I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 6551 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to increase the payments or allowances that individuals, including veterans service organizations, receive 

for transportation of veterans to or from facilities of the Department 

of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 1, 2023 

Mr. LAWLER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

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

payments or allowances that individuals, including veterans service organizations, receive for transportation of 

veterans to or from facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs, 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 ‘‘Heroes Earned Afford5 able Lifts Act’’ or the ‘‘HEAL Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF PAYMENTS OR ALLOWANCES FOR 

2 TRANSPORTATION OF VETERANS TO OR 

3 FROM DEPARTMENT FACILITIES. 

4 (a) MILAGE REIMBURSEMENT RATE.—Section 111 

5 of title 38, United States Code, is amended— 

6 (1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘at a rate of 

7 41.5 cents per mile’’ and inserting ‘‘at the rate pre8 scribed under subsection (g)’’; 

9 (2) in subsection (b)(1), by striking ‘‘Except as 

10 provided in subsection (c) of this section and not11 withstanding subsection (g)(2) of this section or’’ 

12 and inserting ‘‘Notwithstanding’’; and 

13 (3) by amending subsection (g) to read as fol14 lows: 

15 ‘‘(g) The Secretary shall set the mileage rate under 

16 subsection (a) to be equal to the rate for a privately owned 

17 automobile when no Government vehicle is available, as 

18 prescribed by the Administrator of General Services under 

19 section 5707(b) of title 5.’’. 

20 (b) PROHIBITION ON CERTAIN DEDUCTIBLE PAY21 MENTS.—Section 111(c) of such title is amended to read 

22 as follows: 

23 ‘‘(c) The Secretary may not require a deductible for 

24 travel for examination, treatment, or care under this sec25 tion.’’. 

26 (c) VETERANS SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS.— 


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1 (1) Section 111(e)(2)(B) of such title is amend2 ed— 

3 (A) by striking ‘‘subparagraph is’’ and all 

4 that follows and inserting ‘‘subparagraph is—’’; 

5 and 

6 (B) by adding at the end the following new 

7 clauses: 

8 ‘‘(i) a provider of personal care services for 

9 such veteran who is approved under paragraph (6) 

10 of section 1720G(a) of this title or designated under 

11 paragraph (7) of such section 1720G(a); 

12 ‘‘(ii) a veterans service organization that pro13 vides transportation for such veteran under section 

14 111A of this title; or 

15 ‘‘(iii) a veterans service agency of a local gov16 ernment, including an employee or a volunteer of 

17 such agency, that provides transportation for such 

18 veteran.’’. 

19 (2) Section 111A(b) of such title is amended— 

20 (A) by striking ‘‘veterans’ service’’ and in21 serting ‘‘veterans service’’; and 

22 (B) by striking ‘‘, without reimbursement 

23 from the Department,’’ and inserting ‘‘(reimVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:39 Dec 14, 2023 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6551.IH H6551

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1 bursable by the Department only to the extent 

2 allowable under section 111 of this title)’’. 

Æ 


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