II 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3504 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 24, 2019 

Received 

AN ACT 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for improvements to the specially adapted housing program 

and educational assistance programs 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, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Ryan Kules Specially 

3 Adaptive Housing Improvement Act of 2019’’. 

4 SEC. 2. PRIORITY IN AWARD OF SPECIALLY ADAPTED 

5 HOUSING GRANTS TO SERIOUSLY ILL VET6 ERANS. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 2101 of title 38, United 

8 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol9 lowing new subsection: 

10 ‘‘(d) PRIORITY FOR SERIOUSLY ILL VETERANS.—(1) 

11 In providing assistance under this section, the Secretary 

12 shall give priority to seriously ill veterans. 

13 ‘‘(2) In this section, the term ‘seriously ill veteran’ 

14 shall have the meaning given such term by the Sec15 retary.’’. 

16 (b) DEFINITION OF SERIOUSLY ILL VETERAN.— 

17 (1) IN GENERAL.—By not later than 90 days 

18 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec19 retary of Veterans Affairs shall— 

20 (A) determine the meaning of the term 

21 ‘‘seriously ill veteran’’ for purposes of sub22 section (d) of section 2101 of title 38, United 

23 States Code, as added by subsection (a); and 

24 (B) submit to the Committees on Veterans’ 

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1 tives the meaning of such term as so deter2 mined. 

3 (2) APPLICABILITY.—The definition of ‘‘seri4 ously ill veteran’’ as determined under paragraph (1) 

5 shall apply for purposes of such subsection (d) be6 ginning on the date that is 30 days after the date 

7 on which the Secretary submits to the Committees 

8 on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and House of 

9 Representatives the definition of such term as so de10 termined. 

11 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 

12 subsection (a) shall take effect on October 1, 2020, and 

13 apply with respect to assistance provided on or after that 

14 date. 

15 SEC. 3. INCREASE IN AMOUNTS OF ASSISTANCE PROVIDED. 

16 (a) INCREASE OF NUMBER OF GRANTS PER VET17 ERAN.—Section 2102(d)(3) of such title is amended by 

18 striking ‘‘three’’ and inserting ‘‘six’’. 

19 (b) INCREASE IN NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS AU20 THORIZED TO BE APPROVED.—Section 2101(a)(4) of 

21 such title is amended by striking ‘‘30 applications’’ and 

22 inserting ‘‘120 applications’’. 

23 (c) INCREASE IN MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF ASSISTANCE

24 FOR ADAPTATION TO VETERAN’S RESIDENCE.—Section 


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1 2102(b)(2) of such title is amended by striking ‘‘$12,000’’ 

2 and inserting ‘‘$19,733’’. 

3 (d) INCREASE IN AGGREGATE AMOUNT OF ASSIST4 ANCE FOR ACQUISITION OF HOUSING WITH SPECIAL

5 FEATURES.—Section 2102(d)(1) of such title is amended 

6 by striking ‘‘$63,780’’ and inserting ‘‘$98,492’’. 

7 (e) INCREASE IN AGGREGATE AMOUNT OF ASSIST8 ANCE FOR ADAPTATIONS TO VETERANS’ RESIDENCES.— 

9 Section 2102(d)(2) of such title is amended by striking 

10 ‘‘$12,756’’ and inserting ‘‘$19,733’’. 

11 (f) EFFECTIVE DATE AND APPLICATION.—The 

12 amendments made by this section shall take effect on Oc13 tober 1, 2020. The amendments made by subsections (c) 

14 and (d) shall apply with respect to individuals who have 

15 not received the maximum amount of assistance under 

16 section 2101 of title 38, United States Code, before such 

17 date. 

18 SEC. 4. PROVISION OF ADDITIONAL AMOUNTS OF SPE19 CIALLY ADAPTED HOUSING ASSISTANCE FOR 

20 CERTAIN VETERANS. 

21 Section 2102 of such title is amended by adding at 

22 the end the following new subsection: 

23 ‘‘(f)(1) Notwithstanding the aggregate amounts spec24 ified in subsection (d), a covered veteran may apply for 

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1 section (a) or (b) of section 2101 of this title in an amount 

2 that does not exceed half of the amount specified in sub3 section (d). 

