I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2344 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements in 

the vocational rehabilitation programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 14, 2015 

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

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain 

improvements in the vocational rehabilitation programs 

of the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

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 ‘‘Veterans Vocational 

5 Rehabilitation and Employment Improvement Act of 

6 2015’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. APPROVAL OF COURSES OF EDUCATION AND 

2 TRAINING FOR PURPOSES OF THE VOCA3 TIONAL REHABILITATION PROGRAM OF THE 

4 DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 3104(b) of title 38, 

6 United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 

7 following new sentence: ‘‘To the maximum extent prac8 ticable, a course of education or training may be pursued 

9 by a veteran as part of a rehabilitation program under 

10 this chapter only if the course is approved for purposes 

11 of chapter 30 or 33 of this title. The Secretary may waive 

12 the requirement under the preceding sentence to the ex13 tent the Secretary determines appropriate.’’. 

14 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 

15 subsection (a) shall apply with respect to a course of edu16 cation or training pursued by a veteran who first begins 

17 a program of rehabilitation under chapter 31 of title 38, 

18 United States Code, on or after the date that is one year 

19 after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

20 SEC. 3. ELIGIBILITY OF CERTAIN VETERANS ENROLLED IN 

21 VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION PROGRAMS 

22 FOR SPECIALLY ADAPTED HOUSING PRO23 VIDED BY THE SECRETARY OF VETERANS AF24 FAIRS. 

25 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 2101(a)(2)(A) of title 38, 

26 United States Code, is amended— 


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1 (1) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘or’’ at the end; 

2 (2) in clause (ii), by striking the period and in3 serting ‘‘; or’’; and 

4 (3) by adding at the end the following new sub5 paragraph: 

6 ‘‘(iii) has a disability for which the veteran 

7 is eligible for a rehabilitation program under 

8 chapter 31 of this title and is referred for as9 sistance under this section pursuant to section 

10 2107 of this title.’’. 

11 (b) AMOUNT OF ASSISTANCE.—Section 2102(d) of 

12 such title is amended— 

13 (1) in paragraph (1)— 

14 (A) by striking ‘‘The aggregate’’ and in15 serting ‘‘(A) Except as provided in subpara16 graph (B), the aggregate’’; and 

17 (B) by inserting at the end the following 

18 new subparagraph: 

19 ‘‘(B) The Secretary may waive the limitation in sub20 paragraph (A) in the case of a veteran described in section 

21 2101(a)(2)(A)(iii).’’; and 

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

23 paragraph: 

24 ‘‘(4) The Secretary shall submit to the Committees 

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1 resentatives a biennial report on the use of the waiver au2 thority under paragraph (1)(B).’’. 

3 (c) BAR TO DUAL ELIGIBILITY FOR HOME ADAPTA4 TION SERVICES.—Section 3102 of such title is amended 

5 by adding at the end the following new subsection: 

6 ‘‘(c) BAR TO DUAL ELIGIBILITY FOR HOME ADAPTA7 TION SERVICES.—A person who receives adaptive housing 

8 assistance by reason of section 2101(a)(2)(A)(iii) of this 

9 title may not also receive home adaptation services under 

10 this chapter.’’. 

11 (d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

12 this section shall take effect on the date that is 180 days 

13 after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

14 SEC. 4. AUTHORITY TO PRIORITIZE VOCATIONAL REHA15 BILITATION SERVICES BASED ON NEED. 

16 Section 3104 of title 38, United States Code, as 

17 amended by section 3, is further amended by adding at 

18 the end the following new subsection: 

19 ‘‘(c)(1) The Secretary shall have the authority to ad20 minister this chapter by prioritizing the provision of serv21 ices under this chapter based on need, as determined by 

22 the Secretary. In evaluating need for purposes of this sub23 section, the Secretary shall consider disability ratings, the 

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1 gram of independent living, income, and any other factor 

2 the Secretary determines appropriate. 

3 ‘‘(2) Not later than 90 days before making any 

4 changes to the prioritization of the provision of services 

5 under this chapter as authorized under paragraph (1), the 

6 Secretary shall submit to Congress a plan describing such 

7 changes.’’. 

8 SEC. 5. REDUCTION IN REDUNDANCY AND INEFFICIENCIES 

9 IN VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION CLAIMS 

10 PROCESSING. 

11 (a) VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION CLAIMS.—The 

12 Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall reduce redundancy and 

13 inefficiencies in the use of information technology to proc14 ess claims for rehabilitation programs under chapter 31 

15 of title 38, United States Code, by— 

16 (1) ensuring that all payments for and on be17 half of veterans participating in a rehabilitation pro18 gram under such chapter are only processed and 

19 paid out of one corporate information technology 

20 system, in order to eliminate the redundancy of mul21 tiple information technology payment systems; and 

22 (2) enhancing the information technology sys23 tem supporting veterans participating in such a pro24 gram to support more accurate accounting of serv25 ices and outcomes for such veterans. 


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1 (b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

2 authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Veterans 

3 Affairs for fiscal year 2016 $10,000,000 to carry out this 

4 section. 

5 (c) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 

6 of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans 

7 Affairs shall submit to Congress a report on the changes 

8 made pursuant to subsection (a). 

Æ 


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