I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3504 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for improvements to 

the specially adapted housing program of the Department of Veterans 

Affairs, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 26, 2019 

Mr. BILIRAKIS (for himself, Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee, and Mr. LEVIN

of California) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

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

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 ‘‘Ryan Kules Specially 

5 Adaptive Housing Improvement Act of 2019’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. PRIORITY IN AWARD OF SPECIALLY ADAPTED 

2 HOUSING GRANTS TO SERIOUSLY ILL VET3 ERANS. 

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

5 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol6 lowing new subsection: 

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

8 In providing assistance under this section, the Secretary 

9 shall give priority to seriously ill veterans. 

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

11 shall have the meaning given such term by the Sec12 retary.’’. 

13 (b) DEFINITION OF SERIOUSLY ILL VETERAN.— 

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

15 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec16 retary of Veterans Affairs shall— 

17 (A) determine the meaning of the term 

18 ‘‘seriously ill veteran’’ for purposes of sub19 section (d) of section 2101 of title 38, United 

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

21 (B) submit to the Committees on Veterans’ 

22 Affairs of the Senate and House of Representa23 tives the meaning of such term as so deter24 mined. 

25 (2) APPLICABILITY.—The definition of ‘‘seri26 ously ill veteran’’ as determined under paragraph (1) 


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1 shall apply for purposes of such subsection (d) be2 ginning on the date that is 30 days after the date 

3 on which the Secretary submits to the Committees 

4 on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and House of 

5 Representatives the definition of such term as so de6 termined. 

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

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

9 apply with respect to assistance provided on or after that 

10 date. 

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

12 (a) INCREASE OF NUMBER OF GRANTS PER VET13 ERAN.—Section 2102(d)(3) of such title is amended by 

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

15 (b) INCREASE IN NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS AU16 THORIZED TO BE APPROVED.—Section 2101(a)(4) of 

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

18 inserting ‘‘120 applications’’. 

19 (c) INCREASE IN MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF ASSISTANCE

20 FOR ADAPTATION TO VETERAN’S RESIDENCE.—Section 

21 2102(b)(2) of such title is amended by striking ‘‘$12,000’’ 

22 and inserting ‘‘$19,733’’. 

23 (d) INCREASE IN AGGREGATE AMOUNT OF ASSIST24 ANCE FOR ACQUISITION OF HOUSING WITH SPECIAL


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

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

3 (e) INCREASE IN AGGREGATE AMOUNT OF ASSIST4 ANCE FOR ADAPTATIONS TO VETERANS’ RESIDENCES.— 

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

6 ‘‘$12,756’’ and inserting ‘‘$19,733’’. 

7 (f) EFFECTIVE DATE AND APPLICATION.—The 

8 amendments made by this section shall take effect on Oc9 tober 1, 2020. The amendments made by subsections (c) 

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

11 not received the maximum amount of assistance under 

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

13 date. 

14 SEC. 4. PROVISION OF ADDITIONAL AMOUNTS OF SPE15 CIALLY ADAPTED HOUSING ASSISTANCE FOR 

16 CERTAIN VETERANS. 

17 Section 2102 of such title is amended by adding at 

18 the end the following new subsection: 

19 ‘‘(f)(1) Notwithstanding the aggregate amounts spec20 ified in subsection (d), a covered veteran may apply for 

21 and receive an additional amount of assistance under sub22 section (a) or (b) of section 2101 of this title in an amount 

23 that does not exceed half of the amount specified in sub24 section (d). 


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

2 who— 

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

4 title; 

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

6 on or after October 1, 2020; 

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

8 for assistance under paragraph (1), most recently 

9 received assistance under this chapter more than ten 

10 years before such date; and 

11 ‘‘(D) lives in a home that the Secretary deter12 mines does not have adaptations that are reasonably 

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

Æ 


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