4 ‘‘(2) In this subsection, a covered veteran is a veteran 

5 who— 

6 ‘‘(A) is described in section 2101(a)(2) of this 

7 title; 

8 ‘‘(B) first receives assistance under this chapter 

9 on or after October 1, 2020; 

10 ‘‘(C) as of the date of the veteran’s application 

11 for assistance under paragraph (1), most recently 

12 received assistance under this chapter more than 10 

13 years before such date; and 

14 ‘‘(D) lives in a home that the Secretary deter15 mines does not have adaptations that are reasonably 

16 necessary because of the veteran’s disability.’’. 

17 SEC. 5. IMPROVEMENT TO WORK-STUDY ALLOWANCE PRO18 GRAM. 

19 (a) PAYMENT OF ALLOWANCE.—Subsection (a) of 

20 section 3485 of title 38, United States Code, is amended— 

21 (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘Individuals’’ 

22 and inserting ‘‘In accordance with paragraph (4), in23 dividuals’’; 

24 (2) by redesignating paragraphs (4), (5), and 

25 (6) as paragraphs (5), (6), and (7), respectively; and 


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1 (3) by inserting after paragraph (3) the fol2 lowing new paragraph: 

3 ‘‘(4)(A) The Secretary shall carry out this section by 

4 providing to educational institutions an annual amount for 

5 the institution to use in paying work-study allowance 

6 under paragraph (1) to individuals enrolled at the institu7 tion. 

8 ‘‘(B) With respect to an educational institution that 

9 participated in the work-study program under this section 

10 during the academic year beginning August 1, 2018, the 

11 Secretary shall determine the annual amount to provide 

12 to the educational institution under subparagraph (A) as 

13 follows: 

14 ‘‘(i) For the academic year beginning August 1, 

15 2020, the amount shall be the total amount the Sec16 retary paid under this section to individuals enrolled 

17 at such educational institution during the academic 

18 year beginning August 1, 2018. 

19 ‘‘(ii) Except as provided by subparagraph 

20 (D)(ii), for each academic year beginning on or after 

21 August 1, 2021, the amount shall be the total 

22 amount the educational institution paid under this 

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1 vious academic year in which individuals participated 

2 in the work-study program. 

3 ‘‘(C) With respect to an educational institution that 

4 did not participate in the work-study program under this 

5 section during the academic year beginning August 1, 

6 2018, the Secretary shall determine the annual amount 

7 to provide to the educational institution under subpara8 graph (A) as follows: 

9 ‘‘(i) For the first academic year in which the 

10 educational institution participates in the work-study 

11 program beginning on or after August 1, 2020, the 

12 amount shall be an amount the Secretary determines 

13 appropriate based on amounts provided to similar 

14 educational institutions pursuant to subparagraph 

15 (B). 

16 ‘‘(ii) Except as provided by subparagraph 

17 (D)(ii), for each academic year occurring after the 

18 academic year specified in clause (i), the amount 

19 shall be the total amount the educational institution 

20 paid under this section for work-study allowance to 

21 individuals enrolled at such educational institution 

22 during the previous academic year in which individ23 uals enrolled at such educational institution partici24 pated in the work-study program. 


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1 ‘‘(D)(i) Except as provided in clause (ii), if the Sec2 retary provides an annual amount to an educational insti3 tution under subparagraph (B) or (C) that is more than 

4 the total amount the educational institution pays to indi5 viduals under paragraph (1), the educational institution 

6 shall return to the Secretary the unpaid amount and the 

7 Secretary shall transfer such amount into the general fund 

8 of the Treasury. 

