II 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1191 

To establish a grant program to provide innovative transportation options 

to veterans in remote rural areas. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 7, 2005 

Mr. SALAZAR introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL

To establish a grant program to provide innovative 

transportation options to veterans in remote rural areas.

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 ‘‘VetsRide Act’’. 

5 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

6 Congress makes the following findings: 

7 (1) For many veterans living in rural areas in 

8 the United States, the nearest Department of Vet9 erans Affairs medical center is hundreds of miles 

10 away. 
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•S 1191 IS

1 (2) The Department of Veterans Affairs has 

2 been unable to adequately provide care for veterans 

3 due to budgetary constraints. In 2004, the Depart4 ment of Veterans Affairs set a goal to build 156 new 

5 community-based outpatient clinics by 2012. Budget 

6 shortfalls have slowed the building of new clinics and 

7 many service networks have postponed opening new 

8 clinics indefinitely or reduced staffing at existing 

9 clinics. 

10 (3) State veteran service officers and private 

11 veteran service organizations have moved in to fill 

12 the void, providing critically needed transportation 

13 services to veterans in rural remote areas. These 

14 services are especially important to elderly and in15 firm veterans who do not have other transportation 

16 options. 

17 (4) Although such ad hoc veterans travel pro18 grams have community support, many suffer from 

19 chronic underfunding. Relatively small investments 

20 in transportation services can result in significantly 

21 better care for our Nation’s most vulnerable vet22 erans. 

23 SEC. 3. TRANSPORTATION GRANTS FOR RURAL VETERANS 

24 SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS. 

25 (a) GRANTS AUTHORIZED.— 
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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans 

2 Affairs shall establish a grant program to provide in3 novative transportation options to veterans in remote 

4 rural areas. 

5 (2) USE OF FUNDS.—Grants awarded under 

6 this section may be used by State veterans’ service 

7 officers and veterans service organizations to— 

8 (A) assist veterans to travel to Department 

9 of Veterans Affairs medical centers; and 

10 (B) otherwise assist in providing medical 

11 care to veterans in remote rural areas. 

12 (3) MAXIMUM AMOUNT.—The Secretary may 

13 not award a grant under this section in an amount 

14 in excess of $50,000. 

15 (4) NO MATCHING REQUIREMENT.—Grant re16 cipients under this section shall not be required to 

17 provide matching funds as a condition for receiving 

18 such a grant. 

19 (b) RULEMAKING.—The Secretary shall prescribe 

20 regulations for— 

21 (1) evaluating grant applications under this sec22 tion; and 

23 (2) otherwise administering the program estab24 lished by this section. 
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1 (c) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘‘veterans 

2 service organization’’ means any organization recognized 

3 by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for the representation 

4 of veterans under section 5902 of title 38, United States 

5 Code. 

6 (d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

7 are authorized to be appropriated $3,000,000 for each of 

8 fiscal years 2006 through 2010 to carry out this Act.

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