II 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1947 

To amend chapter 21 of title 38, United States Code, to enhance adaptive 

housing assistance for disabled veterans. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

NOVEMBER 1, 2005 

Mr. SUNUNU (for himself, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. VITTER, Mr. KERRY, and Mr. 

PRYOR) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend chapter 21 of title 38, United States Code, to 

enhance adaptive housing assistance for disabled 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 ‘‘Specially Adapted 

5 Housing Grants Improvements Act of 2005’’. 
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•S 1947 IS

1 SEC. 2. ADAPTIVE HOUSING ASSISTANCE FOR DISABLED 

2 VETERANS RESIDING TEMPORARILY IN 

3 HOUSING OWNED BY A FAMILY MEMBER. 

4 (a) ASSISTANCE AUTHORIZED.—Chapter 21 of title 

5 38, United States Code, is amended by inserting after sec6 tion 2102 the following new section: 

7 ‘‘§ 2102A. Assistance for veterans residing tempo8 rarily in housing owned by a family mem9 ber 

10 ‘‘(a) ASSISTANCE AUTHORIZED.—If a disabled vet11 eran described in subsection (a)(2) or (b)(2) of section 

12 2101 of this title resides, but does not intend to perma13 nently reside, in a residence owned by a member of such 

14 veteran’s family, the Secretary may assist the veteran in 

15 acquiring such adaptations to such residence as are deter16 mined by the Secretary to be reasonably necessary because 

17 of the veteran’s disability. 

18 ‘‘(b) LIMITATION ON AMOUNT OF ASSISTANCE.— 

19 Subject to section 2102(d) of this title, the assistance au20 thorized under subsection (a) may not exceed— 

21 ‘‘(1) $10,000, in the case of a veteran described 

22 in section 2101(a)(2) of this title; or 

23 ‘‘(2) $2,000, in the case of a veteran described 

24 in section 2101(b)(2) of this title. 

25 ‘‘(c) LIMITATION ON NUMBER OF RESIDENCES SUB26 JECT TO ASSISTANCE.—A veteran eligible for assistance 
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1 authorized under subsection (a) may only be provided such 

2 assistance with respect to 1 residence. 

3 ‘‘(d) REGULATIONS.—Assistance under this section 

4 shall be provided in accordance with such regulations as 

5 the Secretary may prescribe. 

6 ‘‘(e) TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY.—The authority 

7 to provide assistance under subsection (a) shall expire at 

8 the end of the 5-year period beginning on the date of en9 actment of the Specially Adapted Housing Grants Im10 provements Act of 2005.’’. 

11 (b) LIMITATIONS ON ADAPTIVE HOUSING ASSIST12 ANCE.—Section 2102 of such title is amended— 

13 (1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘The assist14 ance authorized by section 2101(a)’’ and all that fol15 lows through ‘‘any one case—’’ and inserting ‘‘Sub16 ject to subsection (d), the assistance authorized 

17 under section 2101(a) of this title shall be afforded 

18 under 1 of the following plans, at the election of the 

19 veteran—’’; 

20 (2) by amending subsection (b) to read as fol21 lows: 

22 ‘‘(b) Subject to subsection (d), and except as provided 

23 in section 2104(b) of this title, the assistance authorized 

24 by section 2101(b) of this title may not exceed the actual 

25 cost, or in the case of a veteran acquiring a residence al-
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1 ready adapted with special features, the fair market value, 

2 of the adaptations determined by the Secretary under such 

3 section 2101(b) to be reasonably necessary.’’; and 

4 (3) by adding at the end the following new sub5 section: 

6 ‘‘(d)(1) The aggregate amount of assistance available 

7 to a veteran under sections 2101(a) and 2102A of this 

8 title shall be limited to $50,000. 

9 ‘‘(2) The aggregate amount of assistance available to 

10 a veteran under sections 2101(b) and 2102A of this title 

11 shall be limited to the lesser of— 

12 ‘‘(A) the sum of the cost or fair market value 

13 described in section 2102(b) of this title and the ac14 tual cost of acquiring the adaptations described in 

15 subsection (a); and 

16 ‘‘(B) $10,000. 

17 ‘‘(3) No veteran may receive more than 3 grants of 

18 assistance under this chapter.’’. 

19 (c) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

20 at the beginning of such chapter of such title is amended 

21 by inserting after the item relating to section 2102 the 

22 following: 

‘‘2102A. Assistance for veterans residing temporarily in housing owned by family member.’’. 
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1 SEC. 3. GAO REPORTS. 

2 (a) INTERIM REPORT.—Not later than 3 years after 

3 the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General 

4 of the United States shall submit to Congress an interim 

5 report on the implementation of section 2102A of title 38, 

6 United States Code (as added by section 2(a)), by the De7 partment of Veterans Affairs. 

8 (b) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than 5 years after the 

9 date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General 

10 of the United States shall submit to Congress a final re11 port on the implementation of such section 2102A by the 

12 Department of Veterans Affairs. 

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