9 ‘‘(ii) If the annual amount provided to an educational 

10 institution under subparagraph (B) or (C) is more, but 

11 less than 25 percent more, than the total amount the edu12 cational institution pays to individuals under paragraph 

13 (1), and the educational institution plans to participate 

14 in the work-study program under this section during the 

15 subsequent academic year, the educational institution may 

16 retain the amount of the overpayment if the educational 

17 institution notifies the Secretary of the amount of the 

18 overpayment and the intention of the educational institu19 tion to retain such amount. Any amount retained by an 

20 educational institution under this clause may only be used 

21 by the educational institution to provide work-study allow22 ance to individuals enrolled at the educational institution. 

23 ‘‘(iii) At any time an educational institution may re24 quest the Secretary to increase the annual amount that 


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1 the Secretary provides the educational institution under 

2 subparagraph (B) or (C). 

3 ‘‘(E) Pursuant to section 3690(c), section 3693, and 

4 other provisions of chapter 36 of this title, the Secretary 

5 shall ensure that educational institutions carry out the 

6 work-study allowance program in compliance with this sec7 tion.’’. 

8 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Subsection (e)(1) 

9 of such section is amended by striking ‘‘subsection (a)(4)’’ 

10 and inserting ‘‘subsection (a)(5)’’. 

11 (c) APPLICATION.—The amendments made by this 

12 section shall apply with respect to a quarter, semester, or 

13 term, as applicable, commencing on or after August 1, 

14 2020. 

15 SEC. 6. EXPANSION OF ELIGIBILITY FOR FRY SCHOLAR16 SHIP TO CHILDREN AND SPOUSES OF CER17 TAIN DECEASED MEMBERS OF THE ARMED 

18 FORCES. 

19 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subsection (b) of section 3311 of 

20 title 38, United States Code, is amended— 

21 (1) by redesignating paragraph (10) as para22 graph (12); and 

23 (2) by inserting after paragraph (9) the fol24 lowing new paragraphs (10) and (11): 


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1 ‘‘(10) An individual who is the child or spouse 

2 of a person who, on or after September 11, 2001, 

3 dies in line of duty while serving on duty other than 

4 active duty as a member of the Armed Forces. 

5 ‘‘(11) An individual who is the child or spouse 

6 of a member of the Selected Reserve who dies on or 

7 after September 11, 2001— 

8 ‘‘(A) from a service-connected disability; 

9 and 

10 ‘‘(B) not later than 4 years after the date 

11 of the last discharge or release of that member 

12 from active duty or active duty for training.’’. 

13 (b) APPLICABILITY DATE.—The amendments made 

14 by subsection (a) apply with respect to a quarter, semes15 ter, or term, as applicable, commencing on or after August 

16 1, 2020. 

17 (c) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 

18 (1) Subsection (f) of such section is amended 

19 by striking ‘‘paragraph (9)’’ each place it appears 

20 and inserting ‘‘paragraphs (9), (10), and (11)’’. 

21 (2) Section 3322 of such title is amended— 

22 (A) in subsection (e), by striking both 

23 ‘‘sections 3311(b)(9) and 3319’’ and inserting 

24 ‘‘section 3319 and paragraph (9), (10), or (11) 

25 of section 3311 of this title’’; 


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1 (B) in subsection (f), by striking ‘‘section 

2 3311(b)(9)’’ and inserting ‘‘paragraph (9), 

3 (10), or (11) of section 3311 of this title’’; and 

4 (C) in subsection (h)(2), by striking ‘‘ei5 ther section 3311(b)(9) or chapter 35’’ and in6 serting ‘‘either chapter 35 or paragraph (9), 

7 (10), or (11) of section 3311’’. 

8 SEC. 7. TREATMENT OF CERTAIN PREPARATORY COURSES 

9 AS PROGRAMS OF EDUCATION FOR PUR10 POSES OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AF11 FAIRS EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE PRO12 GRAMS. 

13 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 33 of title 38, United 

14 States Code, is amended by inserting after section 3315A 

15 the following new section: 

16 ‘‘§ 3315B. Preparatory courses for licensure, certifi17 cation, or national tests 

18 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—An individual entitled to edu19 cational assistance under this chapter shall also be entitled 

20 to payment for a preparatory course for a licensing or cer21 tification test that is required or used to enter into, main22 tain, or advance in employment in a predetermined and 

23 identified vocation or profession. 


