I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2555 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a pilot program 

to award grants to nonprofit veterans service organizations to upgrade 

the community facilities of such organizations. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 21, 2015 

Mr. RYAN of Ohio (for himself and Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a 

pilot program to award grants to nonprofit veterans service organizations to upgrade the community facilities of 

such organizations. 

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 ‘‘Veteran Wellness Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM ON TRANSFORMATION OF VET2 ERANS SERVICES ORGANIZATIONS FACILI3 TIES INTO VETERAN HEALTH AND WELLNESS 

4 CENTERS. 

5 (a) PILOT PROGRAM REQUIRED.— 

6 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans 

7 Affairs shall carry out a pilot program under which 

8 the Secretary makes grants to nonprofit veterans 

9 services organizations (hereinafter in this section re10 ferred to as ‘‘VSOs’’) recognized by the Secretary in 

11 accordance with section 5902 of title 38, United 

12 States Code, to upgrade, through construction and 

13 repair, VSO community facilities into health and 

14 wellness centers and to promote and expand com15 plementary and integrative wellness programs. 

16 (2) USE OF FUNDS.—The recipient of a grant 

17 under this section shall use the grant— 

18 (A) to carry out the repair of a facility 

19 owned by the recipient or to construct a facility 

20 on property owned by the recipient; or 

21 (B) to provide complementary and integra22 tive medicine or wellness programs, to veterans 

23 and family members as such term is defined in 

24 section 1712A(h)(3) of title 38, United States 

25 Code. 


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1 (3) LIMITATION ON USE OF FUNDS.—The re2 cipient of a grant under this section may not use the 

3 grant to purchase real estate or to carry out repair 

4 of facilities leased by the recipient or to construct fa5 cilities on property leased by the recipient. 

6 (4) FACILITY OPERATION.—As a condition of 

7 the receipt of a grant under this section, a VSO 

8 shall agree to carry out the operation and mainte9 nance of the facility that is repaired or constructed 

10 using grant funds for the three-year period begin11 ning on the date of the completion of the repair or 

12 construction. 

13 (b) DURATION OF PILOT PROGRAM.—The pilot pro14 gram shall be carried out during the two-year period be15 ginning on the date of the commencement of the pilot pro16 gram. 

17 (c) LOCATIONS.—In selecting the recipients of grants 

18 under this section, the Secretary shall ensure that the 

19 grant recipients use grant funds to construct or repair fa20 cilities located in at least ten different geographic loca21 tions. The Secretary shall give priority to locations in eco22 nomically depressed areas that are not in close proximity 

23 to Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers. 

24 (d) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible to receive a grant 

25 under this section, a VSO shall submit to the Secretary 


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1 an application in such form and in such manner as the 

2 Secretary may require. 

3 (e) REPORTS.— 

4 (1) PERIODIC REPORTS.— 

5 (A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 

6 days after the date of the enactment of this 

7 Act, and every 180 days thereafter for the du8 ration of the pilot program, the Secretary shall 

9 submit to Congress a report on the pilot pro10 gram. 

11 (B) REPORT ELEMENTS.—Each report re12 quired by subparagraph (A) shall include the 

13 following: 

14 (i) The findings and conclusions of 

15 the Secretary with respect to the pilot pro16 gram during the 180-day period covered by 

17 the report. 

18 (ii) An assessment of the benefits of 

19 the pilot program to veterans and either 

20 family members during the 180-day period 

21 covered by the report. 

22 (2) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than 180 days 

23 after the conclusion of the pilot program, the Sec24 retary shall submit to Congress a report detailing 

25 the recommendations of the Secretary as to the adVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:35 May 29, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2555.IH H2555

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1 visability of continuing or expanding the pilot pro2 gram. 

3 (f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

4 authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary such sums 

5 as may be necessary to carry out this section. 

Æ 


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