II 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1775 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to make permanent the authority 

of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to transport individuals to and 

from facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs in connection with 

rehabilitation, counseling, examination, treatment, and care, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 7, 2017 

Mr. TESTER (for himself and Mrs. MURRAY) 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 make permanent 

the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to 

transport individuals to and from facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs in connection with rehabilitation, counseling, examination, treatment, and care, and 

for other purposes. 

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 ‘‘Rural Veterans Travel 

5 Enhancement Act of 2017’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. TREATMENT OF VET CENTERS AS DEPARTMENT OF 

2 VETERANS AFFAIRS FACILITIES FOR PUR3 POSES OF PAYMENTS OR ALLOWANCES FOR 

4 BENEFICIARY TRAVEL. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 111 of title 38, United 

6 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol7 lowing new subsection: 

8 ‘‘(h)(1) Vet Centers shall be treated as Department 

9 facilities for purposes of providing payment of actual ex10 penses of travel or allowance for travel to or from a De11 partment facility under this section. 

12 ‘‘(2) In this subsection, the term ‘Vet Center’ means 

13 a center for readjustment counseling and related mental 

14 health services for veterans under section 1712A of this 

15 title.’’. 

16 (b) APPLICABILITY.—Section 111(h) of such title, as 

17 added by subsection (a), shall apply with respect to travel 

18 occurring on or after the date of the enactment of this 

19 Act. 

20 SEC. 3. MAKING PERMANENT AUTHORITY FOR SECRETARY 

21 OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO TRANSPORT INDI22 VIDUALS TO AND FROM FACILITIES OF DE23 PARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 

24 Section 111A(a) of title 38, United States Code, is 

25 amended— 

26 (1) by striking paragraph (2); and 


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1 (2) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘(1)’’. 

2 SEC. 4. REAUTHORIZATION OF GRANTS FOR VETERANS 

3 SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS FOR TRANSPOR4 TATION OF HIGHLY RURAL VETERANS. 

5 Section 307(d) of the Caregivers and Veterans Omni6 bus Health Services Act of 2010 (Public Law 111–163; 

7 38 U.S.C. 1710 note) is amended by striking ‘‘through 

8 2017’’ and inserting ‘‘through 2020’’. 

9 SEC. 5. MEDICAL EXAMINATION PROTOCOL FOR VOLUN10 TEER DRIVERS PARTICIPATING IN PROGRAM 

11 OF TRANSPORTATION SERVICES FOR VET12 ERANS. 

13 Section 111A(b) of title 38, United States Code, is 

14 amended— 

15 (1) by inserting ‘‘(1)’’ before ‘‘The Secretary’’; 

16 and 

17 (2) by adding at the end the following new 

18 paragraph: 

19 ‘‘(2)(A) Not later than 90 days after the date of the 

20 enactment of the Rural Veterans Travel Enhancement Act 

21 of 2017, the Secretary shall develop and establish a na22 tional protocol for the administration of medical examina23 tions for volunteer drivers to participate in the program 

24 described in paragraph (1). 


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1 ‘‘(B) In developing the protocol required by subpara2 graph (A), the Secretary shall consult with such persons 

3 as the Secretary determines have an interest in the pro4 gram described in paragraph (1). 

5 ‘‘(C)(i) The Secretary shall implement the protocol 

6 by first conducting a one year pilot program using the pro7 tocol. 

8 ‘‘(ii) After conducting the pilot program required by 

9 clause (i), the Secretary shall assess the pilot program and 

10 make such changes to the protocol as the Secretary con11 siders appropriate. 

12 ‘‘(iii) After making changes to the protocol under 

13 clause (ii), the Secretary shall implement the protocol in 

14 phases during the course of one year.’’. 

15 SEC. 6. COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES 

16 REPORT ON TRANSPORTATION SERVICES 

17 FOR VETERANS. 

18 (a) REPORT REQUIRED.—Not later than one year 

19 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comp20 troller General of the United States shall submit to the 

21 Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the 

22 Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Rep23 resentatives a report on the program the establishment of 

24 which was facilitated under section 111A(b) of title 38, 

25 United States Code. 


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1 (b) CONTENTS.—The report submitted under sub2 section (a) shall include the following: 

3 (1) A description of the program described in 

4 subsection (a), including descriptions of the fol5 lowing: 

6 (A) The purpose of the program. 

7 (B) The activities carried out under the 

8 program. 

9 (2) An assessment of the sufficiency of the pro10 gram with respect to the purpose of the program. 

11 (3) An assessment of the cost effectiveness of 

12 the program in relation to alternatives. 

13 (4) An assessment of the health benefits for 

14 veterans who have participated in the program. 

15 (5) An assessment of the sufficiency of staffing 

16 of employees of the department who are responsible 

17 for facilitating the maintenance of the program. 

18 (6) An assessment, with respect to the purpose 

19 of the program, of the number of vehicles owned by 

20 and operating in conjunction with the program. 

21 (7) An assessment of the awareness and usage 

22 of the program by veterans and their families. 

Æ 


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