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1 ‘‘(b) AMOUNT.—The amount of educational assist2 ance payable under this chapter for a course described in 

3 subsection (a) is the lesser of— 

4 ‘‘(1) the fee charged for the course; or 

5 ‘‘(2) the amount of entitlement available to the 

6 individual under this chapter at the time of payment 

7 for the course under this section. 

8 ‘‘(c) CHARGE AGAINST ENTITLEMENT.—The number 

9 of months of entitlement charged an individual under this 

10 chapter for a course described in subsection (a) shall be 

11 pro-rated based on the actual amount of the fee charged 

12 for the course relative to the rate for 1 month payable— 

13 ‘‘(1) for the academic year beginning on August 

14 1, 2020, $1,460; or 

15 ‘‘(2) for an academic year beginning on any 

16 subsequent August 1, the amount for the previous 

17 academic year beginning on August 1 under this 

18 subsection, as increased by the percentage increase 

19 equal to the most recent percentage increase deter20 mined under section 3015(h).’’. 

21 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

22 at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting 

23 after the item relating to section 3315A the following new 

24 item: 

‘‘3315B. Preparatory courses for licensure, certification, or national tests.’’. 


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1 (c) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 3532(g) 

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

3 (1) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘or a pre4 paratory course described in section 3315B(a) of 

5 this title’’ after ‘‘or national test providing an oppor6 tunity for course credit at institutions of higher 

7 learning described in section 3501(a)(5) of this 

8 title’’; and 

9 (2) in paragraphs (2) and (3), by inserting ‘‘or 

10 preparatory course’’ after ‘‘test’’ everywhere it ap11 pears. 

12 (d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 

13 subsection (a) shall apply with respect to months begin14 ning after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

15 SEC. 8. ADJUSTMENT OF LOAN FEES. 

16 Section 3729(b)(2) of title 38, United States Code, 

17 is amended by striking the loan fee table and inserting 

18 the following: 

‘‘Type of loan Active duty 

veteran Reservist Other obligor 

(A)(i) Initial loan described in section 3710(a) to 

purchase or construct a dwelling with 0-down, 

or any other initial loan described in section 

3710(a) other than with 5-down or 10-down 

(closed on or after October 1, 2004, and before 

January 1, 2020) 

2.15 2.40 NA 

(A)(ii) Initial loan described in section 3710(a) to 

purchase or construct a dwelling with 0-down, 

or any other initial loan described in section 

3710(a) other than with 5-down or 10-down 

(closed on or after January 1, 2020, and before October 1, 2027) 

2.30 2.30 NA 


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‘‘Type of loan Active duty 

veteran Reservist Other obligor 

(A)(iii) Initial loan described in section 3710(a) 

to purchase or construct a dwelling with 0- 

down, or any other initial loan described in section 3710(a) other than with 5-down or 10- 

down (closed on or after October 1, 2027, and 

before October 1, 2029) 

2.15 2.15 NA 

(A)(iv) Initial loan described in section 3710(a) 

to purchase or construct a dwelling with 0- 

down, or any other initial loan described in section 3710(a) other than with 5-down or 10- 

down (closed on or after October 1, 2029) 

1.40 1.40 NA 

(B)(i) Subsequent loan described in section 

3710(a) to purchase or construct a dwelling 

with 0-down, or any other subsequent loan described in section 3710(a) (closed on or after 

October 1, 2004, and before January 1, 2020) 

3.30 3.30 NA 

(B)(ii) Subsequent loan described in section 

3710(a) to purchase or construct a dwelling 

with 0-down, or any other subsequent loan described in section 3710(a) (closed on or after 

January 1, 2020, and before October 1, 2027) 

3.60 3.60 NA 

(B)(iii) Subsequent loan described in section 

3710(a) to purchase or construct a dwelling 

with 0-down, or any other subsequent loan described in section 3710(a) (closed on or after 

