

14 carry out such responsibilities in consultation with 

15 appropriate veterans outdoor recreation groups. 

16 (e) REPORTS.— 

17 (1) PRELIMINARY REPORT.—Not later than 

18 180 days after the date on which the Task Force is 

19 established, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 

20 submit to Congress a report on the preliminary find21 ings of the Task Force. 

22 (2) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than one year 

23 after the submission of the preliminary report under 

24 paragraph (1), the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 

25 shall submit to Congress a report on the findings of 


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1 the Task Force, which shall include the rec2 ommendations developed under subsection (d)(1)(C). 

3 (f) DURATION.—The Task Force shall terminate on 

4 the date that is one year after the date of the submission 

5 of the final report under in subsection (e)(2). 

6 (g) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act: 

7 (1) The term ‘‘Federal lands’’ means— 

8 (A) lands that are under the administra9 tion of the Secretary of Agriculture; or 

10 (B) lands that are under the administra11 tion of the Secretary of Interior. 

12 (2) The term ‘‘veteran’’ has the meaning given 

13 such term in section 101(2) of title 38, United 

14 States Code. 

Æ 


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