I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3231 

To authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program 

to provide grants to veterans service organizations for upgrading local 

chapter facilities, including technology at such facilities, in rural areas, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 12, 2019 

Mr. COLLINS of New York (for himself and Mr. KING of New York) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out 

a pilot program to provide grants to veterans service 

organizations for upgrading local chapter facilities, including technology at such facilities, in rural areas, 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 ‘‘Renovate and Enhance 

5 Veterans Meeting Halls and Posts Act of 2019’’ or the 

6 ‘‘REVAMP Act of 2019’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. GRANTS TO VETERANS SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS 

2 FOR FACILITY REHABILITATION AND TECH3 NOLOGY IN RURAL AREAS. 

4 (a) PILOT PROGRAM.—The Secretary of Veterans Af5 fairs shall carry out a pilot program to award grants to 

6 eligible veterans service organizations. 

7 (b) ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES AND USES.—An eligible 

8 veterans service organization may use a grant made under 

9 this section only for— 

10 (1) repairs or rehabilitation of a facility in a 

11 rural area of an eligible veterans service organiza12 tion; and 

13 (2) acquiring or upgrading computers and tech14 nology for such a facility. 

15 (c) APPLICATIONS.—An application for a grant under 

16 this section— 

17 (1) shall be in such form and submitted in ac18 cordance with such procedures as the Secretary shall 

19 establish; and 

20 (2) shall include a plan for the proposed repair, 

21 rehabilitation, or technology upgrading and acquisi22 tion activities to be conducted using the grant 

23 amounts. 

24 (d) SELECTION CRITERIA.—The Secretary shall se25 lect applications to receive grants under the pilot program 


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1 pursuant to a competition and using criteria that in2 clude— 

3 (1) the extent of need for such grants; 

4 (2) the quality of the plan proposed for repair 

5 or rehabilitation of the facility involved or for acquir6 ing or upgrading computers and technology for such 

7 a facility; 

8 (3) the capacity or potential capacity of the ap9 plicant to successfully carry out the plan; and 

10 (4) other factors as the Secretary determines 

11 appropriate. 

12 (e) LIMITATIONS.— 

13 (1) AMOUNT.—An eligible veterans service or14 ganization may not receive a grant under this sec15 tion during any fiscal year in an amount exceeding 

16 the lesser of— 

17 (A) the aggregate cost of the proposed ac18 tivities and uses under subsection (b) for which 

19 the grant amounts will be used; or 

20 (B) $75,000. 

21 (2) TIMING.—An eligible veterans service orga22 nization that receives a grant under this section for 

23 a fiscal year shall be ineligible for any grant under 

24 this section for any of the succeeding five fiscal 

25 years. 


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1 (f) PROHIBITION OF NEW CONSTRUCTION OR ACQUI2 SITION.—A grant under this section may not be used for 

3 the construction or acquisition of a new facility. 

4 (g) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary shall prescribe 

5 regulations necessary to carry out the pilot program not 

6 later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this 

7 Act. 

8 (h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

9 authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry 

10 out this section— 

11 (1) for fiscal year 2020, $5,000,000; and 

12 (2) for subsequent fiscal years, such sums as 

13 may be necessary to carry out the pilot program. 

14 (i) DEFINITION.—For purposes of this section, the 

15 term ‘‘eligible veterans service organization’’ means a local 

16 or area chapter, post, or other unit— 

17 (1) of any organization that is chartered under 

18 part B of subtitle II of title 36, United States Code, 

19 and that has as among its primary purposes hon20 oring, promoting, advocating for, providing services 

21 for, or providing assistance to veterans or any group 

22 of veterans, as determined by the Secretary; and 

23 (2) that is located in a rural area, as deter24 mined by the Secretary. 

Æ 


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