October 1, 2027, and before October 1, 2029) 

3.30 3.30 NA 

(B)(iv) Subsequent loan described in section 

3710(a) to purchase or construct a dwelling 

with 0-down, or any other subsequent loan described in section 3710(a) (closed on or after 

October 1, 2029) 

1.25 1.25 NA 

(C)(i) Loan described in section 3710(a) to purchase or construct a dwelling with 5-down 

(closed before January 1, 2020) 

1.50 1.75 NA 

(C)(ii) Loan described in section 3710(a) to purchase or construct a dwelling with 5-down 

(closed on or after January 1, 2020, and before October 1, 2027) 

1.65 1.65 NA 

(C)(iii) Loan described in section 3710(a) to purchase or construct a dwelling with 5-down 

(closed on or after October 1, 2027, and before 

October 1, 2029) 

1.50 1.50 NA 

(C)(iv) Loan described in section 3710(a) to purchase or construct a dwelling with 5-down 

(closed on or after October 1, 2029) 

0.75 0.75 NA 

(D)(i) Loan described in section 3710(a) to purchase or construct a dwelling with 10-down 

(closed before January 1, 2020) 

1.25 1.50 NA 

(D)(ii) Loan described in section 3710(a) to purchase or construct a dwelling with 10-down 

(closed on or after January 1, 2020, and before October 1, 2027) 

1.40 1.40 NA 

(D)(iii) Loan described in section 3710(a) to purchase or construct a dwelling with 10-down 

(closed on or after October 1, 2027, and before 

October 1, 2029) 

1.25 1.25 NA 

(D)(iv) Loan described in section 3710(a) to purchase or construct a dwelling with 10-down 

(closed on or after October 1, 2029) 

0.50 0.50 NA 

(E) Interest rate reduction refinancing loan 0.50 0.50 NA 

(F) Direct loan under section 3711 1.00 1.00 NA 


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‘‘Type of loan Active duty 

veteran Reservist Other obligor 

(G) Manufactured home loan under section 3712 

(other than an interest rate reduction refinancing loan) 

1.00 1.00 NA 

(H) Loan to Native American veteran under section 3762 (other than an interest rate reduction refinancing loan) 1.25 1.25 NA 

(I) Loan assumption under section 3714 0.50 0.50 0.50 

(J) Loan under section 3733(a) 2.25 2.25 2.25’’. 

1 SEC. 9. AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 

2 TO ASSIST BLIND VETERANS WHO HAVE NOT 

3 LOST USE OF A LEG IN ACQUIRING SPE4 CIALLY ADAPTED HOUSING. 

5 Section 2101 of title 38, United States Code, is 

6 amended— 

7 (1) in subsection (a)(2)(B)(ii)— 

8 (A) in the matter preceding subclause (I), 

9 by striking ‘‘due to—’’ and inserting ‘‘due to 

10 blindness in both eyes, having central visual 

11 acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with 

12 the use of a standard correcting lens. For the 

13 purposes of this clause, an eye with a limitation 

14 in the fields of vision such that the widest di15 ameter of the visual field subtends an angle no 

16 greater than 20 degrees shall be considered as 

17 having a central visual acuity of 20/200 or 

18 less.’’; and 

19 (B) by striking subclauses (I) and (II); 

20 and 


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1 (2) in subsection (b)(2)— 

2 (A) by striking subparagraph (A); and 

3 (B) by redesignating subparagraphs (B) 

4 and (C) as subparagraphs (A) and (B), respec5 tively. 

6 SEC. 10. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS. 

7 The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of 

8 complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, 

9 shall be determined by reference to the latest statement 

10 titled ‘‘Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation’’ for this 

11 Act, submitted for printing in the Congressional Record 

12 by the Chairman of the House Budget Committee, pro13 vided that such statement has been submitted prior to the 

14 vote on passage. 

Passed the House of Representatives July 23, 2019. 

Attest: CHERYL L. JOHNSON, 

Clerk. 


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